Ronnie O’Sullivan has said his anxiety has disappeared and that confidence has returned to his game.
O’Sullivan has had a superb season in terms of results, with five titles including the UK Championship and Masters.
O’Sullivan was happy with his performance in his victory over Page, and suggested his game was trending in the right direction.
“I have struggled for so long, two years now, that I lost a bit of hope and belief,” O’Sullivan said in an interview with Eurosport’s Rachel Casey. “I just lost the will to want to get my cue out of the case.
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“You could say stage fright, I could not get through the ball. It was disguised as I was winning tournaments.
“People were thinking I was in a great place and I wasn’t. For me, winning comes second to hitting the ball well. For me, if you hit the ball well, winning takes care of itself.
“My game, I feel like I am confident I am going to pot a few balls so the anxiety has left.
“Coming here I just feel the butterflies, which is normal, and I don’t feel stressed.”
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Ryan Day is O’Sullivan’s opponent in the last 16, and the world No. 1 said it is more about executing your shots than focusing on who is in the other chair.
“Neither of us should be bothered about playing each other,” O’Sullivan said. “You have just got to play the table, play the balls, play the right shot and play it well. That’s what usually wins the game.
“The name of the game is to stay in your own lane.”