O’Sullivan says he will “never play” in the Snooker Shoot Out

Ronnie O’Sullivan has said that he will “never play” in the Snooker Shoot Out again after a second-round defeat to world number 104 Billy Joe Castle.

After an upset in a tournament that frequently produces them, O’Sullivan said that he saw “no value” in the event as a player.

In the ten-minute cash, O’Sullivan produced a number of surprising misses, and then a snooker by Castle gave him the chance to secure the frame.

The former world champion missed a simple black after potting a tough long red, and he missed a few more balls afterwards. Castle seemed to struggle too in the early stages, and O’Sullivan had soon built up a 30-12 lead before running out of position with four minutes remaining.

From there, a safety exchange handed the initiative back to Castle. He snookered O’Sullivan, and the top player fouled – Castle then had the cue ball in hand, and he did what he had to do to win the frame 66-30.

After his defeat, O’Sullivan said: “I will never play in the Shoot Out again. I love it as an event, but as a player there is no value.

“I played it this year, the first time in five years, because everyone said they were enjoying it and I thought, ‘I have got to see what it’s all about’.

“As a player it’s not the best because there are so many variables. But as a spectator I’d rather watch it than the World Championship.

“There is so much going on it keeps you interested, it’s like an exciting film – a real cliff-hanger.

“As a player I don’t like playing in it, but I can step back and see as a spectator – which is the most important thing at the end of the day – it is enjoyable to watch.”

Despite his lack of enjoyment for the tournament, O’Sullivan did say that he would welcome more quick-fire events like the Shoot Out onto the Tour calendar because of the fan appetite.

He said: “I do think they should play some more of them on the tour though, because it is exciting for the spectators and that is what you want in sport.

“It is exciting stuff and if they could incorporate more of them, it would be great, like the Twenty20 cricket games.”

There are frequent criticisms raised about the status of the Shoot Out as a ranking event, and it is notable that a number of the game’s elite players are not fans of the tournament’s unpredictable nature.