Ronnie O'Sullivan courts controversy with 'ridiculous' shot against Mark Selby

ByTom Adams

Updated 14/08/2020 at 20:43 GMT

Ronnie O’Sullivan was involved in a controversial moment close to the end of his World Snooker Championship semi-final against Mark Selby.

At a crucial moment in the 30th frame, with Selby leading 15-14, O’Sullivan smashed the cue ball when in a tight spot.

Leading 53-47, Selby gave O’Sullivan a tricky shot on the pink, lurking behind the black.

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O’Sullivan’s first attempt missed narrowly, as Selby collected six points for the foul.

Selby then decided to put O’Sullivan back in again, and at 12 behind and 13 left on the table, O’Sullivan knew he had to hit the pink to save the frame.

'An absolutely ridiculous shot' - Ronnie O'Sullivan smashes cue ball

But he whacked the cue ball with excessive force, leading to criticism for his conduct.

“It’s just a ridiculous shot, an absolutely ridiculous shot," said Neal Foulds on commentary. "That’s Ronnie letting himself down, I’m afraid.”

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