RONNIE CHECKS OUT.. WITH A 146
O’sullivan denies another 147 snub after Ding beats him in quarter-finals
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN crashed out at the Crucible Theatre last night – before trying to calm another ‘147 snub' controversy. The Rocket was beaten 13-10 by China’s No.1 Ding Junhui in their Betfred World Championship quarter-final. For last year’s runner-up Ding, 30, it was a first win in a major event over five-time world champion O’sullivan for 11 years – and earned him a warm embrace. But a fourth Crucible maximum for the Rocket had earlier looked on in frame 20 until the thirdlast red. O’sullivan, who earlier teased the crowd by shaping to play a blue, was just the wrong side – but still in good shape chasing the below-par £5,000 prize. However he played the pink for a 146. Record seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry said: “Let’s just say I don’t think he was giving it 110 per cent.” But O’sullivan, who has admitted deliberately snubbing 147s in the past over the money and won up to £169,000 for the feat, denied it was deliberate. He said: “I played for the black – I just didn’t get on it. I thought I’d go for the highest-break prize instead. It was a fantastic match though, and I’d rather lose a good one like that than win a bad one. “Ding is a special lad, a beautiful guy – and he wants to win this so bad.” At the World Open in Glasgow in 2010 O’sullivan had to be persuaded to pot the final black by referee Jan Verhaas for a £4,000 prize. And at last year’s Welsh Open O’sullivan snubbed £10,000 by deliberately making a 146. Ding (above) will move from one revenge mission to another against world No.1 Mark Selby, who beat him in last year’s final. Defending champion Selby wrapped up a 13-3 win over Marco Fu, while John Higgins beat Kyren Wilson 13-6. Higgins now faces Barry Hawkins in the last four after he beat Stephen Maguire 13-9.