"If Ding (Junhui) looks at his career, he'll say he's probably got a great balance – he's been super successful on the table, but he hasn't been a slave to the sport," observed snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan on Thursday ahead of their blockbuster tie in the second round of the World Championship. 

The five-time champion, arguably the best player in the world, has a soft spot for the boyish Chinese star. The heartwarming scene of the English veteran and Ding wrapping in a tight embrace after a classic battle at the World Championship quarterfinal in 2017 still lingers in many fans' memory. "I love him, he's such a lovely guy," said O'Sullivan, explaining that long hug. 

It will be the third meeting between the pair at the championship, each having won one of their previous encounters. Facing a potentially explosive showdown, O'Sullivan is relishing the "tranquility" at the Crucible in northern England, amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

"My whole life has been about keeping it quiet and as simple as I can... I don't go out to restaurants, takeaways are fantastic for me; it's kind of how I've lived my life. Now I can go to snooker tournaments and still have that tranquility," he told Eurosport.

"I'm a little bit in that bracket where I like to enjoy my life. There's always a trade-off. I like to be healthy, live a good lifestyle and that means I can't play in every tournament, otherwise my lifestyle wouldn't be how I'd want it.  

"Ding probably falls into that category as well. He gets really excited by the really big tournaments, but probably doesn't want to be on the road 24/7. He drives his own car in many ways, and I respect that."  

Championship droughts weigh heavily on the 33-year-old Ding, a 14-time ranking event winner who is still searching for his first world title. During a brief interview with CGTN Sports Scene earlier this week, O'Sullivan predicted that Ding will eventually break his duck. 

"I think Ding's got a very good record and is a very, very reliable player. He's delivered the goods for a good 15, 16, 17 years now," he said. 

"Obviously he would love to win the World Championship because as a player growing up and as a professional, you always get asked that question 'Why haven't you won the World Championships?' That's a horrible question to be asked when you are as good a player as Ding is.

"I had that for quite a while and when I won it for the first time it was a big relief. I think, for Ding, he's more than capable of doing it, and I'm sure he will one day, I just hope it's not this year, you know."

On Thursday, O'Sullivan said that time may be running short for Ding if he wants to taste the glory. 

"I'm sure he'd love to get his hands on the world title, but each year you get older, it gets harder," he noted. "Some players can play well into their 40s like me and John Higgins and Mark Williams, but we're exceptions to the rule." 

Yet Ding remains upbeat about his prospects at this year's showpiece event. 

"Sometimes I need to learn the new things to control the game," he said. "I'm looking forward to the second round, to improving my game again. I'm looking forward to winning."

Earlier in the day, four-time champion John Higgins made a maximum 147 break but could not avoid a 13-11 loss to Kurt Maflin in the second round. 

Higgins' stunning 147 came in the 12th frame and was the first maximum made at the Crucible in eight years.