Ronnie O'Sullivan insists he has 'no revenge in me' ahead of his clash with Hossein Vafaei at the World Snooker Championship - and would even want his rival to go on and win the tournament if he loses.
Despite O'Sullivan warning Vafaei not to 'rattle my cage' following his first-round win over Pang Junxu at the Crucible, the Iranian hit the headlines on Monday when mocking the Rocket for making 'excuses' and for being a 'nice person when he's asleep'.
The pair already had a tempestuous relationship dating back to when Vafaei told O'Sullivan to retire for being disrespectful last April and questioned whether he was even good for the game anymore.
The seven-time world champion has now responded to Vafaei's recent outburst, telling Eurosport: "I could be a nicer person? I don't know. I try to help all of the players on the circuit. If you ask a lot of the pros, pros that are winning world titles that are my rivals, I give them advice. I text them and say 'you are too good to not be winning as many tournaments as you should, I think you should be trying this or trying that'.
"It is well documented that I open myself up to that, and I like to do that because it is good to share. I did the same with Hossein earlier in his career, so it is what it is.
"Some of the comments kind of didn't make sense. I knew something was going on two years ago when the behaviour [from Vafaei] changed towards me.
"I don't have any revenge in me, I just like to play the game and to compete and to enjoy the match. I love my snooker and that is the most important thing for me.
"I don't get involved in those battles because it is not worth it. We are here to play a game and play snooker. You have just got to try and stay in your own lane and stay focused on what you have got to do."
On whether Vafaei was using O'Sullivan to generate more publicity for himself and the match like a boxing fight, the 47-year-old said: "I wish I was getting paid boxer's money, Tyson Fury's money! We are not. I don't think I have said anything to personalise things. I'm sure we will hug and make up at some point.
"If I don't go on and win the tournament then I would love to see him go on and win the tournament. It would probably be the best thing for snooker and would do great for the game. It is his chance to make himself a superstar.
"I don't want him to feel like there is pressure on him. I don't want to put that on myself or anyone. He works hard and if he beats me then he deserves some credit.
"A lot of the players have said certain things about me or done certain things and I've just thought 'that wasn't very nice' and it just inspires me to want to stay in the game longer. The more they want me to go, the more I want to hang around."
O'Sullivan also feels he's an easy target for other players but insists he holds no grudges.
He said: "We are all on this circuit together and you can't begrudge any good results so I hold no hard feelings for anyone because obviously it is a tough gig and we are all here just trying to do our best.
"So I don't take it personally. I think I'm kind of used to that, I had it as a junior growing up, I had it as an amateur, I had it as an early-season pro, and you still continue to get it. It has kind of followed me around my whole career really, but it is what it is, you know? You just have to play your game and just do your job.
"I think maybe I am a bit of an easy target because if I do an interview about my own game or whatever, obviously they will pick something out and there will be a headline. If I'm not playing, then generally they will ask other players what they think about what I've said, and the interview is about them talking about me.
"So I can't win, really - do you know what I mean? The press is always going to find a question to ask someone. Some people are going to have stronger opinions than others so they are going to voice those opinions. It just is what it is.
"All over my career I have had little things. Even when friends say it, they don't know there is a commentator who is one of my best friends. He didn't doubt me, but he thought one player was about to take over, and it was Ding Junhui.
"You know what? When I heard that it just fired me up, and he is one of my best friends. So it is not whoever has said it; sometimes I need someone to doubt me or question whether I can still do it.
"I like having something to prove, but I don't make it a personal thing, I just use it to fire myself up."
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