Ronnie O’Sullivan Knocked Out of World Snooker Championship Quarter-Finals by Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham Ends Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Snooker Championship Dream
In a shocking turn of events at The Crucible, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s quest for an eighth World Snooker Championship title came to an end at the hands of 2015 champion Stuart Bingham in the quarter-finals. The match was a closely contested affair, with the two players locked at 8-8 heading into the final session.
However, it was Bingham who found his rhythm after the mid-session interval, winning three consecutive frames to secure a 13-10 victory over O’Sullivan. The defeat marked the end of O’Sullivan’s campaign and set up a semi-final clash between Bingham and qualifier Jak Jones, who had earlier caused a major upset by knocking out world No 2 Judd Trump.
Reflecting on his loss, O’Sullivan admitted that while he tried to fight and hang in there, Bingham deserved the victory for his stellar performance on the table. The defeat also marked a historic moment in snooker history, as three qualifiers have reached the semi-finals for the first time since the tournament’s inception at The Crucible in 1977.
In the other semi-final match, Kyren Wilson emerged victorious against four-time world champion John Higgins to set up a showdown with David Gilbert. Bingham, on the other hand, expressed his joy and disbelief at reaching the semi-finals for the third time in his career, relishing the opportunity to compete against the best in the game.
The match was not without controversy, as O’Sullivan found himself embroiled in a dispute with referee Desislava Bozhilova over a ball placement issue. Despite the drama, Bingham’s victory and O’Sullivan’s gracious sportsmanship in the face of defeat added another layer of intrigue to an already captivating tournament.
