Ronnie O'Sullivan has received permission to be exempt from a long-standing World Snooker rule during the ongoing World Grand Prix.
The reigning UK Championship and Masters champion took on Ding Junhui in the semi-final of the tournament on Saturday evening, producing a commanding performance to win 6-1.
In the eyes of the man himself, it has been a mixed week in Leicester. Despite wins over Pang Junxu and Zhou Yuelong earlier in the week, O'Sullivan stated he was getting 'no enjoyment' from the way he was playing, given how he was striking the cue ball in his early games.
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But the seven-time world champion won five frames in a row to beat Gary Wilson 5-1 in the quarter-final.
He then produced his best snooker of the tournament against Ding - who truthfully didn't do a whole lot wrong except come up against O'Sullivan.
That sets up a mouth-watering clash with world number two Judd Trump, with the current two best players on the planet facing off in a best of 19 frames match in Leicester.
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Eagle-eyed fans may have spotted that, in recent months, O'Sullivan has been wearing black trainers during some of his matches.
The reason for this, O'Sullivan has revealed, is that he is suffering from a condition known as plantar fasciitis - tissue inflammation along the bottom of the foot between the heel bone and toes.
Speaking to Eurosport, he explained: "I've got plantar fasciitis, which is, the easiest way to explain it is it's like a bruise on your heel.
"So when you got put your foot down, it's really sore. Leather-soled shoes just absolutely batter my feet to pieces.
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"I've had to resort to getting some really big old soles on them, just to sort of give my foot a rest, basically."
As per World Snooker's dress code, players are usually required to wear smart, black dress shoes when competing in matches, with sport shoes among those that are deemed 'not acceptable' in normal circumstances.
Six-time world champion Steve Davis said on commentary for BBC during the Masters final that, given O'Sullivan's medical issue, he has been given permission to change his attire.
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He commented: "He's been struggling with some kind of foot injury so has been given permission to wear training shoes."
That practice has continued during the World Grand Prix - and it remains to be seen whether he will need the trainers for the final against Trump.
World Snooker has faced various calls from players, including reigning world champion Luca Brecel, to relax the dress code for all circumstances - meaning we may eventually see the code changed.
In 2017, O'Sullivan suffered a sprained ankle before that year's English Open - and posted on Twitter that wearing trainers had caused backlash from 'someone' behind the scenes.
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'The Rocket' threatened to pull out of the event entirely, but World Snooker later granted an exemption to the usual dress code and allowed him to compete in trainers.
And if you were wondering, he did go on to win that tournament, beating Kyren Wilson 9-2 in the final.
Topics: Snooker
Ryan Smart