Ronnie O’Sullivan was involved in several controversial incidents with snooker referee Desislava Bozhilova (Picture: Getty)
Ronnie O’Sullivan insists he ‘doesn’t need the hassle’ after he refused to comment on his row with referee Desislava Bozhilova at the snooker World Championships after telling the match official to ‘chill out’.
The 48-year-old’s quest for an eighth title ended last night following a 13-10 defeat to Stuart Bingham.
A tense and dramatic encounter was, however, partially overshadowed by several controversial flashpoints involving the seven-times champion and Bozhilova.
During an interview which took place before the evening session, O’Sullivan had already claimed referees were out to get him following a bizarre incident during the 12th frame.
He was initially praised for an act of sportsmanship after seeming to play safe rather than opting to pot a red close to the black because he believed the black had not been spotted correctly.
O’Sullivan repeatedly asked referee Bozhilova to replace the ball because he believed it was rolling fractionally off its spot, incorrectly giving him an opportunity to pot it.
The world number one, who was 14 points behind and on a break of 20, eventually lost the frame but was hailed for his gesture, with former world champion Neil Robertson, commentating on the BBC, calling it ‘the greatest bit of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen’.
Desislava Bozhilova and Ronnie O’Sullivan clashed at the snooker World Championships (Picture: Getty)
As the matched edged towards its dramatic conclusion O’Sullivantold Bozhilova to ‘chill’ after an incident in which she asked him to resume playing while he waited for some spectators to retake their seats in the arena.
‘Would you take your seats quickly, and then hold the door closed for a minute,’ Bozhilova said.
Bozhilova then urged O’Sullivan to take his shot, but he refused and remained sat in his chair.
‘But we might wait 20 minutes,’ Bozhilova said.
‘It’s not 20 minutes. Just chill, chill,’ O’Sullivan replied.
‘I’m chilled,’ the referee insisted.
Asked about the incidents afterwards, O’Sullivan changed his tune, insisting: ‘I won’t be commenting on players or referees, it’s not worth it.
‘I’ll keep silent on that sort of stuff. I won’t comment on players and I won’t comment on referees. I just leave it as it is. My life’s too good and I don’t need the hassle.’
When it was put to him that he seemed agitated during the closing stages of the match, he added: ‘Did I? I think it’s great. I like the fire, I like the fire. A lot of the time I haven’t had the fire because I’ve not really felt like I’ve wanted to hit a ball.
‘I’ve been scared, like the yips, I’ve had a bit of stage fright, it’s been tough. So to feel like you want to play and get frustrated for the right reasons is a positive. It’s just about controlling that temper.
‘I used to get angry and it would last for 20-30 minutes until I started playing well again. Now I can pretty much delete it, it doesn’t affect my performance. I get why you guys think I was a bit…whatever…but trust me I was in total control of my emotions.’
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O’Sullivan faced criticism for his conduct on social media, but several former professionals felt he was more than entitled to wait to take a crucial shot while fans filtered back into the auditorium.
‘I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never seen this before at The Crucible, particularly at such an important stage,’ said former champions Ken Doherty, who was commentating on the match for the BBC.
‘I don’t blame him taking his time, there is no rush. Just take your time, it’s such an important stage, it’s an important shot.’