JJ 0 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...ker/6180591.stm O'Sullivan in dramatic UK walkout O'Sullivan leaves the arena after handing victory to Hendry Ronnie O'Sullivan stunned the snooker world yet again on Thursday when he conceded his Maplin UK Championship quarter-final to Stephen Hendry. The former world champion was trailing 4-1 when he dramatically handed victory to his opponent after missing a red. Hendry was visibly stunned as O'Sullivan shook his hand and walked out of the Barbican Centre arena. "He just said he had had enough," said Hendry, who was awarded a 9-1 win. "I had no inkling anything was wrong." Hendry's semi-final opponent in York will be either reigning world champion Graeme Dott or Steve Davis. If he's got problems I feel for him, but I've never seen anything like it in my life Hendry and O'Sullivan have clashed in the past, but the Scot said there were no longer any problems between the two. "There has been no bad feeling between us over the last few days, there is no bad feeling between us anymore anyway," he said. "Ronnie's obviously got his reasons and I'm not going to criticise him. "He just said he had had enough and wished me good luck for the rest of the tournament. Only he knows what he feels inside. "I can't criticise someone else for that, but I've never seen anything like it. It's just bizarre. "I played fantastic for the first four frames and didn't give him many chances, but at 4-1 he was in the balls and I was thinking 'keep concentrating'. "He went for a silly red and missed it. Suddenly he shook my hand." O'Sullivan was 24 points ahead when he missed an attempted pot and immediately declared the match over, shaking the hand of Hendry and referee Jan Verhaas. "I've been on the end of a few thumpings from him recently and so I was enjoying the game," said Hendry, the world number one. "I'm not going to lie, it's a good feeling to be in the next round. But I was enjoying the match, playing well and obviously I would much rather have won properly. "If he's got problems I feel for him, but I've never seen anything like it in my life." I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all World Snooker's Michael Ganley, the tournament director, confirmed O'Sullivan had conceded the match. "I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all," said Ganley. "I've seen players concede at certain stages of the game before, usually through illness. It happens occasionally but it's very rare. "Obviously he felt he couldn't continue, maybe for reasons we're not aware of, but he's forfeited the match." Officials of World Snooker, the sport's governing body, revealed O'Sullivan would not be holding a press conference to explain the reasons for his walkout. O'Sullivan, a former world champion and world number one, is one of the game's most charasmatic figures. But the 31-year-old from Essex is also a troubled soul, battling depression and threatening to quit snooker on numerous occasions. We are completely in the dark as to the reasons behind Ronnie's departure A spokesman from O'Sullivan's management team A spokesman for the 110 Sport management group, who look after O'Sullivan's snooker sponsorships, said: "We are as baffled as anyone. "Other than (O'Sullivan) wishing Stephen all the best for the tournament, and saying to John Carroll (110 Sport's director of snooker) to 'have a nice Christmas', we are completely in the dark as to the reasons behind Ronnie's departure." A statement from World Snooker revealed spectators who had paid to watch the two sessions of the Hendry-O'Sullivan match would be offered tickets for Friday's semi-final between John Higgins and Peter Ebdon. "It is made clear in literature relating to tickets that players appear circumstances permitting," read the statement. "Spectators who bought tickets today will be able to watch the match between Graeme Dott and Steve Davis this afternoon and evening. They will also be offered tickets for tomorrow's snooker." Strange really. I wonder what's going on inside his head now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakehips 0 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 At the risk of being lampooned, I had one of my 'feelings', the other day, that he was going to do this. Where's Radgi?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatful Of Hollow 0 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 He's an awesome player when he wants to be, but he's forever going on about how bored he is with snooker, I wonder if he's "had enough" with it altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM4 0 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Didn't he say he wanted to switch to pool or something... was a while back already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radgina 1 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 At the risk of being lampooned, I had one of my 'feelings', the other day, that he was going to do this. Where's Radgi?? I had money on it !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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