Ronnie O’Sullivan believes if anyone is found guilty of match-fixing they are either “addicted” or are “struggling to make ends meet."
The Rocket, who cruised through to the quarter-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace with a 6-1 win over Belgium’s Luca Brecel, spoke for the first time about the probe that saw Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao sidelined for this event. Xintong and Bingtao are among 10 Chinese players waiting to see if they will be charged this month following the allegations.
O’Sullivan urged caution about jumping to conclusions but believes that the game can survive even if the worst happens with multiple convictions and bans. Amid the biggest investigation of its kind the game has seen, he said: “Before you start criticising the guys involved you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes.
