Ronnie O'Sullivan's temper flared during his World Snooker Championship clash against John Higgins at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The seven-time world champion was visibly frustrated as his 6-2 lead from the first session was whittled down to 9-6, with Higgins winning the final frame of the night to close to 9-7.
Dramatic Moment
Attempting a red into the top corner pocket, O'Sullivan's effort agonisingly missed, handing Higgins a lifeline. The Rocket made no attempt to hide his frustration, slamming his hand down on the side of the table. The miss proved costly as Higgins clinched the frame, setting up a tense final session on Monday.
Commentator Reactions
BBC commentator Steve Davies noted: "All of a sudden Ronnie O'Sullivan bashes the table with frustration, what a boost for John Higgins to know the other guy is feeling it as well." Stephen Hendry added: "He has just not looked the same player tonight, Ronnie. He has not had that look in his eye. Last night he just looked so intense, he looked so focused."
Former world champion John Parrott reflected on the final frame: "A brilliant final frame and what a session of snooker that was - full of tension. Both players had chances but John Higgins just refused to go away."
Match Context
The winner of the O'Sullivan-Higgins match will face either Neil Robertson or Chris Wakelin in the quarter-final. Robertson holds a commanding 10-6 lead over Wakelin. In the other evening session, Wu Yize leads Mark Selby 9-7, with the victor set to play Judd Trump or Hossein Vafaei, as Trump leads 9-7.
