**Neil Robertson Criticises Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Crucible Tactics After Heavy Defeat**
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s bid for another World Snooker Championship title unravelled dramatically following a risky equipment change, drawing strong criticism from former champion Neil Robertson, who branded the mid-match decision as “certain defeat”.
O’Sullivan, widely regarded as one of snooker’s true greats, found himself in a tight semi-final battle against China’s Zhao Xintong at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, locked at 4-4 after the opening session. However, overnight, he made the unusual decision to have both the tip and ferrule on his cue replaced—a move rarely seen at such an intense stage of the competition.
The changes, made at local Sheffield retailer Chesworth Cues, saw O’Sullivan not only receive a new tip but also swap out his titanium ferrule for a brass one. The cue modification appeared to have been completed at high speed late at night, with Chesworth Cues confirming via social media: “Yes, it was Ronnie’s cue. That late-night express retip and changing his ferrule from titanium to brass, was for Ronnie O’Sullivan.”
When play resumed the following morning, O’Sullivan’s game fell apart at the seams. The six-time world champion failed to secure a single frame in the session, quickly slipping to a crushing 12-4 deficit. Zhao capitalised on this momentum to finish the match 17-7, earning his place in the Crucible final and becoming only the second Chinese player in history to achieve this feat.
The snooker world was left astonished at O’Sullivan’s decision to alter his trusted cue during such a critical juncture of the tournament. Neil Robertson, a former world champion and prominent voice in the sport, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his surprise and scepticism. “I hope whoever changed Ronnie’s tip AND ferrule made it very clear to him that doing so would result in an almost certain heavy defeat… Switching from titanium to brass or vice versa mid match unless something was damaged is crazy,” Robertson posted.
O’Sullivan, seeking answers after his elimination, remained uncertain as to what caused his uncharacteristic collapse. In a frank interview, he admitted: “I don’t even know if it was the cue, the ferrule or me. There were three things. I just don’t even know where the white ball’s going. I’m at a loss, to be honest with you.”
He continued, attempting to justify his decision: “Sometimes you’ve got to try something different, you know? It didn’t feel great before so I tried to go back to the old brass ferrule.” O’Sullivan was careful not to blame the cue outright, saying, “I’m not making the cue as an excuse, but if I hadn’t snapped my old cue maybe I’d have been able to give him a better game. My performances have not been good enough.”
The wider snooker community is no stranger to O’Sullivan’s occasional equipment woes. The player famously broke his previous cue in frustration earlier in the season, withdrawing from the Championship League as a result. Nonetheless, many were surprised to see such a radical step taken in the midst of a semi-final at the sport’s most prestigious event.
While O’Sullivan tries to make sense of his Crucible exit, attention now turns to the other semi-final, where Welsh veteran Mark Williams leads current world number one Judd Trump 13-11, setting up what promises to be a thrilling conclusion on Saturday.
Regardless of the outcome, the ramifications of O’Sullivan’s gamble will linger as a cautionary tale in snooker circles—a reminder that at the highest level, even the smallest changes can have monumental consequences.