The fallout from Sunday's epic Masters final continues, as the war of words between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ali Carter continues to escalate.
Sunday's decider saw a dramatic comeback from O'Sullivan. At one stage, the snooker legend found himself 6-3 down in the best-of-19 contest, before rallying to triumph 10-7 after a lightning evening session.
O'Sullivan made history with victory at Alexandra Palace. Not only did he extend the record he already held for most Masters titles (he now has eight), but he now simultaneously holds the record for being both the youngest and oldest player ever to win the tournament.
In typical Ronnie fashion, he had more than a few outspoken things to say during the week-long Masters. He first complained about the state of the venue at Ally Pally, before he threw a dig at the younger generation of snooker after a dominant semi-final victory over Shaun Murphy.
His latest comments, targeted at his final opponent Ali Carter, have drawn a pointed reaction from Carter, who questioned O'Sullivan's mental wellbeing in his retort.
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Ali Carter issues pointed response to foul-mouthed Ronnie rant
The back-and-forth between Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan began when Carter suggested that decisions in Sunday's final had gone in O'Sullivan's favour - calling the perceived injustice "disgusting."
O'Sullivan did not hold back with his response, saying that Carter needed to "sort his fucking life out," and saying that his opponent had "issues."
The audio from Ronnie O'Sullivan's x-rated rant about Ali Carter. pic.twitter.com/Juv8CnEQXm
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) January 16, 2024
The tit-for-tat continued early this week, with Carter issuing his latest jab on Tuesday.
Carter spoke to ITV as both men returned to action at the World Grand Prix in Leicester this week. The 44-year-old said he felt "sorry" for Ronnie, and questioned the wellbeing of his opponent:
Ronnie’s entitled to his opinion of me. I just said what it is and how it was. I talk facts. Simple as that.
[Am I] angry about what? It makes no difference to me what he says. He says different things on different days. I don’t think he even knows what's going to come out of his mouth at certain times.
I actually feel a bit sorry for him. I don't think he's that well, mentally. So we move forward and go again this week.
The pair have met 26 times during their careers, with Ronnie O'Sullivan coming out on top on 23 occasions.
During the 2018 World Championship, Carter claimed a rare victory and knocked his nemesis out in the second round. The infamous "shoulder-gate" which saw the two barge into each other during the match was the ignition point for their pointed rivalry.
Both Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan won their first-round games at the World Grand Prix on Tuesday and progressed to the last 16. Carter and O'Sullivan are in separate halves of the draw - raising the possibility that we could see them meet again in the final on Sunday.
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