Ronnie O’Sullivan has been told to “grow up” by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn as he prepares to head to the Crucible.
The five-time world champion has staged a two-month protest against what he feels is unfair treatment by the sport’s authorities.
It has seen him deliberately and repeatedly give one-word answers to questions he has faced after matches, while in an ITV interview at the World Grand Prix in February he was marginally more expansive but gave a series of responses in a robotic voice.
At the Welsh Open in March, the 41-year-old began to sing the Oasis hit Wonderwall when taking questions from a BBC radio reporter.
O’Sullivan has been working for Eurosport this season and explained his stance in a blog for the broadcaster. He was aggrieved at receiving a disciplinary letter following his criticism of referee Terry Camilleri at the Masters in January, and for swearing at a cameraman he felt had not observed the correct etiquette.
But Hearn is mindful of the situation persisting into the Betfred World Championship, which begins on Saturday and is the sport’s biggest showcase.
Hearn told Press Association Sport: “I’m going to be having a word. Ronnie’s monosyllabic remarks are not a breach of the rules but certainly they are a breach of the spirit of how those rules are interpreted.
“And I would hope that common sense comes back, because what started off as being quite amusing has now become in my view embarrassing for everyone, including Ronnie.
“I’m a fan of the relationship between the players and the press. It’s time for Ronnie to grow up a little bit now.”
O’Sullivan won his fifth world title in 2013, since when he has been runner-up to Mark Selby in 2014, a beaten quarter-finalist in 2015 and a second-round loser last year.
He and all the world's top 16 players are due to appear at an eve-of-tournament press conference in Sheffield on Friday. – PA
