Ronnie O’Sullivan threw down his cue in frustration after misplacing a shot at the UK Championship. The Rocket edged out Robert Milkins 6-5 in a dramatic encounter that saw the seven-time world champion lose his head.
With the scores tied at 5-5, O’Sullivan thought he had seen his chance to win the match slip from his grasp after the cue ball spun out into an unfavourable position once he had potted the pink in the final frame.
Out of frustration, O’Sullivan swatted the air with his cue before dropping it on the table. He could then be heard muttering “useless” under his breath as he circled the table looking for the best angle for his next shot.
“Oh dear!” exclaimed Dominic Dale on commentary as O’Sullivan threw down his cue. “He feels he had a very fast bounce there.”
Philip Studd added: “‘Useless’ says O’Sullivan, and it is another twist with 59 still on the table. He is very annoyed that he lost his position there. This match remains on a knife-edge.”
It appears a bounce on the table led to O’Sullivan misplacing his shot. In the studio, four-time world champion Jimmy White gave his reaction to the incident.
“This is the big bounce I’m talking about,” White explained. “He has just played into an area, and you can see how disgusted he is with that.
“He has completely finished nowhere, and that was his chance to win it in that visit. He did not do it, and he has had to play a check-side safety shot. The damage was done earlier on.”
