Category: Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ronnie O’Sullivan received widespread praise for his display of sportsmanship in the 12th frame of his World Snooker Championship quarter-final against Stuart Bingham after the black seemingly wouldn’t settle on its spot.

The moment arrived at a key point in the match, with O’Sullivan at the table with a chance to eat into Bingham’s deficit in the frame and move 7-5 ahead going in at the mid-session interval.

After potting a sublime black, he appeared to land perfectly on the penultimate red until his path was blocked when referee Desislava Bozhilova put the colour back on its spot.

There was confusion though as the black appeared to rock in a slight depression, with O’Sullivan asking for it to be respotted several times.

“You could see there, there’s an indentation in this spot, so this black is nestling within that little divot,” Dominic Dale said on commentary for Eurosport.

“There is something you can do as a referee when that happens. I’ve never really seen referee’s do this, but if you get another ball out of a pocket and just tap down on the black, it will remain where it should remain.

“This is a problem for Ronnie. There’s an indentation in that black spot. I think because of it, this red isn’t on. If the black was absolutely on its spot, didn’t fall within that little hole, maybe the red would be on. That’s the problem.

“There’s something else the referee can do here; yes, you can press down on the spot.”

Bozhilova also noticed the rolling and pressed down on the spot in an effort to alleviate the situation and ensure a fair outcome.

“You’re absolutely right to ask for it to be respotted, but I could also see it rolling,” Bozhilova said to O’Sullivan during their exchange. “But it stayed this time.”

O’Sullivan responded saying: “I just don’t feel good about it to be honest.”

When it finally settled, The Rocket still seemed unconvinced and it was unclear whether the red was ultimately on.

He shook his head and uttered “I can’t take it” before opting to play safe, an act which drew plenty of praise on social media.

It was led by former world champion Neil Robertson on BBC commentary, who described it as “probably one of the greatest bits of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen in any sport.”

Bozhilova: “I also see it rolling, so I’ll do my best… it stayed this time. It has to go on its spot.”

O’Sullivan: “No, I know that.”

Bozhilova: “I’m saying you’re absolutely right to ask for it to be respotted, but I could also see it rolling. But it stayed this time.”

O’Sullivan: “I just don’t feel good about it to be honest.”

Bozhilova: “Stuart could have a look if he wants? I’m saying it’s right on the spot now.”

Bingham: “I’ll trust Ronnie, whatever he says.”

Bozhilova: “But this time it’s on the spot. It didn’t roll off. It did not move this time.”

O’Sullivan (shaking head): “I can’t take it.”

Bozhilova: “That’s your choice.”

O’Sullivan: “Yeah, I know. I know it’s my choice.”

O’Sullivan: “Can you just give it one more go?”

Bozhilova: “Okay, but this is the last time.”

O’Sullivan: “Just let it roll on.”

Bozhilova: “It needs to be on the spot.”

O’Sullivan: “It goes.”

Bozhilova: “Yes, it’s on the spot.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan continued his charge to become the eight-time king of the Crucible as he wrapped up a 13-7 victory over Ryan Day in round two of the 2024 World Snooker Championship.

A cagey opening in Monday afternoon’s session eventually led to the Welshman squandering a simple safety shot thanks to a double-kiss, and it looked as though his esteemed opponent would be allowed to pounce.

But as the break reached 22, he missed a red, and Day capitalised by swerving the black and picking up the leftovers. O’Sullivan gifted the underdog another pot moments later, and the failure to exploit mistakes continued to swing back-and-forth until the superstar missed a long green at 35-14 up.

Day didn’t let that one slip, clearing the reds and moving 22 ahead. But after a series of safeties on the colours, Day again suffered a double-kiss and was ruthlessly punished, as O’Sullivan rattled in from the yellow onwards.

O’Sullivan would not make such a meal of the penultimate frame. He surged into a break of 42, with his final red being a superb effort off two cushions into the middle pocket. One failed safety from Day and the English icon was back in business, and his second break saw the frame end in a 127-point shutout.

An early missed red from O’Sullivan in the next frame rocked the jaws of the pocket and the table looked so well set up for a shot at a maximum. Yet after a break of just 16, Day put too much elbow grease into a simple single.

But again O’Sullivan didn’t capitalise, with a kick while using the rest seeing his visit end on five points, and the man on the brink of elimination went on to build a lead of 48. Following a bout of safeties, Day was allowed back in and held his nerve to win a seventh frame.

Day’s lingering hopes of making the last eight for the first time since 2011/12, or even making the mid-session interval, were then brutally extinguished. O’Sullivan was forced to wait several minutes for the first pot of frame No. 20, but once it came, he moved north up the table to put the displaced blue away, and never looked back.

A man who has been typically accused of playing in second or third gear over the last 24 hours cruised into a break of 67, and then after a mere few seconds out of the chair for Day, speedily sunk a further 53 to clinch the game.

‘The Rocket’ is now into a 22nd quarter-final, as he sits three victories away from breaking the tie with Stephen Hendry for seven trophy lifts in Sheffield. He’ll face either Jack Lisowski or Stuart Bingham in the next round.

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.

“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.”

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.”