Ronnie O'Sullivan speaks out after incredible sportsmanlike moment against Stuart Bingham

Ronnie O' Sullivan has spoken out about his sportsmanlike moment against Stuart Bingham in their World Snooker Championship clash.

O'Sullivan stunned snooker fans when he decided to play it safe after referee Desislava Bozhilova was trying to re-spot the black, only for it to keep rolling off.

He opted against taking the pot after asking for the black to be re-spotted in what Neil Robertson called one of the 'greatest bits of sportsmanship' he has ever seen' in any sport, with people on social media in agreement following the incident in the 12th frame.

O'Sullivan said it was down to his 'principles' as he hit out at the referee, claiming some officials 'have got it in' for him.

"Some of the referees, I think they've got it in for me," he told Eurosport. "So I just want to prove to her that she'd got it wrong.

"Then I didn't feel good about having to pot the ball after that, but I just want to make a point. The point was made.

"I'm not that hungry to win in that way. I'm more of a principled person. So the principles been made. I can sleep at night."

Ronnie O'Sullivan looks on as the referee re-spots the black ball. Image: Getty

On the incident, Alan McManus reckons 'The Rocket' made the right call not to take on the red.

"The sportsmanship is exemplary from Ronnie and it always is the case," he said. "He plays a safety shot there.

"But what any referee I think should do is never mind what the players think or see or feel, they can have a conflab about it on their own, you take out our ball marker and if it overlaps then it doesn’t spot. It’s definitive.

"You don’t need a ball to see if it spots, you use the width of the ball marker. Then you figure out a way to get it on because you definitively know that it spots and that’s the key to it.

"Once you know whether it does or whether it doesn’t, then you can say to the guys, 'Look, I’ve measured it on the middle of the cross'.

"Because there’s an indentation, so the ball will roll in because it’s been spotted 312 times over the last couple of days.

"It’s not an easy job, it’s just the way you go about it. There are complexities to it but use the marker and have a look. It goes, that’s the first thing. Let’s find the best way of getting it on the spot."

Topics: Snooker, Ronnie OSullivan

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar