Ronnie O’Sullivan recovered from 6-3 down to beat Ali Carter 10-7 in the final at
Alexandra Palace and claim a record-extending eighth Masters crown; Carter was unhappy at some of O’Sullivan’s actions during the latter stages of the game
Last Updated: 16/01/24 3:30pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan was furious at claims from Ali Carter
Ronnie O’Sullivan launched into a rant during his Masters final press conference after hearing an accusation from opponent Ali Carter that he had ‘snotted’ on the floor.
Carter looked set for a first Triple Crown title as he opened up a 5-3 lead after the first session and immediately extended his advantage when play resumed, only to lose seven out of the last eight frames to hand O’Sullivan a 10-7 victory.
Following the encounter, Carter was quick to hit out as O’Sullivan’s “disgusting” actions during the match, accusing him of “snotting all over the floor”.
“There were a couple of things that happened out there that go unnoticed,” Carter said.
“Well, they don’t go unnoticed but anyone with an eyesight or a brain can see what’s going on. And it’s disgusting quite frankly.
“No-one wants to say anything, do they? Snotting all over the floor and all that.”
O’Sullivan was visibly angry after hearing of the claims by Carter, giving the middle finger to his opponent and storming out of the press conference after his win.
O’Sullivan stormed out of the post-match press conference after hearing the claims
“He can sit on it as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “I don’t give a f***. You know what he’s like, everybody knows what he’s like. He’s got issues.
“F******* why has he got issues with me? I’m not having it. I don’t care, grow some balls. I don’t give a f***. The more he brings it on, the more I f****** punish him every time.
“Absolutely. He’s just digging a grave for himself. He needs to sort his f****** life out. That’s it, I’ve said my piece. I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that.
“Playing snooker against someone like that is a nightmare. He’s not a nice person. It’s not a nice vibe he leaves around the table. I’ve said my piece and you’re going to write what you’re going to write. I don’t give a s***. I’ve said it now, done.
“End of press conference? I suppose you’ve got your headlines, haven’t you?”
Carter: It makes no difference what O’Sullivan says
Ali Carter also called out fans at the Ally Pally, calling them ‘morons’
Carter hit back at O’Sullivan’s latest comments, saying on ITV4 on Tuesday: “Ronnie is entitled to his opinion. I just said what it is and how it was and I talk facts. It is as simple as that.
“It makes no difference to me what he says – he says different things on different days. I don’t think he even knows what is going to come out of his mouth at certain times. I actually feel a bit sorry for him.
“So we move forward and we go again this week.”
Victory for O’Sullivan means he has now won 23 Triple Crown titles, five more than Stephen Hendry, and can complete a clean sweep of the game’s biggest events with an eighth World Championship title at the Crucible later this year.
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