After asking the match official to “chill out” during his altercation with referee Desislava Bozhilova at the snooker World Championships, Ronnie O’Sullivan insisted he “doesn’t need the hassle.”
A tense and dramatic duel was, however, somewhat marred by a number of contentious flashpoints involving Bozhilova and the seven-time champion.
O’Sullivan had already stated in an interview conducted prior to the evening session that the referees were targeting him because of an odd occurrence that occurred during the 12th frame.
He seemed to play it safe rather than pot a red close to the black since he thought the black had not been seen correctly, and at first he was commended for his sportsmanship.
O’Sullivan thought the ball was rolling slightly off its spot, giving him the wrong idea to pot it, so he kept asking referee Bozhilova to replace it.
The world champion, who was down 14 points and on a break of 20, ultimately lost the frame but received praise for his gesture. Former world champion Neil Robertson described it as “the greatest bit of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen” in a BBC commentary.
O’Sullivan requested Bozhilova to “chill” during an incident in which she asked him to continue playing while he waited for some audience members to reclaim their places in the arena, as the match tipped towards its dramatic finale.
Bozhilova asked, “Would you please take your seats as soon as possible and hold the door closed for a minute?”
O’Sullivan was then prodded by Bozhilova to take his shot, but he declined and stayed seated in his chair.
We could have to wait for twenty minutes, Bozhilova added.
It is not twenty minutes. Simply relax, relax, O’Sullivan answered.
“I’m cool,” the referee said.
When questioned about the events later, O’Sullivan said, “I won’t be commenting on players or referees, it’s not worth it.”
“I won’t say anything about that kind of thing.” I’ll refrain from making any remarks about the officials or the players. I simply leave things alone. I don’t need the inconvenience; my life is too nice.
Upon being asked if he had appeared angry in the latter moments of the game, he responded, “Did I? It seems fantastic to me. The fire is appealing to me. I haven’t always had the fire because I haven’t felt like I’ve wanted to hit
It’s been difficult; I’ve got stage fright and have felt afraid like I had the yips. It is therefore a good thing to feel like you want to play and become frustrated for the appropriate reasons. It all comes down to managing your rage.
“I used to get upset, and it would take me twenty to thirty minutes to get back into my game.” I can basically erase it now, as it has no effect on my performance. I see why you guys think I was a little bit, but I assure you that I had complete control over my feelings.
