Ronnie: I played to the max
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN crashed out at the Crucible Theatre last night, before trying to calm another ‘147 snub’ storm.
‘The Rocket’ was beaten 13-10 by China’s Ding Junhui in their Betfred World Championship quarter-final in Sheffield.
For Ding, last year’s runner-up, it was a first win in a major event over five-time world champion O’Sullivan for 11 years.
A fourth Crucible maximum for O’Sullivan had looked on in frame 20 until the third last red.
O’Sullivan was just the wrong side but still in good shape to chase the modest £15,000 prize. Yet O’Sullivan played the pink next before completing a magnificent effort for his 146.
Record seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry said: “Let’s just say I don’t think he was giving it 110 per cent. For Ronnie, it’s the glory he’s thinking about – not the prize money, which is disappointing.”
But O’Sullivan, who has admitted deliberately snubbing 147s over the money and has won up to £169,000 for a Crucible maximum, denied sparking fresh controversy.
Fun
O’Sullivan said: “I played for the black – I just didn’t get on it. Then after that there was a highest break prize, I thought I’d go for that instead. Hopefully I can make things fun. It was a fantastic match and I’d rather lose a good one like that than win a bad one.
“Ding is a special lad, a beautiful guy. He is all good, not a bad bone in his body and wants to win this so bad.
“Ten years ago here I beat him and we hugged, this time the other way round.”
At the World Open in Glasgow in 2010, O’Sullivan had to be persuaded to pot the final black by referee Jan Verhaas against Mark King for a £4,000 prize. At last year’s Welsh Open, O’Sullivan rejected the £10,000 prize by deliberately making a 146.
Ding said: “I played really well from the first frame through to the end.
“He said some nice words to me, that I looked a much stronger player now, and wished me all the best.”
Ding will now face world No.1 Mark Selby, who beat him in last year’s final. Selby cruised to a 13-3 win over Marco Fu.
John Higgins beat Kyren Wilson 13-6 to set up a last-four clash with Barry Hawkins after his 13-9 victory over Stephen Maguire.