O’Sullivan’s exit from snooker’s top tournament

Snooker finds itself in a bit of a quandary, writes Simon Hattenstone in the Guardian. "Poor BBC. Poor Betfred. And most of all, poor bloody viewers." Ronnie O'Sullivan's second-round exit from the World Snooker Championships has left the tournament flat and devoid of character.

After declaring his personal interest as O'Sullivan's ghostwriter, Hattenstone points out that without the 33-year-old's troubled genius, "the one possible reason for watching the dullest sport on earth has gone. BBC executives must have gone crazy when Ronnie lost. They wait a year for another 17-day O'Sullivan orgy, and then he flumps out" in his second game.

"Never has one man dominated a sport like Ronnie has done snooker. Yes, Tiger Woods is far and away the world's best golfer but the sport can still grip in his absence or when he's not quite on his game. Although Federer and Nadal dominate tennis, a Murray-Djokovic final is a pretty exciting prospect. But snooker - if Ronnie's not there, you might as well turn off the telly. As so many of us have done."

The thing is, Hattenstone continues, "when we watch Ronnie, we're not simply watching snooker (though he does play the game with astonishing vision and grace) – we're engrossed in an open-ended epic drama. Will he play with left or right hand, hands or feet? Will he bite his tip off in frustration? Will he shave his head mid-session, throw in the white hanky and announce he's quitting the game to dedicate his life to marathon running and the mosque? All real possibilities."

And all sadly ended by a "23-year-old known as the Pistol from Antrim Town." ·