O’Sullivan led 10-6 after the first two sessions a year ago, but was bundled out of the tournament after an astonishing collapse as he shipped the final seven frames in only 79 minutes before a stunned audience without making a break over 30.
Virgo, who has retired to live in Spain, admits the shock nature of his exit appeared to haunt O’Sullivan during the close season, but believes it should act as a warning ahead of the sport’s biggest event which begins on April 20 and runs until May 6 in Sheffield.
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“He said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it!’ So it still wrangles with him. For the greatest player we’ve ever seen to play seven frames and not make a 30 break, nobody could have foreseen that.
“He is human like the rest of us, but it was hard to believe. I can only assume it was the pressure of the tournament. Maybe he was looking too far ahead, who knows.
“But he can’t afford bad sessions like that because the competition is there. If you have a bad session you’re going to get walloped, so to speak, which is what he did.”
Virgo feels the Rocket is favourite to add to his world victories in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022, but also warns he cannot afford to go missing for sessions when the heat comes on.
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“It’s hard to look past Ronnie, as he’s proved in the UK and the Masters, on the big occasion he does really produce,” said Virgo. “He’ll be a little bit disappointed after his Tour Championship defeat. Very reminiscent of when he lost to Brecel in last year’s World Championship.
“He lost seven frames on the trot and never made any sizeable breaks, which is amazing. He did the same against Mark Williams in the final of the Tour Championship, with no sign of that coming at all.
“So for those people who think Ronnie’s only got to turn up and if he puts his mind to it he wins, that’s so far from the truth. He’s got to be at his best. Ronnie will know that, but it’ll be a shock to the system, losing as he did.”
O’Sullivan is chasing the modern-day record of eight world titles since the Crucible first housed the mammoth 17-day televised event in 1977.
“Ronnie’s entitled to be favourite, no one questions his ability, but as I say he’s got to put that last defeat out of his mind,” commented former world No. 10 Virgo, who completed wins over Tony Meo, Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor and Terry Griffiths to win the UK Championship in 1979.
“And of course, he’s got the added pressure of looking for the modern day record of eight world titles.
“So that puts him under a little bit more strain than he would normally be under. But he’s coped with things like that before, so I expect him to put up a good show.”