RONNIE O’SULLIVAN made a “huge mistake” in the deciding frame of the Saudi Arabian Snooker Masters.
The Rocket was in action against Neil Robertson on Saturday evening, vying to win a £500,000 jackpot at the so-called “fourth major”.
GettyRonnie O’Sullivan made a ‘huge mistake’ in the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters final[/caption]
TNTThe Rocket attempted to pot a red ball on the far side of a grouped set of reds[/caption]
TNTO’Sullivan fired his shot and saw the ball go towards the pocket[/caption]
TNTHowever, the shot went wide of the mark to allow Robertson the chance to win the deciding frame[/caption]
O’Sullivan had been down 7-2 against his Aussie rival before mustering a spirited comeback as he won five frames in a row, including 139 in frame 10 being the 1300th century of his career.
However, in the decisive final frame at 9-9, O’Sullivan made a colossal error that ultimately cost him the title.
The 49-year-old was eyeing up a shot on a group of reds, with the aim of hitting one of the balls into the far corner pocket.
O’Sullivan fired his shot and hit the reds, but ultimately saw his shot fail to hit its mark and the ball kiss the side of the pocket.
On commentary for broadcaster TNT Sports, snooker legend Ken Doherty called it a “huge mistake”.
And Robertson, 43, made the most of it as he scored a superb break of 87 to win the match.
Speaking after the match, O’Sullivan – who still took home £200,000 for his runner-up spot – said: “Neil deserved his victory. He was the better player.
“I tried to hang up to him, make a game of it. I was pleased I did that tonight. At 6-2 down, he outplayed me. At 7-2 it looked like it was an early night.
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“I’m pleased to take it a little bit longer. Neil played the best snooker all week.
“I came here and would have been happy to win a couple of matches. So, to get to the final, I’m very, very happy. You cannot be too greedy. I am disappointed I didn’t win.”
Robertson confessed that playing O’Sullivan in a final of this magnitude was something he “never could have dreamt of”.
It was his 26th tournament ranking title, worth double what he won when he became world champion in 2010.
He said: “I cannot possibly explain in words what it means. To play Ronnie in a final of this magnitude when I was a kid in Australia, I could never have dreamt of that.
“The way he came back, my God, being in this arena was the last place I wanted to be. It was incredible.
“The frame he won to go 8-8, the brown was absolutely incredible. He was unlucky in the last frame.
“If he lands on the ball at 9-8, it’s all over. I’m incredibly grateful to be able to share this stage with him.
“It’s not about winning and losing, it’s about me doing my best and putting on a great match for everyone. The crowd got their money’s worth these last two years.
“I think this surpasses the World Championship win. I have had to answer a lot of questions.
“Can I beat someone like Ronnie in a final of this magnitude? To beat him with so much on the line, it’s definitely my best win.”
O’Sullivan, using a new cue for this season, will not be too disappointed by his performance in the Kingdom.
He will fly back to his new base in Dubai with £200,000 for being the finalist at this nine-day event, a £147,000 147 bonus plus an extra £33,333 for getting the event’s high break.
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