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| O'Sullivan sorry for UK walkout | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan has apologised after walking out of his Maplin UK Championship quarter-final against Stephen Hendry on Thursday. | |
| The former world champion was trailing 4-1 when he dramatically handed victory to his opponent after missing a red. | The former world champion was trailing 4-1 when he dramatically handed victory to his opponent after missing a red. |
| O'Sullivan said: "At this moment I am feeling disappointed with myself and I am hurt and numb." | |
| "But I am a fighter and I will be back on my feet fighting stronger and harderthan ever very soon." | |
| O'Sullivan walks out of UK Championship | |
| O'Sullivan was 24 points ahead in the sixth frame when he missed an attempted pot and immediately declared the match over, shaking the hand of Hendry and referee Jan Verhaas. | |
| He said in a statement afterwards: "I had a bad day in the office. | |
| "Anyone who knows me knows I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my game and today I got so annoyed with myself that I lost my patience and walked away from a game that, with hindsight, I should have continued. | |
| If he's got problems I feel for him, but I've never seen anything like it in my life Stephen Hendry | |
| "I wish I could have given Steven a better game and I'm sorry I didn't stickaround to sharpen him up for his semi-final. | |
| "I'm also really sorry to let down the fans who came to see me play - itwasn't my intention to disappoint them and for that I am truly apologetic." | |
| Hendry was visibly stunned as O'Sullivan shook his hand and walked out of the Barbican Centre arena. | Hendry was visibly stunned as O'Sullivan shook his hand and walked out of the Barbican Centre arena. |
| "He just said he had had enough," said Hendry, who was awarded a 9-1 win. "I had no inkling anything was wrong." | "He just said he had had enough," said Hendry, who was awarded a 9-1 win. "I had no inkling anything was wrong." |
| Hendry's semi-final opponent in York will be either reigning world champion Graeme Dott or Steve Davis. | Hendry's semi-final opponent in York will be either reigning world champion Graeme Dott or Steve Davis. |
| Hendry and O'Sullivan have clashed in the past, but the Scot said there were no longer any problems between the two. | Hendry and O'Sullivan have clashed in the past, but the Scot said there were no longer any problems between the two. |
| "There has been no bad feeling between us over the last few days, there is no bad feeling between us anymore anyway," he said. | "There has been no bad feeling between us over the last few days, there is no bad feeling between us anymore anyway," he said. |
| "Ronnie's obviously got his reasons and I'm not going to criticise him. | "Ronnie's obviously got his reasons and I'm not going to criticise him. |
| "He just said he had had enough and wished me good luck for the rest of the tournament. Only he knows what he feels inside. | "He just said he had had enough and wished me good luck for the rest of the tournament. Only he knows what he feels inside. |
| "I can't criticise someone else for that, but I've never seen anything like it. It's just bizarre. | "I can't criticise someone else for that, but I've never seen anything like it. It's just bizarre. |
| 606: DEBATE I sincerely hope he's got a good explanation for this GS 606: Have your say | 606: DEBATE I sincerely hope he's got a good explanation for this GS 606: Have your say |
| "I'm not going to lie, it's a good feeling to be in the next round. But I was enjoying the match, playing well and obviously I would much rather have won properly. | "I'm not going to lie, it's a good feeling to be in the next round. But I was enjoying the match, playing well and obviously I would much rather have won properly. |
| "If he's got problems I feel for him, but I've never seen anything like it in my life." | "If he's got problems I feel for him, but I've never seen anything like it in my life." |
| I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all Michael GanleyTournament director | I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all Michael GanleyTournament director |
| World Snooker's Michael Ganley, the tournament director, confirmed O'Sullivan had conceded the match. | World Snooker's Michael Ganley, the tournament director, confirmed O'Sullivan had conceded the match. |
| "I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all," said Ganley. | "I asked him if anything was wrong and he said 'no'. He's left the building and it has shocked us all," said Ganley. |
| "I've seen players concede at certain stages of the game before, usually through illness. It happens occasionally but it's very rare. | "I've seen players concede at certain stages of the game before, usually through illness. It happens occasionally but it's very rare. |
| "Obviously he felt he couldn't continue, maybe for reasons we're not aware of, but he's forfeited the match." | "Obviously he felt he couldn't continue, maybe for reasons we're not aware of, but he's forfeited the match." |
| O'Sullivan, a former world champion and world number one, is one of the game's most charismatic figures. | O'Sullivan, a former world champion and world number one, is one of the game's most charismatic figures. |
| But the 31-year-old from Essex is also a troubled soul, battling depression and threatening to quit snooker on numerous occasions. | But the 31-year-old from Essex is also a troubled soul, battling depression and threatening to quit snooker on numerous occasions. |
| Maybe he should put his cue in the case and leave it there John Parrott on O'Sullivan | Maybe he should put his cue in the case and leave it there John Parrott on O'Sullivan |
| John Parrott thinks O'Sullivan should quit the game for good if he is unhappy. | John Parrott thinks O'Sullivan should quit the game for good if he is unhappy. |
| "Ronnie has got a bit of time now over Christmas to go away and reflect on what he has done here, then maybe he can come back with a fresh approach in the new year," said Parrott, a former world champion who is commentating on the event for BBC Sport. | "Ronnie has got a bit of time now over Christmas to go away and reflect on what he has done here, then maybe he can come back with a fresh approach in the new year," said Parrott, a former world champion who is commentating on the event for BBC Sport. |
| "But if the game is making him miserable and he really doesn't want to be there, then maybe he should put his cue in the case and leave it there." | |
| We are completely in the dark as to the reasons behind Ronnie's departure A spokesman from O'Sullivan's management team | We are completely in the dark as to the reasons behind Ronnie's departure A spokesman from O'Sullivan's management team |
| A statement from World Snooker revealed spectators who had paid to watch the two sessions of the Hendry-O'Sullivan match would be offered tickets for Friday's semi-final between John Higgins and Peter Ebdon. | A statement from World Snooker revealed spectators who had paid to watch the two sessions of the Hendry-O'Sullivan match would be offered tickets for Friday's semi-final between John Higgins and Peter Ebdon. |
| "It is made clear in literature relating to tickets that players appear circumstances permitting," read the statement. | "It is made clear in literature relating to tickets that players appear circumstances permitting," read the statement. |
| "Spectators who bought tickets today will be able to watch the match between Graeme Dott and Steve Davis this afternoon and evening. | "Spectators who bought tickets today will be able to watch the match between Graeme Dott and Steve Davis this afternoon and evening. |
| "They will also be offered tickets for tomorrow's snooker." | "They will also be offered tickets for tomorrow's snooker." |