Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘disgusted’ as he drops cue on table in frustration after shot, Jimmy White reacts at UK Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan let his frustration get the better of him as he tossed his cue on the table after a shot at the UK Championship, and fellow snooker legend Jimmy White has given his reaction to the incident.

O’Sullivan did not get the positioning he had intended on the remaining reds and proceeded to exclaim “useless” as he swatted the air with his cue and then dropped it onto the table.

Dominic Dale, on commentary for Eurosport at the time, was suitably surprised as he reacted to what was a huge moment in the match that resulted in a subsequent miss on a red, although O’Sullivan did go on to win the frame and clinch the victory in spite of the bounce.

“Oh dear!” exclaimed Dale. “He feels he had a very fast bounce there.”

Philip Studd added: “‘Useless’ says O’Sullivan, and it is another twist with 59 still on the table. He is very annoyed that he lost his position there. This match remains on a knife-edge.”

Speaking in the Eurosport studio after the match, White gave his reaction to O’Sullivan dropping the cue and the bounce that led to his response.

“This is the big bounce I’m talking about,” White explained. “He has just played into an area, and you can see how disgusted he is with that.

“He has completely finished nowhere, and that was his chance to win it in that visit. He did not do it, and he has had to play a check-side safety shot. The damage was done earlier on.”

O’Sullivan will next take on Zhou Yuelong, who defeated John Higgins 6-3 in another enthralling battle in the afternoon session at the Barbican Centre in York.

“It was a tough start. I was missing balls over the gaff,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport after the match.

“I had to dig my way out of it somehow. Even at 4-2 I never felt settled. There was no flow, I was mis-timing shots, I was butchering balls all over the gaff.

“If that carries on, it doesn’t matter how big your lead is if the other guy starts to pot a few together you’re going to be in trouble. That’s always not a good feeling. Sometimes, you’ve got to show your frustration and then say ‘forget it, it’s done’.

“I’d have been happy for Rob if he’d won. He’s such a lovely guy. He’s been on tour for years. He’s had a good couple of seasons. I’m in a nice position where I’m just playing and having a bit of fun really… trying to be competitive.

“As a neutral, it would have been nice to see Rob win.”