Ronnie O'Sullivan's arch nemesis, Ali Carter, has warned the snooker icon that he's capable of wrecking his dream of winning all three Triple Crown events - insisting he's a 'dangerous' opponent for anyone.
O'Sullivan and Carter's bad blood stems from a row back in January.
Rocket beat his rival to win the Masters - but Carter was far from happy with the way the 48-year-old conducted himself.
He accused O'Sullivan of 'snotting all over the floor', with his rival then launching a blistering attack on Carter in return.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has received a warning from Ali Carter ahead of the World Open
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Carter was impressive amid his run to the final of the Masters and pushed Rocket all the way in the New Year.
And the 44-year-old, speaking to the WST Podcast, is adamant he's 'dangerous' and capable of preventing O'Sullivan from securing more snooker glory.
Speaking prior to the World Open in Sheffield, he said: “When I played at the Masters back in January, I was telling myself I was going to win that event.
"Rather than telling yourself, you're going to lose or someone is going to beat you, why not tell yourself you are going to win it?
"I played really great stuff all week.
"That reminded me that I am a top player because to play well in that atmosphere, that environment, you have to have something about you.
"I know I didn’t win it but we had a really good game in the final, I made the most centuries I’ve ever made and that’s ever been made there.
“If I can take that form into the crucible, with that attitude, then I think with the sort of game that I’ve got, I could be dangerous.
"Whether I win the World Championship or not, it doesn’t matter, I believe this year, probably for the first time, I could win it.
“Obviously we’d all like to break build like Ronnie, of course, we would.
"But there’s more than one way to go about this game and as good as Ronnie O’Sullivan is, he doesn’t win every tournament – he pretty much does at the minute, the ones he enters – so there’s room for other players to win.”
O'Sullivan, back in January, said Carter needed to 'sort his f***ing life out'.
“He needs to sort his f***ing life out,” said the world No 1 at the time.
“I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He’s a f***ing nightmare.
“Playing snooker against someone like that is a nightmare.
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"He’s not a nice person. It’s not a nice vibe he leaves around the table.
"I’ve said my piece, I don’t give a s**t. I’ve said it now, done.
"You know what he’s like, everybody knows what he’s like. He’s got issues. F***ing why has he got issues with me? I’m not having it. I don’t care, grow some balls.
“I don’t give a f**k, I don’t give a f**k about any of these snooker players, any of them. The more he brings it on, the more I f***ing punish him every time.
"He’s just digging a grave for himself. I don’t give a f**k. That’s it, I’ve said my piece.”
Ronnie O'Sullivan ranted about Ali Carter after beating his nemesis in the final of the Masters back in January
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He added: “He’s got beef with me. He’s got issues, he’s got to sort his life out, he’s got to see a counsellor or something.
"He’s got to deal with that because that’s no good. He’s got to sort it out, because I haven’t spoken to him for 20 years.
“I played with him when he was a kid and shared a lot of stuff with him. For him to come out and try to trash talk me like that, do you know what?
"He can have one of them [middle finger], he can sit on it as far as I’m concerned.”
