Steve Davis bluntly tells BBC presenter ‘don’t laugh’ after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Snooker Championship defeat
STEVE DAVIS had to tell BBC presenter Rishi Persad not to laugh during Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Snooker Championship defeat.
The Rocket was dumped out at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday as he was beaten 13-10 by Stuart Bingham.
It means O’Sullivan’s wait for an eighth world title, a record in the modern era, goes on.
However, the match was not without controversy, notably in the 21st frame.
Referee Desislava Bozhilova had to ask for a door to be closed to stop spectators coming into the arena whilst the match was in play.
The noise had prompted O’Sullivan to return to his chair instead of playing a shot.
He appeared frustrated, though, and even told Bozhilova to “chill” during an exchange.
Bingham went on to win the frame, with Davis discussing the issue with Persad during the BBC coverage.
His name for the incident left the presenter in hysterics as Davis explained: “Door gate. Gate door. Whatever you want to call it.
“This problem of the central. Don’t laugh. The central column which serves both sides of the table has got to be open to let punters back in, but obviously… Why are you laughing?”
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Persad replied: “Because you called it ‘door gate’. It’s just such a great word.”
Bingham claimed the next two frames once play resumed as he booked his place in the semi-finals.
The 2015 world champion will now face Jak Jones, who shocked Judd Trump earlier on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, O’Sullivan will have to wait to move clear of Stephen Hendry by winning his eighth world title.
He did show great sportsmanship during his defeat, though, during Wednesday’s afternoon session.
O’Sullivan opted to play a safety shot rather than attempting to pot a red as he was not certain the black was sitting on its spot.