{"id":6153,"date":"2024-05-01T17:30:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T17:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalpulse.net\/?p=6153"},"modified":"2024-05-01T17:30:09","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T17:30:09","slug":"ronnie-osullivan-hailed-for-greatest-bit-of-sportsmanship-at-world-snooker-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalpulse.net\/?p=6153","title":{"rendered":"Ronnie O’Sullivan hailed for ‘greatest bit of sportsmanship’ at World Snooker Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Cazoo\n<\/div>

Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan felt uncomfortable for what he considered an unfair advantage (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Neil Robertson hailed Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan for producing the \u2018greatest bit of sportsmanship\u2019 he\u2019s ever seen in his World Snooker Championship quarter-final with Stuart Bingham.<\/p>\n

The Rocket was 6-5 ahead at the Crucible and looking to extend his lead when a controversial few seconds occurred.<\/p>\n

He potted a black and when referee Desislava Bozhilova re-spotted it, the ball appeared to rock a little on the spot and a red right next to it became unpottable.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Sullivan asked for the black to be re-spotted \u2013 which he is perfectly within his rights to do \u2013 and it was proving difficult to stop the ball rocking on the indentation on the spot.<\/p>\n

Eventually the referee managed to get the ball to stay still and now the red was pottable to the corner pocket.<\/p>\n

The world number one was uncomfortable with how this chance had been created, saying: \u2018I don\u2019t feel good about it. I can\u2019t take it.\u2019<\/p>\n

After much deliberation O\u2019Sullivan chose to ignore the pot and play safe, which Robertson was stunned by.<\/p>\n

\u2018It looks like it goes easily. Ronnie\u2019s saying he doesn\u2019t even want to play the shot because he feels it\u2019s on too easily,\u2019 the former world champion said on BBC commentary as the Rocket deliberated.<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s looking to play safe here, even though he can pot the red. It\u2019s unbelievable. If he plays safe here this will be the greatest bit of sportsmanship I\u2019ve ever seen in any sport.\u2019<\/p>\n

After watching the shot, Robertson said: \u2018Unbelievable. That is incredible. He could have played that red.<\/p>\n

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\n\"Cazoo\n<\/div>
O\u2019Sullivan lost the frame as Bingham leveled up at 6-6 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve never seen anything like that before. The only thing I can think of is Stephen Hendry playing Jimmy White in the final of the World Championship. The referee gave a free ball against Jimmy and Stephen came to the table and said he didn\u2019t think it was a free ball. The referee double checked it and proved that it wasn\u2019t. But not since that have I seen sportsmanship of that kind of level.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s absolutely incredible what Ronnie\u2019s done there. To refuse a pot with a great chance of going 7-5 up because he didn\u2019t believe he could get through to the red if the black was perfectly on its spot.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s no fault of the referee either, Desislava is one of the best we have. It\u2019s just one of those situations in this sport where not even a millimetre can make the biggest of difference.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\"Snooker\"<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n