Ronnie O’Sullivan was punished for behaviour vs World Seniors finalist | Other | Sport

A rematch with Perry, 51, comes more than 17 years after the seven-time world champion suffered a dramatic meltdown against the Gentleman when conceding a frame in the last 16 of their UK Championship encounter. O’Sullivan’s well-documented inconsistency reared its ugly head during the match, despite having taken a 5-3 overnight lead into their session. With the score at 23-0 and nine reds remaining, the snooker legend flicked the white ball with his hand to forfeit the 12th frame.

A visibly frustrated O’Sullivan returned to the table following a short break but ultimately fell to a 9-5 defeat and was subsequently handed a £300 fine by World Snooker. He was further ordered to pay £1,000 in costs for his breach of the rules. Reflecting on the loss, the Englishman said: “I just got outplayed. I felt very cold and couldn’t seem to make anything happen but you’ve got to give Joe credit, he played well.

“That’s the story of my game for a while now. I’m good at times, not good at others. I’m inconsistent and it’s something I’ve got to live with.” Reflecting on his admission at the time, O’Sullivan was remarkably relaxed about his looming sanction, stating: “It will be just a little £250 fine and a letter through the post. I’ve had a few of those in the past. It’s no big deal.”

Any repeat of such past conduct will be the last thing on his mind as he targets another triumph at the Crucible against Perry. The duo have shared numerous other encounters beyond the UK Championship controversy, with O’Sullivan prevailing over Perry in the 2007 Masters final.

O’Sullivan said: “The conditions are really tough. None of the players would make excuses, and we’re not making excuses. I thought me and Milkins were cueing well. But sometimes, you can fall out of position, chasing the ball.

“It’s hard to keep potting, especially under pressure. So I thought we did well under the conditions. I’m messing around with different types of cue actions, so it’s a good experience for me. I’m enjoying that kind of process.” O’Sullivan’s appearance in the final arrives just a fortnight after he was knocked out of the World Snooker Championship by John Higgins in the second round.