O'Sullivan makes feelings on Saudi crowd clear after awkward exchange in final
Ronnie O'Sullivan has hailed the "great" crowd at the World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabia, despite an awkward moment in the final where the referee was forced to ask spectators to stop distracting the Rocket.
O'Sullivan beat reigning world champion Luca Brecel 5-2 to win the final, banking £250,000 in prize money in the process. However, he was left annoyed by the crowd early on in the match while leading Brecel 3-2.
After hearing some noise from the spectators, O'Sullivan stopped what he was doing and aimed a death stare in the direction it came from. "Ronnie seems distracted by something in the crowd," noted the Eurosport commentator.
And the referee was then forced to step in, asking the crowd: "Can you sit still please?" Despite this brief distraction, O'Sullivan was full of praise for the "amazing" crowd and the event as a whole.
"It's been a fantastic tournament, a brilliant venue," O'Sullivan said after lifting the trophy. "The crowd have been amazing. It's been a long time since we came to the Middle East. We have been treated so fantastically well.
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"The players have enjoyed it. The hospitality has been fantastic, the culture here is fantastic. These are the tournaments you really want to play in. One table, a great crowd. The music was going on in-between frames.
"It was like we were in some sort of rave. Like going 25 years back when I was young. It has made it lively. It feels like a really nice festival. Everyone wants to get to Saudi."
O'Sullivan aimed a death stare at the crowd after being distracted (Eurosport)He also made a post on social media after his win, writing: "What a night!! Thank you to the organisers @RiyadhSeason, to @Turki_alalshikh and also the amazing support and love I’ve received out here from all the fans. Shukran."
Beaten finalist Brecel echoed O'Sullivan's comments, saying: "I've enjoyed these last few days. The venue is amazing. The crowd has been fantastic.
"Ever since I landed in Saudi, I felt like the people are really, really nice. I'm grateful to be able to play here. Hopefully it will be here for a long time."
Judd Trump was similarly complimentary, suggesting the crowds in Riyadh produced a better atmosphere than in some tournaments back in the United Kingdom.
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