Ronnie O’Sullivan is facing a forfeit punishment following his angry exchange with referee Olivier Marteel as he established a dominant 12-5 lead over Judd Trump on the first day of the World Championship final.
Marteel was clearly frustrated with the 46-year-old after O’Sullivan returned to his seat following a snooker in the eighth frame. The World No. 1 accused the referee of ‘looking for trouble’ after he received a formal warning for a gesture.
O’Sullivan, who said the the official ‘saw nothing’, could also be heard saying ‘don’t start’ to Marteel. Trump questioned why six-time champion’s frustrations couldn’t be aired until after the frame had been completed, although the 32-year-old won two successive frames to fight back.
O’Sullivan didn’t shake his hand at the close of play, and if he gets another warning during this world final, he will forfeit a frame. If it happens for a third time, O’Sullivan will forfeit the match.
He denied any offence in an interview with Eurosport, insisting: “I just think he (Marteel) seems to be looking for trouble. I just get that vibe from the guy.
“They've got hundreds of cameras out there and they can go and check them all. I'm not going to have any of it because I think he's just trying to create something. He needs to deal with it, not me.”
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The charismatic O'Sullivan is already facing an investigation by the WPBSA disciplinary committee for allegedly making a crude gesture after missing a black in the 13th frame of his 10-5 first-round win over Dave Gilbert. The incident in the final began when O’Sullivan - who last won the title in 2020 - complained to Marteel about a security guard who was moving in his line of sight during the third frame before the pair argued over the placing of the white after a miss in the fourth frame.
Once play resumed, O'Sullivan's 5-3 lead was cut by Trump's break of 73. The Rocket stormed back as he made six half centuries and a sensational 118 to take control of the match.
His fine performance contrasted Trump’s substandard performance, who made plenty of errors. O'Sullivan is now six frames from a record-equalling seventh title in the modern era and if he wins, he will become the oldest world champion.
Trump must now win at least two of the eight frames on Monday afternoon to avoid becoming the first player to lose a final with a session to spare since Jimmy White, who was beaten 18-5 by Stephen Hendry in 1993.
