Ronnie O'Sullivan languished under pressure, and only Crucible can play out this kind of drama - snooker should never leave here
On May 2, 2024, according to veteran reporter Dunn, Ronnie O'Sullivan's eighth hope of winning the World Championship was dashed for another year, as the Rockets lost 10-13 to Bingham in the quarterfinals.
The quest for another world title by the greatest snooker player of all time should not have ended this way.
He sat in a chair, gesturing to the referee and refused to play, while the bettor poured down the gangway with refreshments in his hand. But even the best can panic, even the best lose their cool, and even the best will wither under the pressure of the World Championships.
When Ronnie O'Sullivan leaves Sheffield, one can't help but wonder if his seventh title here in 2022 will be his last. Although O'Sullivan will turn 49 in December, he will return, but whether he will come back and whether he has the motivation and ability to win the title again is another matter.
After some high-profile exits, which were a championship at his disposal, Stuart Bingham was also in good form – he was the calmest man at Crucible on a worrying day – and the Rockets screwed up.
Deep down, he knew this. He missed a lot of crucial shots at crucial moments, and more importantly, in the late afternoon, he looked upset when he thought referee Bozhlova had "wrongly decided" when she found the black ball in the 17th game.
In his decisive evening match, O'Sullivan again got into an argument with the referee and he decided to sit in protest because after the halftime break between Wilson and Higgins, the spectators noisily passed through a door to get back seated.
After that unruly episode – the Rockets were thoroughly enraged and Bingham calmed down – you get the feeling that there was only one winner. This proves it.
For the champion, for the sport, for the venue, O'Sullivan's exit – relative to Bingham, the 47-year-old 2015 champion – is obviously a heavy blow, but it's also a compelling example of how the pressure on this place can have a certain impact on even the greatest.
For O'Sullivan, it was a painful defeat, but it was a story at the highest level – and only this snooker arena could offer that kind of storyline.
That's why it's crazy to take the game away from Crucible. You never know, when he overcomes this, O'Sullivan can win more championships. I hope so. (Welcome to click to pay attention to moisturizing AB, please indicate the source for reprinting, thank you)