World Snooker Championship 2020: Mark Selby criticises ‘disrespectful’ Ronnie O’Sullivan after semi-final defeat

Defeated semi-finalist Mark Selby has hit out at Ronnie O’Sullivan, calling The Rocket’s performance at the World Snooker Championship on Friday “disrespectful”.

O’Sullivan pulled off a dramatic final-frame victory over Selby to book his spot in this weekend’s final against Kyren Wilson, who also won on the final frame on Friday as he beat Anthony McGill to reach the most prestigious match at the Crucible for the first time.

Five-time world champion O’Sullivan trailed Selby 16-14 but won two frames in quick succession and then clinched a tense decider to reach his seventh final in Sheffield, but Selby was not happy with the way ‘The Rocket’ played.

“The last three frames I didn’t really get a chance,” Selby said. “During the match I felt like it was a little bit disrespectful, the way he played.

“Every time I’ve put him in a snooker, he’s just got down and hit the balls 100mph and they could have gone anywhere.”

O’Sullivan, meanwhile, had kinder words about his opponent after the match.

He told the BBC: “For three days I’ve just been looking for a cue action where I can hit the ball half-straight – I’m watching him [Selby] cue up and he’s got the perfect set-up and the perfect start by trying to make the score look respectable.

“But some of my play wasn’t great. If I can find the cue action then I will enjoy the final. Cue action first and everything else is a bonus.”

The best-of-35 final will be played across Saturday and Sunday, and it will see fans return to the Crucible in Sheffield as part of the government’s programme of pilot events to test having crowds at sporting events.

Read more

O’Sullivan beats Selby in final-frame decider to reach final

Wilson beats McGill in thriller to reach first World Snooker final