2 weeks ago
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Scotland’s Stephen Maguire admitted helium ate a alert during his quarter-final nonaccomplishment to David Gilbert astatine the World Snooker Championship.
Maguire, 43, was bidding to scope a 3rd Crucible semi-final and a archetypal successful 12 years.
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He came up abbreviated against qualifier Gilbert, 42, who sealed a 13-8 triumph connected Wednesday afternoon.
But determination was 1 infinitesimal successful peculiar that shocked viewers.
Fans watching connected Eurosport caught the bizarre infinitesimal Maguire paused aft seeing thing connected the table.
The Glaswegian leaned implicit to inspect it, earlier picking it up and popping it successful his mouth.
Asked astir the incident, helium told writer Phil Haigh: “It was conscionable a fly. I spat it retired erstwhile cipher was looking.”
The disgusting incidental wasn’t the lone talking constituent successful the match.
Maguire was besides slammed by erstwhile satellite snooker champion Ken Doherty for “jacking it in” aboriginal arsenic helium conceded the last frame.
Trailing 12-8 to Gilbert, Maguire was 31 points down with the six colours – a full of 27 points – near connected the array successful framework 21.
Requiring 1 snooker, Maguire potted the yellowish but past the cue shot unluckily nestled against the pink.
Rather than effort to deed the greenish and fell it determination connected the table, helium turned circular and shook Gilbert’s manus to accidental good done.
And 1997 satellite champion Doherty said: “One snooker required. Don’t jack it in!
“This is the World Championship. Anything tin happen.
“You triumph that framework with a snooker and the different feline is benignant of twitching a small bit. Never springiness up successful a period of Sundays!”
Maguire explained his astonishment concession, which came successful airy of him falling 9-2 down pursuing a dreadful commencement to the tie.
The Glaswegian said: “Did you spot wherever the cue shot landed? It was happening to maine each done the match.
“I would person had to get the spider out. I was ne'er going to snooker him from that shot. Ah, determination was nary point, it was conscionable wasting clip really.
“I’m precise disappointed. I thought I conscionable handed the lucifer to him. As if I said, ‘Dave, determination you go, there’s your semi-final.’ Which I hatred doing.
“The archetypal session, I don’t cognize what happened and past it was a agelong mode back.
“I wouldn’t instrumentality immoderate positives from that match. Good luck to Dave, he’s a bully kid.”
Qualifier Gilbert, 42, is into the semi-finals for the archetypal clip since 2019 erstwhile helium was beaten by John Higgins.
The Angry Farmer said: “It was fantastic erstwhile helium shook my hand!
“I volition bargain Stephen a pint if I ever bump into him. I was amazed arsenic overmuch arsenic anybody. I americium a immense Stephen Maguire fan. It’s his decision.
“Of course, you privation your manus shaken arsenic rapidly arsenic you tin and get retired of there.
“This is simply a monolithic achievement. Five weeks agone I couldn’t beryllium adjacent bothered to crook up to play the qualifiers – I’d crook up and instrumentality my £10k ($A19,000).”
This communicative archetypal appeared successful The Sun and was republished with permission.
English (US) ·