23 February 2024 , 08:00
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Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan smashed up a table of reds following a refereeing error during his Players' Championship drubbing by Mark Selby.
O'Sullivan's fine recent winning streak was unceremoniously ended when he lost big time to Selby on Thursday night, falling 6-0 to the four-time champion in Telford. Having beaten Zhou Yuelong on Tuesday, O'Sullivan failed to win a single frame as Selby dominated from the off.
Indeed, right from the start, things didn't look good for 48-year-old O'Sullivan. In the opening frame, he attempted a difficult pot and fouled three times in a row, which would have meant losing the frame in normal circumstances.
But the referee, Desislava Bozhilova, forgot to warn him after his second mistake, which should have happened. Despite the lucky escape, O’Sullivan responded in an unconventional manner, scattering the balls with a hit and hope, allowing Selby to clean up.
Ronnie O'Sullivan alongside official Desislava Bozhilova (itvsnooker/X)Fans on social media couldn't believe the sequence of events. One tweeted: “Ruined the match” while another said: “The referee should get fined for her mistaken judge of errors.”
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Others chimed in with: “After a screw up by the ref, from there, it was all downhill for some reason,” and “Ronnie is his own worst enemy.”
But Mark Selby didn't mind. He looked on top of his game, cheered on all the way by his wife Vikki and daughter Sofia.
He said afterwards: “It’s half-term for Sofia. It was a big game against Ronnie and Sofia really wanted to be here. It’s one of my best performances against Ronnie.
“To beat him the way I did I’m very pleased. This could be the spark I need for my season. I am very, very pleased. It was more or less faultless.”