Ronnie O’Sullivan says he may have to “pull out” of the Dafabet English Open in Barnsley over a row about his choice of footwear. The five-time world champion complained of a sprained ankle before his first-round 4-1 win over Zhang Anda on Tuesday. ‘The Rocket’ sported a pair of blue trainers as he cruised into the second round, but afterwards he revealed on social media that he has been told by World Snooker he cannot play in the same footwear again on Wednesday.
O’Sullivan, who faces Mark Davis in the next round, said on Twitter: “Being told by World Snooker that if I don’t wear a black training shoe on Wednesday, I can’t play. “Looks like I will have to pull out of the English Open because someone’s not happy I am wearing a trainer due to a sprained ankle.” It is not the first time O’Sullivan has run into trouble with snooker’s powerbrokers over his choice of footwear, or lack thereof. At the 2015 World Championship, O’Sullivan escaped a fine for playing in just his socks against Craig Steadman as his shoes were causing him discomfort. At the 2014 UK Championship, O’Sullivan – a passionate runner in his downtime – went into the tournament with a broken ankle which caused him discomfort in the early stages, but still went on to win the title.
The Dafabet English Open is the first of four Home Nations events, with a £1m bonus on offer to any player who wins all four, but O’Sullivan has hinted he is willing to be thrown out over his footwear. “I pitch up, hit a few balls and see how it goes. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” he added. O’Sullivan is currently 5/1 to win the Dafabet English Open title this Sunday.
Dafabet English Open odds available at Dafabet.