Ronnie O'Sullivan has named a player that he believes can be a future star of snooker - sending him some words of advice in the process.
O'Sullivan isn't competing in the ongoing Welsh Open tournament, having pulled out prior to the event getting underway.
And with world number two Judd Trump also having withdrawn, the field has been opened up in Llandudno.
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Gary Wilson, Mark Allen, John Higgins and Luca Brecel were the only top 16 players to make it through to the quarter-final stage, while snooker veteran and popular commentator Dominic Dale also reached the last eight in his home country.
Dale defeated 17-year-old Stan Moody 4-1 at the last 32 stage in what was a cagey affair, with the latter missing several opportunities early on.
But 'The Spaceman' hit a century break in frame two en route to victory over the talented youngster, with O'Sullivan, who is working on the tournament as a pundit for Eurosport, offering some words of advice to Moody after the game.
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He said: "It is great to hear him like that [in his post-match interview], and I want to hear him speak like that in another 10 years once he's had a few tough matches, a few tough tournaments and realises how tough this game is.
"To see him so young, coming here and enjoying his snooker, you can see he really just loves the game and has an amazing temperament for it.
"You can imagine if he did find it hard, he'd still find enjoyment in the game. You just get that impression."
O'Sullivan then made a brilliant comparison between Moody and 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy, stating: "He just looks like Shaun Murphy to me, but 25 years younger. It's unbelievable.
"He plays like Shaun Murphy too. The way he stomps around the table and hits the ball really firm. He's very confident and yeah, great to see."
Moody earned his two-year World Snooker Tour card starting from the 2023/24 season, after emerging through Q-School last January.
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And the 17-year-old has already produced some memorable performances, notably in beating world number 21 Zhou Yuelong to qualify for the Northern Ireland Open last year.
He also had opportunities to defeat world champion Brecel in qualifying for the English Open in September, but suffered a narrow 4-3 loss.
He played O'Sullivan in the Six-Red World Championship in March, losing 5-2 to the reigning UK Championship and Masters title holder.
Featured Image Credit: EurosportTopics: Ronnie OSullivan, Snooker
