Northern Ireland Open snooker 2020: 'Surely not!’ – Why did Ronnie O’Sullivan make big mistake?

ByMarcus Foley

Updated 22/11/2020 at 20:48 GMT

Ronnie O’Sullivan made what was considered a baffling mistake during the Northern Ireland Open final with Judd Trump on Sunday. O’Sullivan elected to put Trump back in after the Bristolian had fouled on the black when trying to play a swerve shot. Neal Foulds said in commentary that he couldn’t understand the decision while Alan McManus thought The Rocket may have misread the situation.

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s decision to put Judd Trump back in after the world number one had fouled on the black sparked a discussion during their Northern Ireland Open final on Sunday.

The Rocket was trailing 55-15 when he elected to give Trump a second go at his missed attempt. Trump duly dispatched the red and then rolled the brown safe - the mistake would cost O'Sullivan the frame.

This is how the shot selection was reported on Eurosport’s live frame-by-frame coverage of the final:

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TRUMP 1-0 O'SULLIVAN (56-15): "Trump fouls on the black when trying to swerve the white to pot it. With no path to the easy red, and no other pot on, O'Sullivan puts Trump back in; that's really surprising, given that Trump has already had one go at it. It's a risk, and it backfires; Trump pots the red, and then plays safe to baulk."

'I will never understand his decision there!'

It was a moment that Neal Foulds, in his role as commentator on Eurosport, found baffling, with the former world number three first saying:

"He is obviously not going to put him in again because he will get it."

Before realising O’Sullivan’s intention and going on to say:

Surely not, are you kidding? He will surely get it this time. I am amazed he has had that put back. Judd is a little confused that he has been asked to play this again. I will never understand O’Sullivan’s decision there – it wasn’t a particularly difficult shot but he has asked Trump to play it a second time."

‘I will never understand O’Sullivan’s decision there’ – Foulds questions putting Trump back in

'Ronnie might have thought it was a full-ball snooker'

The decision to put Trump back in was addressed during the mid-session interval, with Eurosport's Alan McManus suggesting O'Sullivan might not have understood the difficulty - or lack thereof - of the shot.

"Ronnie might have thought it was a full-ball snooker, as Judd missed it the first time. So Ronnie was probably thinking: ‘He aint going to hit that so I will give him another pop at it’, said McManus while chatting it through with Andy Goldstein and Jimmy White.

I am not quite sure how good a look Ronnie had at it - if he had known I believe he would have chosen another shot.

'It's not that difficult' - Why Ronnie made a big mistake v Trump

White would then go on to replicate Trump’s escape before going through other potential methods the defending the champion could have used to pot the red.

• Northern Ireland Open 2020: Latest draw, schedule and results
• Northern Ireland Open final LIVE – Trump takes on O’Sullivan

The decision would ultimately cost O’Sullivan the frame, even if the world champion would play on, as he has done all week, despite needing six snookers to win.

O’Sullivan plays on despite needing six snookers

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