- Ronnie O’Sullivan was facing Zhao Xintong at the Crucible on Thursday
- Xintong potted the black ball with such ferocity that it broke a pocket
- The pocket breaking led to several balls flying across the Crucible floor
The first semi-final of this year’s Snooker World Championship descended into chaos on Thursday afternoon when one of the pockets broke in the middle of a frame.
Seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan was taking on Chinese rising star Zhao Xintong and had edged into a 4-3 lead heading into the final frame of the session.
Zhao was at the table and moved 66-32 in front as he potted the black. However, as the black hit the pocket, it suddenly broke and two red balls went flying across the Crucible floor.
The crowd saw the funny side as the bizarre moment was met with laughter, while Zhao looked a little stunned as he turned to the referee.
He was told to continue, with the referee assuring him that he would fix the pocket following the conclusion of the frame.
Zhao went on to wrap up the frame to draw level at 4-4 with O’Sullivan, and managed to avoid the damaged pocket for the majority of his break.
Zhao Xintong potted the black ball against Ronnie O’Sullivan and the pocket broke, with balls then flying across the floor
The pocket breaking left multiple balls on the floor in a truly bizarre moment
Zhao and the crowd saw the funny side, and he continued playing with a broken pocket
However, he needed it for the final pink and black, and the crowd erupted again when he found the target and the balls crashed to the ground once more.
The BBC then went back to the studio, with presenter Seema Jaswal admitting she had never seen a pocket break like that before.
Pundits Shaun Murphy and John Parrott conceded it was a rare occurrence, but assured Jaswal that it would be quickly fixed ahead of tonight’s action.
The broken pocket incident brought to an end a session that saw O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure as he finished all square against the player he once tipped to become the greatest ever.
The Rocket, 49, spoke of having to ‘rebuild’ his technique ahead of the World Championship and he appeared to have technical issues in the opening exchanges with Zhao.
O’Sullivan twice looked back at his right arm after missing straightforward pots, indicating a struggle to force his cue through correctly. And his highest break was just 82 in a session which ended 4-4.
After relatively serene progress so far in Sheffield, O’Sullivan looks set to be given a real test by Zhao in this first-of-33 tie – which resumes on Friday morning – as he bids to reach Sunday’s final and go on to claim a record eighth Crucible crown.
Qualifer Zhao is also aiming to make history as the first Chinese world champion and he seemed comfortable in his maiden semi-final appearance.
The 28-year-old is playing here as an amateur, having only returned from a 20-month match-fixing ban in September. Before the scandal, he won the UK Championship in 2021 and he has previously been mentored by his last-four rival O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan appeared unhappy with his technique on several occasions on Thursday
He has claimed he is not playing well throughout the tournament, despite reaching the last four
Barry Hearn has held talks with Sheffield Council about keeping the snooker at the Crucible
‘He could be the greatest of all time with his talent and ability,’ said O’Sullivan in 2022. ‘I see him as a Roger Federer with a cue in his hand.’
Meanwhile, World Snooker Tour honorary president Barry Hearn held talks with Sheffield City Council on Thursday about the future of the Crucible, whose contract to host the World Championship expires in 2027.
Hearn wants Sheffield to either expand the 980-capacity venue or start paying World Snooker a site fee so he can double the winner’s prize money from £500,000 to £1million – otherwise he might move the tournament elsewhere.
‘Show me the money, show me the way forward, and hopefully we can sign another 10-year deal at the Crucible,’ said Hearn.
