Even a snooker great like Ronnie O’Sullivan has to revert to the basics sometimes – and one act at the Players Championship even forced an apology from the match referee
Seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is likely relieved to sidestep further controversy at this week’s Players Championship. The snooker icon’s previous antics at the Telford International Centre resulted in both him and his opponent receiving an apology from a referee.
‘The Rocket’ is missing from this week’s line-up after a string of withdrawals from tournaments earlier this year meant he didn’t qualify for the Players Championship. O’Sullivan hasn’t been seen on the baize since he broke his cue at the Championship League in January, leaving many of his supporters saddened by his absence.
However, the Daily Express reported it’s probably for the best he’s not reminded of last year’s shenanigans in Telford, where he suffered a 6-0 defeat to Mark Selby in the quarter-finals. And it was during this match he made the unconventional decision to smash up a pack of reds in the opening frame.
O’Sullivan, 49, was trailing 12-0 when he tried to avoid a foul by scattering a cluster of balls. However, this led to match referee Desislava Bozhilova apologising to both him and Selby, having failed to caution O’Sullivan after a second missed attempt when he had a clear shot at a red.
The high-risk strategy sparked laughter among those present at the time, but not all snooker fans were amused. In fact, many took to social media to criticise O’Sullivan for his perceived lack of effort.
He was again at the heart of controversy for the same approach during the 2020 World Snooker Championship semi-finals. As fate would have it, he was once again facing off against Selby when he decided to break up a mess of balls at once – though it ended up working in his favour as he went on to claim that year’s crown.
“You want to hit it as hard as you can and hopefully get a fluke, otherwise I could give 40 points away,” he told BBC Sport. “Don’t blame me, blame the miss rule. If I was as good as Mark Selby at getting out of snookers, I could maybe get the balls safe.”
Four-time world champion Selby, 41, took umbrage with O’Sullivan’s methods after The Rocket allowed him back into the match at several junctures. ‘The Jester from Leicester’ picked apart his opponent for being “a little disrespectful” in his approach, and the result will have smarted that much more after O’Sullivan went on to collect the title.
Responding to Selby’s apparent irritation with his tactics, he added: “I haven’t got a clue. He [Selby] is just feeling a little bit sore I suppose, he has just lost a semi-final of the World Championship. I understand that.”
Four years later, his speculative effort didn’t have the same same effect at last year’s Players Championship. O’Sullivan lost to Selby in Telford without claiming a single frame, and Selby would have undoubtedly revelled in his revenge.
The pair have clashed on 35 occasions, with O’Sullivan boasting the edge after winning 21 of those. However, the momentum is currently in Selby’s favour after he’s won their last two meetings in a row.
There’s an argument O’Sullivan might have been able to take a more precise shot on both contentious occasions. And his status as arguably the greatest snooker player in history casts doubt as to whether he was genuine in any claim he had no other choice.
Referee Bozhilova learnt the hard way when O’Sullivan seized an opportunity to play by his own rules. And in the process, he reminded everyone why even the greats aren’t above the simplest of manoeuvres when required.
