Ronnie O’Sullivan breaks silence on confusion with referee at World Snooker Championship after ‘greatest sportsmanship’
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN wanted to prove a referee wrong over his act of sportsmanship at the World Snooker Championship.
The world number one raised a few eyebrows during his quarter-final tie against Stuart Bingham.
In frame 12 he disputed a call from referee Desislava Bozhilova after she placed the black ball back on its spot before it rocked forward.
O’Sullivan, 48, was unhappy with the outcome of the ref’s decision so took matters into his own hand by playing a safety instead of going for a pot – an act Neil Robertson described as the “best bit of sportsmanship in any sport I’ve seen”.
The Rocket shared his thoughts on the incident, revealing he wanted to prove to the ref that she had made a mistake.
He said: “To be honest with you, some of the referees I think they’ve got it in for me.
“So I just wanted to prove to her that she’d got it wrong.
“I thought, you know what, I didn’t feel good about having to pot the ball after that.
“But I just wanted to make a point. The point was made.
“I’m not that hungry to win in that way. I am more of a principled person, so once the principle’s been made I can sleep at night.”
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Inside Ronnie's colourful career
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it.
O’Sullivan has three children – two daughters and a son.
And the Rocket’s on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines.
He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction.
While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard.
Despite being worth £14million, O’Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars.
His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded ‘snooker’s greatest feud’.
And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous ‘Snotgate’ row.
Check out all our Ronnie O’Sullivan articles here.
O’Sullivan went on to lose the frame but pundit Ken Doherty claimed the snooker legend may not have minded as he would have been keen to avoid controversy.
He said of the incident: “I think he was also self-conscious that if he did pot it it would be a controversial situation. He probably didn’t want that in his own head and that’s why he decided to play safe.
“It was a very difficult situation for both player and referee.”