Mark Selby found himself in a tough spot during the 20th frame of the World Snooker Championship final against Shaun Murphy.
Selby was up 11-8 in the match but down 38-0 in the frame, and snookered behind the brown. Cueing from the opposite end of the table towards baulk, Selby first used the spider and then the swan neck in attempting to escape. Neither worked.
It wasn't until the fourth attempt that the three-time world champion was able to extricate himself from the position. That was mainly due to the white ball not being placed in the correct spot by the referee. Rather than using the spider or swan neck, Selby was instead able to use the rest for a much easier shot.
Ronnie O'Sullivan queries re-spotted white
"If the white was put back where it was originally, this shot is just not possible because you can't hit enough of the white, and if you did, you would probably miscue and the white would go towards the yellow," said Ronnie O'Sullivan about the moment on Eurosport.
"If this shot [with the rest] was playable in the first place, he would have [played it]."
Six-time world champion O'Sullivan said that if he had been in Murphy's place, he would have asked the referee to look at a freeze-frame to determine if the cue ball was in the right position.
Murphy did go on to win the frame but ultimately went into the evening session 14-11 behind.
"In that situation, you try not to blame the players," said O'Sullivan.
"If the person has got the spider out originally and then he is using the rest, surely they should be able to use the technology to see the balls are not right. If they were right, you would still have the spider in your hands. So maybe they should have used the technology to get it right.
"Personally, if I was playing and I was Shaun, I would have been out of my chair and would have gone, 'I want to see a freeze-frame. I don't think that shot was on in the first place'. What's the difference? A couple of minutes.
"You have to blame Shaun in that situation. Selby is maybe just trying to gain a little advantage, and unless he is pulled up on it, maybe he is going to try and take that advantage.
"I know straight away when you are cueing that distance with that spider, that's the worst shot in snooker. The first two shots, he would probably [scuff it for a miss] 100 times out of 100. So if he is getting the rest out, why didn't he do that in the first place? Now I'm thinking that the balls must be in the wrong position.
"[I would say], 'Let's get the VT out, let's get it right', because that ain't right."
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