Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'phenomenal' ex-practice partner retires from snooker at 53
Anthony Hamilton, who was once described as "phenomenal" by Ronnie O'Sullivan, has called time on his 34-year snooker career after failing to regain his tour card
One of Ronnie O'Sullivan's favourite practice partners has announced his retirement from snooker after 34 years at the top level. Anthony Hamilton turned pro in 1991 - a year before O'Sullivan and fellow greats John Higgins and Mark Williams - and has been a constant presence on the World Snooker Tour ever since.
Although he may not have reached the heights he was capable of, Hamilton's career was still marked by notable achievements, including a ranking title win at the 2017 German Masters and four World Championship quarter-final appearances. Following a loss of form and his tour card, Hamilton attempted to regain his place at Q-School but was defeated by Germany's Umut Dikme, prompting his decision to retire at 53.
Hamilton said: "It felt strange playing there, knowing that these could be your last couple of matches. But I'm not going to miss it because the last few years have not been that enjoyable."
However, his love for the game remains. He added: "I probably love it again now more than I used to. I appreciate it more. I watch it more now than I used to. I love it more and I love players now because I know what they're about.
"Back in my prime, snooker wasn't always on my mind as I had other interests. But now I'm older, I've rediscovered my love for the game and I'm eager to see what the future holds."
Hamilton was once praised by O'Sullivan, who described him as "phenomenal" and a "great practice partner" in 2021. The Rocket said: "He was phenomenal, still is, just goes ton, ton, ton, ton. It's good for you to play someone like that because it rubs off on you. He was a great practice partner.
"He's won the German and had a very good career. It's a compliment, but with his game, he should have won more, really, because he's a very heavy scorer. That's why he's still competing, because of his scoring power.
"Plays the right shots, plays the right game, plays in the right spirit. A bit like [Anthony] McGill maybe, plays the game nicely, good cue action, everything's nice. When he does bring his best form, he's like that every day in practice.
"If he could bring that regularly to the match table, he'd have won multiple titles. I don't know why he hasn't because he's got bottle, he's got everything.
"It's a strange one. Some players you look at and think they're too good not to have won more. He's definitely one of those."
O'Sullivan, four years Hamilton's junior, looks set to play on following his comeback at the World Championship, where he made the semi-finals despite complaining of cue issues. Exactly how often fans will see the Rocket next season is unclear, though.
Speaking following his Crucible defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, he announced plans to quit the UK for the Middle East. The Rocket, who has a snooker academy in his name in Saudi Arabia, added: "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really.
"I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker."
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