One of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s former practice partners has retired from the game after 34 years as a snooker professional. Anthony Hamilton, who turned pro in 1991, the year before O’Sullivan, has decided to call it quits after an unbroken spell on the World Snooker Tour of almost three-and-a-half decades.
While the Nottingham potter arguably never quite fulfilled his potential, he still enjoyed an impressive career, which peaked in 2017 when he finally won a ranking title by defeating Ali Carter in the final of the German Masters. Hamilton, nicknamed the ‘Sheriff of Pottingham’, was also a four-time quarter-finalist at the World Championship. He was openly pondering his future before falling in qualifying for the 2025 Worlds and losing his tour card. He attempted to regain his place among the elite immediately at Q-School, but his defeat to German Umut Dikme proved to be the end of the road for the 53-year-old.
He 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.”
While his fortunes have dwindled in recent times, his love of the game has grown. 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.
“When I was at my best, I never really thought about snooker, I was more interested in everything else in life. But now I’m an old knacker, I’m back to watching it and loving it again. I’m excited to see what’s next.”
Hamilton was once described as “phenomenal” and a “great practice partner” by O’Sullivan. The Rocket said in 2021: “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.”