The World Snooker Championship has typically thrown up a whole host of stories as it gets towards the business end this week.
From Irish snooker legend Ken Doherty taking Barry Hearn to task over Saudi snooker investment, to Jak Jones stunning Judd Trump in the quarter-finals, there has been plenty to talk about.
Elsewhere, Ronnie O'Sullivan's remarkable gesture has been described as the 'greatest' act of sportsmanship ever seen, and Stephen Maguire was involved in a fist pump feud with Shaun Murphy.
Another moment which is grabbing headlines is an apparent action by Maguire in his last eight defeat to Dave Gilbert today - albeit for bizarre reasons.
Stephen Maguire puts fly in his mouth at World Snooker Championship
Maguire, who was sent packing from the competition 13-8, has been doing the rounds after a questionable moment in which he appeared to put a fly in his mouth mid-game.
The incident happened in the 19th frame when the Scotsman was preparing a shot and seemed to notice a fly on the table.
Footage which captured the moment indicates that instead of flicking the fly from the table, he instead opted to pick it up before inserting it into his mouth.
I'm sorry, did Maguire squash a fly and eat it? #Snooker #WorldSnookerChampionship pic.twitter.com/k3FeXfz5eO
— Vic (@SaucesomeSauce1) May 1, 2024
Snooker journalist Phil Haigh claimed on Twitter that Maguire did indeed put the fly in his mouth after removing it from the table.
However, he reports that Maguire chose to then spit it out rather than eat it.
Just asked Maguire about this...
'Ach, it was just a fly. I spat it out when nobody was looking.' https://t.co/bPiXTZSq6S— Phil Haigh (@philhaigh_) May 1, 2024
"Just asked Maguire about this... 'Ach, it was just a fly. I spat it out when nobody was looking.'"
Another spectator appeared to confirm Maguire's claims, responding: 'I can confirm from seat C26 there was a definite spittage moment witnessed.'
Maguire lamented his performance after his defeat, although he gave no further mention to what exactly happened when he was 10-5 down.
"There was no way back after that first session, I handed the match over," he said.
"But fair play, he played better than me and deserved it. I'm never going to just lie down, but it's a day and a half I'd like to forget.
"I feel like I gifted it to him - and I hate that. There was no fatigue, it's only a game of snooker.
"The 7-1 session is not good enough. If you lose 7-1 then you deserve to get beat.
"That's just another quarter-final on my record, it's not good enough."
