1 week Ago By Poppy Treadaway
Ronnie O’Sullivan explained why he refused to shake an opponent and referee’s hand at the Scottish Open. The snooker star is no stranger to grabbing headlines – whether it’s for his brilliance on the table or his unpredictable antics off it.O’Sullivan awkwardly did not shake the referee and his opponent’s handEurosportAnd one such moment that left fans talking came during the 2019 Scottish Open, when The Rocket raised eyebrows for refusing to shake hands with his opponent, James Cahill, as well as the referee.
The seven-time world champion, who remains one of the most captivating figures in sport, instead offered a fist bump to them both ahead of their third-round clash, leaving fans confused by the encounter.After the incident, O’Sullivan later explained the unusual gesture, telling Eurosport: “I’ll admit I’m a bit OCD with germs.“I don’t open door handles, I always have tissues on door handles, I am a bit OCD like that.
“I have got a bit of a germ thing. It’s easier to do that and I don’t get any germs.”He added: “Plus you get some heavy handshakers who go ‘alright Ronnie’ and crush your hand.
“This is my living [my hands] this is how I make a living.“I have got a bit of a germ thing, it’s easier to do that.”The match itself offered little in the way of drama, as O’Sullivan cruised past 23-year-old Cahill with a dominant 4-0 whitewash in just over 30 minutes.
The victory carried added spice, as it came just months after Cahill had stunned O’Sullivan with a shock upset at the World Championship – a rare blemish his glittering career.O’Sullivan later explained that he has a problem with germsEurosportThis time around, O’Sullivan gave his young opponent little opportunity to cause another upset. Despite missing a black off the spot in the third frame, he barely broke stride, sealing the win with a slick 86 break in the fourth.
At one point, he was averaging just 12 seconds per shot — though even he was surprised by the statistic.“It didn’t feel like 12 seconds, it felt like 21 seconds. I felt like I was playing slower tonight” he said.
“I came out and tried to play a little bit more conservative because I have been a bit too attacking I think. “I just tried to rein it in a bit, so it meant I had to take a bit more time on my shots.”Fast forward to today, and O’Sullivan’s legendary status only continues to grow.
O’Sullivan’s most recent victory at the World Championship came in 2022GettyNow 49, he added yet another world title to his name in 2022, equalling Stephen Hendry’s tally of seven, and remains a strong contender in every tournament he enters – including the 2025 World Championship, where he is once again eyeing history.Just this week, footage emerged of O’Sullivan breaking a stunning 147 in practice at his academy in Saudi Arabia. It comes just over a week before the World Snooker Championship gets underway.
O’Sullivan has been a doubt for the tournament after not having played much throughout the year, but the training footage suggests he could be in contention.The 49-year-old has pulled out of five ranking events this year, citing exhaustion and medical reasons, while his only appearance in the Championship League saw him lose four of five matches and retire after snapping his cue.Such a poor year would suggest that any appearance at the Crucible would be uneventful, but a smattering of lucky bystanders got to see O’Sullivan at his best in the Middle East.
His training 147 was done in under seven minutes – showing the kind of talent that makes him one of the most entertaining and greatest snooker players of all time..
