Sports
15:02, 20-Oct-2017
O’Sullivan advances into English Open quarters after hi-jinks with fan
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Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan is into the last eight of the English Open, but only after an unexpected meeting with a fan during a live match on Thursday.
O'Sullivan, no stranger to eccentricity on and around the baize, beat John Higgins in the last 16 and China’s Zhang Yong in the previous round. In that earlier game, O'Sullivan was clearing the final colors to wrap up a 4-1 win over Zhang when a woman burst onto the floor and proceeded to jog around the table.
A screenshot of the intruder's shot. /CGTN Photo
A screenshot of the intruder's shot. /CGTN Photo
The referees tried to stop the lady as she said Hi to O’Sullivan. The man known as the Rocket potted the pink ball to continue a break of 129 but instead of finishing off with the black, he handed his cue to the intruder and allowed her to play the shot, to the delight of the audience.
She failed, to the amusement of Zhang and O'Sullivan, who later tweeted: "That's my mixed doubles partner sorted, sweet."