THEY TRIED TO STOP ME WINNING TITLE

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has sensationally accused the World Snooker authorities of trying to make him lose this year’s World Championship final. O’Sullivan, who defeated Barry Hawkins 18-12 to become the first player this century to retain the title, claims the tournament organisers changed the baize to a new, slower surface on the eve of the match — a move he claims favoured the style of his opponent. The decision led to an angry confrontation between O’Sullivan and a tournament official — although he insists Barry Hearn, chairman of World Snooker, was not involved in the row. World Snooker claim the controversial decision was made in consultation with snooker’s ruling body, the WPBSA. O’Sullivan made the claim in his new autobiography, Running. He writes: ‘The conspiracy theorist in me believes it was done to stop me winning the World Championship.’ Asked in an interview with Sportsmail if he genuinely believed World Snooker changed the cloth to mess up his chances, O’Sullivan replied: ‘Yes, I know they did. I’m quite a conspiracy theorist sometimes.’ O’Sullivan says World Snooker came up with a

bizarre explanation for the switch, claiming former world champion Dennis Taylor had accidentally spat on the baize during an exhibition game. But World Snooker has dismissed O’Sullivan’s claims, stating that their actions represented a routine change to a damaged table. Yet O’Sullivan says: ‘You only change the cloth if it’s running badly. I understood the four semi-finalists have to agree they want a new cloth. But, as far as I am aware, there was no complaint. ‘The new cloth benefited Barry more than me. It was like playing on a carpet. It didn’t suit my game at all.’ A World Snooker spokesman said: ‘We are confused by Ronnie’s comments. We always strive to provide the very best playing conditions for all our professional players. ‘It is common practice in all World Snooker events to review the condition of the cloth before a match and make necessary changes. ‘In this instance, after review and consultation with the WPBSA, the cloth was considered to be damaged. Ronnie, of course, went on to win the final 18-12, making a record six century breaks.’