Stephen Hendry lays down 'perfect' challenge to Ronnie O'Sullivan as title drought continues

The seven-time world champion has yet to claim silverware in the current campaign, despite his high standards that saw him win five titles last season.

The Rocket will be aiming to add to his impressive record at the event, having already claimed the Champion of Champions trophy four times in the tournament's modern era, which spans just 11 editions.

Fellow seven-time world champion Hendry believes the Champion of Champions format is perfectly suited to O'Sullivan's style.

Speaking on ITV4, Hendry highlighted the tournament's unique setup as a key factor: "It's the fact it's one table, all the attention is on you, we always have great crowds here, that's what the big players love.

"Inspiration, venues to inspire them and make them play their best."

The Scottish legend emphasised why O'Sullivan has historically excelled at the event: "It's one of the reasons the likes of Ronnie has done so well here, it's perfect for him."

Hendry particularly praised the tournament's condensed schedule, which he believes suits O'Sullivan perfectly.

"Ronnie doesn't come in 'til Thursday, so basically this is the kind of tournament he loves. He's got to play three days of snooker to pick up the trophy," Hendry explained.

"It's perfect for him! That's why he has such a good record in this event."

The format requires players to win just four matches over three days to claim the title, with the tournament's concentrated nature appearing tailor-made for O'Sullivan's preferred playing style.

O'Sullivan faces a challenging path in Group 4, beginning with his opening match against Guodong.

Should he progress, he will face either Mark Selby or Shaun Murphy later that same evening for a place in the semi-finals.

The competition features a strong field, including Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Allen, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams.

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O'Sullivan, currently ranked world number five, has not progressed beyond a semi-final this season.

His last tournament victory came in March at the World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabia, marking a longer than usual drought for the typically prolific champion.