Ronnie O'Sullivan and referee in re-spot drama at World Championship - 'Something is not right there!'
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Published 24/04/2024 at 18:15 GMT
It may have been extremely comfortable for Ronnie O'Sullivan in his first-round encounter with Jackson Page at the World Snooker Championship, but there was still some drama in the contest when a re-spotted cue ball was initially placed hopelessly off the correct mark. It brought a mixture of confusion and laughter from the players and fans before the right spot was eventually found.
'Nowhere near right!' - O'Sullivan and ref in re-spot confusion over correct mark
Ronnie O'Sullivan kept his cool as there was an extended delay in his match with Jackson Page over a strangely re-spotted cue ball in the first round of the World Championship.
The Rocket held a dominant 7-1 lead when he found himself in a tricky position near the baulk end of the table, which led to him not managing to make contact with a red from distance as he conceded a foul to Page.
The Welshman immediately asked O'Sullivan to have another go at the difficult shot, but the seven-time world champion swiftly spotted that something was not right with the re-placed cue ball.
An unclear exchange with referee Leo Scullion made the audience inside the Crucible Theatre chuckle before O'Sullivan requested that the official with the TV monitor, Paul Collier, be consulted to help establish the correct position.
As Neal Foulds, on commentary for Eurosport, immediately spotted, the re-placed cue ball was in a completely incorrect spot, with O'Sullivan right in feeling aggrieved at the situation.
"I think Ronnie rarely wants to get involved in all this to-ing and fro-ing about where the balls were, he likes to get one of the officials to look on the screen," Foulds explained.
"Oh, there you are - there is a big discrepancy... nowhere near where it was! Something is not right there!
"Surely...? Unless the camera is lying, it is about six to eight inches out of place. We saw it, it was nowhere near there!
"It is absolutely miles further back - Leo had it somewhere near the D!"
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'Flying up in the air!' - O'Sullivan somehow still pots with bizarre shot
No matter, once the right spot had eventually been found and agreed upon, O'Sullivan got out of the situation pretty comfortably to progress in the frame and go on to win it.
O'Sullivan breezily continued to stroll through the session to assume what looks to be a thoroughly commanding 8-1 lead in the first-round match.
The 48-year-old is aiming to clinch an outright record eighth World Championship title in this year's edition of the iconic event to pull away from fellow legend Stephen Hendry's tally of seven.
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