LAST UPDATE | 19 Apr 2022
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN COULD be sanctioned after appearing to make a lewd gesture at the World Snooker Championship.
O’Sullivan missed a black off the spot in the 13th frame of his 10-5 first-round victory over David Gilbert and appeared to make the gesture while walking back to his seat.
“We are aware of the incident and it has been referred to the WPBSA disciplinary committee,” a World Snooker Tour spokesperson told the PA news agency.
Six-time world champion O’Sullivan, 46, who will meet Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen next at the Crucible, faces a possible fine.
Allen criticised the quality of the table after grinding his way to a 10-6 opening-round success against Scott Donaldson.
Allen was far from his best in a scrappy encounter but built on a 5-4 first-session lead to secure his place in the last 16.
“I struggled a little bit with the table,” Allen told Eurosport. “It wasn’t the best I’ve ever played on. It actually got worse as the day went on.
“Me and Scott both had to speak to the ref to see if it was the same set of balls this evening because the table played completely different.
“It was tough. It doesn’t lend itself to the prettiest of snooker when you’re getting big bounces and scared of when it’s going to come.”
Allen extended his lead to 7-4 in the second session, but a missed red in the 12th frame cost him dear as Donaldson settled his nerves to reduce the deficit.
Donaldson won the next frame before the interval, but Allen eventually found some form to close out victory with the best snooker of the match.
Allen said: “To make it 2-2, I felt I got out of jail a little bit because he was by far the better player at that point.
“Scott was getting on top, real good safety and I had a lot of awkward shots. I was just hanging in there.
“I had to find a bit of form because I didn’t think I had much at the start.
“I controlled it from there, but there were still one or two mistakes which you can’t afford to be making.”
Former world champion Stuart Bingham compiled the biggest break of the tournament in establishing a 6-3 overnight lead against China’s Lyu Haotian.
Bingham, known as one of the game’s great break builders, produced a 140 clearance in the eighth frame.
The 2015 champion lost the first frame after running out of position on a 46 break.
Lyu, ranked 64 in the world, capitalised on Bingham missing a frame-winning blue, but was soon 2-1 down before replying with a break of 103 to level.
Bingham took control after the interval to take a four-frame lead before Lyu responded late on.
Three-time Crucible champion Mark Williams advanced to round two with a 10-3 victory over fellow Welshman Michael White – he will now face another compatriot in Jackson Page.
Meanwhile Neil Robertson, the 2010 title-winner, defeated Ashley Hugill 6-3.
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He announced this week’s ago. Also ye are reporting today that McTominnay has declared for Scotland. That was announced last week.
I downloaded the app for up to date news, not old news I’d already heard.
@Trev Gilmore: to be fair McTominay was not called up today. But yeah, the Carrick news is old
@Dave O Keeffe: *was only called up today
@Trev Gilmore: no, he didn’t. Jose did.
Underused by England and underrated by clueless fans. A top class midfielder.
@The Bloody Nine: Agree 100% (Liverpool fan here)
@Keith Synnott: me too.
A Rolls Royce of a player.
So long Michael………it was a pleasure to watch you.
@David Sinclair: only comes out for the weddings is it?!
If I recall correctly, in LVG’S first season, Carrick was out injured in the early part of the season and United were struggling by mid November. Carrick came back from injury to help steady the ship and I think they won 8 and drew 2 of the next 10 games. He would have been 32/33 back then but he was still able to show what a good player he was to help turn United’s fortunes around. He was always unappreciated by the (non United) fans and pundits in Ireland like Giles and Dunphy, particularly on Champions League nights, because he had taken the place, and the jersey, of Roy Keane. Very underrated player, still capable of doing a job if required before he retires at end of season.
@Sloop John G: Always liked Carrick as a player Sloop John, don’t support any club he played for but he was the ultimate pro, and he played in teams where box box and scoring midfielders took the plaudits, Carrick doh knitted it all together held up play left players get into position and played the pass, sounds easy but he made it look easy not a bad medal haul either, will be missed by many football fans.
His watch is nearly ended. He did a fantastic job for the club,no messing,just got on with the job.
And he just learned to pass the ball forward. A legend though with a nice family life
A fine player who hardly ever put in a poor performance, unappreciated because he was seen as Keane’s replacement which he wasn’t and could never be.
@Eamonn Ó Maoldomhnaigh: That’s a good one Eamonn, now why didn’t I think of that :-)