Ronnie O’Sullivan Lets Fan Take Shot On Black At English Open

Eurosport

Snooker ace Ronnie O’Sullivan let a fan take a shot on the black as he reached the third round of the English Open.

‘The Rocket’ has secured his place in the last 16 of the tournament after a victory over Zhang Yong this afternoon.

At the end of the match, a female fan managed to get past security to the table, where O’Sullivan allowed her to take a shot at potting the last black.

In the video footage, security can be seen trying to usher the woman away only for O’Sullivan to offer her his cue, leading to a round of cheers from the English Open crowd.

The pressure must have got too much for her because she missed on not one, but two occasions.

Fans in the crowd laughed out and Eurosport commentator Neal Foulds said:

He’s going to play on, but I don’t know what she’s doing? I’m not sure how she got in past security, frankly?

Speaking afterwards, O’Sullivan told Eurosport:

I didn’t know what she was doing first. But she said to me I’m just having a jog.  I said to her ‘well go on then have a jog then’.

‘And you might as well have a shot while you’re at it’. I really wanted her to pot it.

I thought when the (security) guys came out they were going to rugby tackle her.

The snooker legend also retweeted Eurosport’s video saying: ‘That’s my mixed doubles partner sorted, sweet.’

O’Sullivan could face John Higgins in the next round.

This week  has been a bit odd  for O’Sullivan, who at one point threatened to pull out of the competition altogether on Tuesday, when organisers objected to the trainers he was wearing due to an ankle injury.

The five-time world champion was eventually given an exemption by World Snooker and instead wore a pair of black trainers.

In the latest action, defending champion Liang Wenbo made a maximum 147 in a win over Tom Ford.

Liang, of China, was a frame away from elimination, being 3-1 down, but fought back to even things up with the maximum, before a break of 60 in the decider edged him through 4-3.

Ding Junhui, also of China, suffered a 4-2 defeat by Welshman Michael White, but world number one Mark Selby ‘comfortably beat’ Scotland’s Ross Muir 4-1.

Judd Trump thrashed Mark Joyce 4-0, Mark Williams overcame Luca Brecel 4-1 and Neil Robertson emerged victorious over Li Hang by a 4-3 margin.

The English Open is the first of four Home Nations events, if a players wins all four, they are set to receive an impressive £1m bonus.

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