O’Sullivan falls to inspired Bingham at World Snooker Championship

By Ed Osmond

Five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out of the World Snooker Championship on Wednesday night after losing 13-9 to fellow Englishman Stuart Bingham in the quarter-finals in Sheffield.

The 39-year-old O’Sullivan, who has reached the final for the last three years, fought back from 5-3 down to lead 9-8 but Bingham reeled off five frames in a row to reach the last four for the first time.

It has been an eventful tournament for world number two O’Sullivan who played part of his first-round match without shoes on, was reprimanded for making an obscene gesture and illegally used his chalk to help line up a shot.

Bingham, the world number 10, will play Judd Trump in the semi-finals after the Englishman overwhelmed China’s Ding Junhui 13-4.