RONNIE AIMS 'BLACKMAIL' ROCKET AT SNOOKER BOSSES

O'Sullivan anger at WST over tactics to force players into Northern Ireland Open

- HECTOR NUNNS

RONNIE O'SULLIVAN claims snooker bosses' tactics to make players take part in the Northern Ireland Open were verging on blackmail.

And the seven-time world champion insists he could even skip the World Championship if the right exhibition offer came up.

The issue of players' freedom to enjoy bumper sideline paydays has erupted and led to governing body warnings about legal action.

Mark Selby, John Higgins and Luca Brecel were among those to snub the Belfast event to play a big-money exhibition in Macau. That has now been postponed after World Snooker Tour pressure.

And the Rocket is playing in a lucrative exhibition in Shanghai this week along with Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Jack Lisowski and Ding Junhui (all below, left to right). World Snooker Tour originally refused to sanction that before doing a U-turn.

But O'Sullivan and Co were ordered to play in Northern Ireland.