Some fans criticized Ronnie O’Sullivan for making an odd shot during his 6-0 loss to Mark Selby at the Players Championship, although he has already provided a valid explanation for his performance.
“The Rocket” ended a four-time world champion Selby’s shocking rout in Telford, putting an end to his unbeaten streak in ranking events that dated back to December.
O’Sullivan had won the World Grand Prix, the Masters, and the UK Championship in the meantime.
Selby defeated the seven-time world champion in a tight opening set, breaking the man once with a break of seventeen before returning to the table and taking the necessary number of points.However, his opponent’s behavior during that opening frame garnered a lot of attention.
Even though O’Sullivan had a clean view of one of the reds during the early exchanges, he was unable to smash it twice.
Referee Desislava Bozhilova would typically issue a warning to a player after their second missed attempt, telling them that if they missed the red a third time, they would forfeit the frame.
But Bozhilova didn’t, and after realizing her error, she apologized to both players.
The cue ball was subsequently hurled at the group of reds by O’Sullivan, but the shot didn’t work out as planned, and as a result, he essentially left the table open.However, “The Rocket” gave a rational explanation for why he made the shot at the 2020 World Championship.
Similar to Thursday night, O’Sullivan played several extremely bold strokes in a race to 17 frames against Selby in the semi-final, behind 16–14.
It was basically ‘The Rocket’s last chance saloon,’ as his eventual style shift allowed him to fight back and win one of the greatest Crucible matches ever 17-16 to advance past Kyren Wilson in the championship match.But “The Rocket” offered a logical justification for his decision to take the shot in the 2020 World Championship.
Like on Thursday night, O’Sullivan used a number of incredibly daring strokes to fall short of 16–14 in a race to 17 frames against Selby in the semifinal.
It was essentially “The Rocket’s final chance saloon,” as his eventual change in strategy enabled him to rally and triumph 17–16 in one of the most memorable Crucible matches in history, go on to face Kyren Wilson in the title match. He stated to BBC Sport, “I could give 40 points away if you don’t hit it as hard as you can and perhaps have a fluke.
“Accuse the miss rule, not me. Maybe I could get the balls safe if I was as skilled at breaking out of snookers as Mark Selby is. I am completely clueless.”
Supporters would have seen that a similar scenario happened at the Players Championship, where O’Sullivan was able to see the reds, but there was, in retrospect, no obvious safety shot available.
If ‘The Rocket’ had missed a red, on the other hand, considering the fate of the other balls, he might have been able to win the frame.
