Ronnie should give us a break

First, I don't think I played that well against Michael (Judge) and in saying that I don't wish to be disrespectful to him. I'm just being honest to myself. It's great to be in the quarter-finals without performing that well but I know I'm going to have to step up a few gears to beat John Higgins. I know it's there, I just have to bring it out.

The match against Michael wasn't littered with massive breaks which was disappointing because I was playing quite well but struggled in a couple of sessions and wasn't really comfortable. I don't know if it was because I was playing someone from home who I know so well. That might make it more difficult. I always struggle playing someone from home but Michael played quite well himself.

He's a lovely guy and I'm delighted to see him do well. He's worked hard. Since the Nations Cup this year and last he's gotten confidence and it has helped him compete on the bigger stage against the best players. He's got a good few scalps under his belt now (recently Jimmy White and John Parrott).

With myself and Joe Swail through and Patrick Wallace still there, I think this tournament has been great for Irish snooker.

Joe has been the comeback kid and he's given the tournament a bit of a boost by winning. He was at death's door against Sean Storey in the first round and pulled it out of the bag. Then at 10-6 down to Mark Williams . . . I mean you're on your way home.

I didn't give him any hope. When your back is against the wall sometimes something comes out from inside and makes you play better. Joe has a habit of doing that, especially at the Crucible.

I was disappointed with what Ronnie O'Sullivan said when he picked out myself and Ebdon this week (O'Sullivan said: "I don't think Peter Ebdon or Ken Doherty will win because of the mental strain they put on themselves. I'm not saying they can't but in my opinion they won't win the world title.") I thought it was disrespectful.

Ronnie loves the game one minute and wants to quit the next. He's not the only one who's had problems in the world and he has had the sympathy vote over the years but he's better off keeping his mouth shut. He's got everything going for him but it's still not good enough for him. He'd be better off keeping his mouth shut and getting on with playing snooker.

If he wants to give it up why doesn't he do that and do himself a favour. Okay, it would be a shame to lose him because he's a great talent but I think all the players are sick, and the public too, of hearing him saying he's going to quit and then loving the game the next minute. We've heard that for the last five or six years.

And then to pick myself or Peter Ebdon out and say we don't have a chance of winning it when we've won two ranking tournaments . . . well, I was a little annoyed about that. If he keeps saying things and getting away with saying them and nobody says anything back to him then he's just going to keep thinking he's not doing anything wrong.

It would irritate anybody. As far as giving it up goes, it would be a sad loss because he's a great entertainer but he should do one or the other and not keep going on about it.

Hopefully I will keep going on. John (Higgins) is a great player. I read somewhere that some clairvoyant said that himself and Ronnie O'Sullivan are going to play in the final. What I want to know is why didn't he get the lottery numbers at the same time?

I've beaten John here before and he's beaten me here before. It's going to be tough but I won't sit back. I'm going to go for it.

I'll have to raise my game a few gears, higher than what I've been playing so far this week, if I'm to beat him.

I haven't been playing as well as I was in Thailand or in the Regal Welsh but my back-up game is quite good and that's been getting me through. When you are not playing well, you need that. But I can't rely on it too much and I know now I'll have to be stronger.

In an interview with Johnny Watterson