The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
O’Sullivan claim of intimidation
Ronnie O’Sullivan accused the snooker authorities of bullying and intimidating him in a breathtaking outburst at the Betfred World Championship.
The 41-year-old five-time Crucible champion pointed the finger at World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn and his board.
And he revealed the extent of his distress at receiving a letter from the sport’s disciplinary panel after he criticised a referee and photographer during January’s Masters.
Hearn last week criticised O’Sullivan, saying his recent behaviour in media interviews was “embarrassing”.
O’Sullivan has deliberately and repeatedly given curt answers to questions he has faced after matches, while in an ITV interview at the World Grand Prix in February he gave a series of responses in a robotic voice.
This time O’Sullivan struck back, and said: “I phoned Barry up four weeks ago and I said, ‘Look Barry, I’m done with all you and your board of people’.
“And I’ve got a very good friend of mine who said, ‘Just let my lawyers deal with it’. I won’t get involved with it because I’m not being bullied, I’m not having people doing that to me ever again.
“I like Barry but I’m not being intimidated or bullied any more.”
O’Sullivan was speaking after launching his 25th Crucible campaign by beating Wallsend’s Gary Wilson 10-7.
The Masters champion had two centuries and eight further breaks of above 50 against the debutant, but he is reluctant to open up about his matches.
“It’s important that I keep focused, keep professional, keep myself out of trouble and just try to come and do a job,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan has been out of sorts since his Masters triumph at Alexandra Palace, failing to win back-to-back matches at the five events he has played between that tournament and his trip to Sheffield.
He blames World Snooker and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, saying they have put him in the wrong frame of mind to play.
O’Sullivan was unhappy with the performance of referee Terry Camilleri in his Masters win over Marco Fu, and said a photographer had been a ‘nightmare’ during the match.
He says he was pushed over the edge by the reaction from World Snooker, having been incensed by previous disciplinary cases opened against him.
However, O’Sullivan was not fined for his Masters remarks after being asked to explain his criticisms.
“I’ve had it for five, six, seven years, and I’m just done with it,” O’Sullivan added.
“They’ve pushed me a little bit too far and if I didn’t have good lawyers to deal with it I’d probably walk away because I’m too old to be dealing with things like that.
Hearn has declined to respond to O’Sullivan.
Mark Selby made a stunning start to his world title defence on Saturday, toppling Irishman Fergal O’Brien 10-2 while Stephen Maguire overwhelmed fellow Scot Anthony McGill, also 10-2.
Kyren Wilson wrapped up a 10-6 win over David Grace.