Sport

Snooker fan can't pot black

15:26 pm on 20 October 2017

The English snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan let a spectator who evaded security and ran around the table take his last shot as he won in the third round at the English Open.

Snooker fan lines up her shot Photo: Eurosport

The woman entered the playing arena in Barnsley as five-time world champion O'Sullivan was about to seal a 4-1 win over China's Zhang Yong.

He carried on playing to pot the pink ball - leaving him on a 129 break - then handed his cue to the spectator.

She had two attempts at sinking the black before being led away.

"I really wanted her to pot it," O'Sullivan said.

The 41-year-old, who had earlier made breaks of 126 and 127, added: "I didn't know what to do at first and she just said: 'I'm just having a jog, I'm just going for a jog.'

"And I was like: 'Go on then, carry on then, there's your jog, have a shot as well while you're at it.'

"I thought when the [security] guys came out they were going to rugby tackle her, but I thought, 'If you do that, you might kill her.'"

"I saved her from getting a rugby tackle," he said.

O'Sullivan, who has been given permission to play in trainers after injuring an ankle, beat John Higgins 4-3 in the fourth round later in the day.

-bbc