Ronnie O'Sullivan today conceded his best-of-17-frame UK Championship quarter-final against Stephen Hendry - after only five frames.
'The Rocket' was losing 4-1 and was at the table 24 points ahead when he missed an attempted pot and immediately declared the match over, shaking the stunned Hendry's hand and that of referee Jan Verhaas. He walked straight out of the Barbican Centre arena, leaving Hendry and the crowd visibly baffled by his decision.
It meant Hendry went through to the semi-finals as a 9-1 winner and will play either Steve Davis or Graeme Dott on Saturday.
"Ronnie's obviously got his reasons and I'm not going to criticise him," said Hendry. "He just said he had had enough and wished me good luck for the rest of the tournament - only he knows what he feels inside. I can't criticise someone else for that - but I've never seen anything like it.
"I played fantastic for the first four frames and didn't give him many chances. But at 4-1 he was in the balls and I was thinking 'keep concentrating'. He went for a silly red and missed it and I was thinking 'keep going' - and suddenly he shook my hand. I had no inkling there was anything wrong - he knows what he's doing."
World Snooker officials revealed O'Sullivan would not be holding a press conference to explain the reasons for his walk-out, and a spokesman for the 110 Sport management group, who look after O'Sullivan's snooker sponsorships, was also in the dark.
"We are as baffled as anyone," said the spokesman. "Other than [O'Sullivan] wishing Stephen all the best for the tournament, and saying to John Carroll [110 Sport's director of snooker] to 'have a nice Christmas', we are completely in the dark as to the reasons behind Ronnie's departure." World Snooker said spectators who had paid to watch the two sessions of the Hendry-O'Sullivan match would be offered tickets for tomorrow's semi-final between John Higgins and Peter Ebdon. "It is made clear in literature relating to tickets that players appear circumstances permitting," read a World Snooker statement. "Spectators who bought tickets today will be able to watch the match between Graeme Dott and Steve Davis this afternoon and evening. They will also be offered tickets for tomorrow's snooker."
