Snooker star who called Ronnie O'Sullivan 'biggest p***k' dumped out of World Championship
Ronnie O'Sullivan has avoided an awkward encounter at the World Snooker Championship.
Ronnie O’Sullivan won’t get the chance to dump Matt Selt out of the World Snooker Championship this year, after the Rocket’s rival reportedly called him the “biggest p***k on tour”. Selt was defeated 10-8 by Joe O’Connor in a marathon qualifier on ‘Judgement Day’ to miss out on a place at the Crucible.
Selt had reached the World Championship in each of the previous two years and had been paired against O’Connor, who was one more victory away from reaching the tournament proper for the first time in his career.
But after a lengthy encounter, including a final frame that lasted nearly two hours, O’Connor became the final entrant for snooker’s showpiece event in Sheffield. He is the only debutant at the Crucible this year and prevented O’Sullivan from a potential meeting with the man who once called him a “p***k”.
Selt has caused controversy previously after being fined £2,000 for calling an autistic fan a “mong” and “pervert” on Instagram according to the Daily Star. His social media outburst did not stop at the supporter in his direct messages, however, taking aim at the seven-time world champion.
After the snooker supporter had responded to Selt’s story by asking: “When’s your match matt??” Selt replied: "Rather not play than be an absolute c**t of a human," before dubbing O'Sullivan the "biggest p**** on tour."
Selt was referencing O’Sullivan’s refusal to hit a ball during a tournament but the anonymous fan accused world No. 35 of being “jealous” before his temper boiled over and he sent a string of abusive messages, including one that red: “F*****g doughnut. Another Ronnie king. Mong.”
The fan responded by mocking Selt’s career and joking that he had already retired, which prompted another foul-mouthed response of: "You're a boring c**t aren't you. Dear me. Struggled this year. 16th highest player in the world. F*****g muppet."
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Selt had previously admitted that O’Sullivan “scares the living s**t out of me” when giving his verdict on snooker’s greatest-ever player. The 39-year-old will avoid a frightening encounter at the Crucible, however, after failing to qualify while the Rocket begins his campaign against Jackson Page.
“People have different theories on who is the greatest,” Selt said in 2021. " (Stephen) Hendry has won the most world titles and Ronnie is the only player who can really eclipse that.
“I’m not a fence-sitter, but the older I become I do more fence-sitting. (John) Higgins is my favourite so it’s a bit of a boring answer really from me. I just think the way Higgins conducts himself is different class.
“If they were all in a room together, he’s (Higgins) the only one you wouldn’t know what he won because he is just that down to earth. I've always had respect for him. Ronnie scares the living s**t out of me. When I play him, I just can't breathe."