Snooker legend Jimmy White has said that he has ‘no regrets’ after being involved in a furious row with referee Ben Williams during his Northern Ireland Open match against Luca Brecel.
The star was left furious when the official wrongly identified his object ball, leading to a heated exchange between the pair.
White had said of the incident: “He’s [Williams] given me a warning because he thinks I gave him a hand gesture, which I didn’t.
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“We’re playing a serious match, it’s not an exhibition. All he’s got to say is, ‘Ok sorry, brown’ and we get on with the game. No regrets. It’s a serious situation.”
At the time was 3-0 down against Brecel and decided to nominate the brown ball in the fourth frame – but this led to Williams to mistakenly call ‘blue ball’.
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White told him that wasn’t right, and the ref changed his initial call, before chuckling. The former Masters champion then spat: “What’s funny about that? What’s funny about that?” He then appeared to raise his hand towards the official.
This led Williams to warn him, and when White asked why, he responded: “For sticking the finger up at me. If you do anything again, it will be a frame to your opponent.”
But White said he did not gesture in the manner Williams suggested, and the squabble continued, with Brecel coming out on top to win the match 4-0.
After the match, Brecel told Eurosport: “I don’t know what happened. I just heard Jimmy say ‘what’s funny about that?’ because the referee was laughing.
“I think the referee was just trying to be nice [by] laughing a bit. But Jimmy wasn’t happy.”
Meanwhile, Ronnie O’Sullivan spoke in favour of White’s behaviour. “I can see why Jimmy hasn’t seen the funny side of that,” he said. “He’s having a hard time out there, he’s not playing well. The referee has jumped the gun. There’s no reason to call a colour. Whatever ball Jimmy hits is the one he’s intending to hit.
“Then the referee starts laughing. Jimmy’s done nothing with his hand other than, like ‘what’s going on?’ Then he’s warned him, which is just uncalled for, really.”
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This post appeared first on Daily Star – Snooker.
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