Fans confused after snooker star punished by 'never-before-seen' foul during Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters match
Ding Junhui was punished after committing a bizarre 'never-before-seen' foul during his Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters clash against Stuart Bingham.
The 35-year-old, who entered the tournament at the fifth round due to being in the top 16, lost the match 5-4 after a tense final frame decider.
Ding went 4-3 up, but lost the final two frames to suffer an agonising exit from the inaugural holding of the big-money tournament in Riyadh.
But he lost the ninth frame after a bizarre incident that was eventually called as a foul by the referee.
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Having compiled 32 points to Bingham's zero, Ding potted the black and cannoned into the reds to open up the pack.
But the referee Olivier Marteel called for a foul, with viewers left confused - until it was pointed out that it was because of the tip on Ding's cue.
Zoomed-in replays showed that the Chinese star's cue tip fell off after he struck the object ball, and bounced into the pack of reds before any other ball made a connection.
As a result, the referee was forced to call a foul - and snooker fans can't recall ever seeing a similar situation.
You can see the incident below.
An extremely rare occurrence in last night's match between Ding Junhui and Stuart Bingham.
— WST (@WeAreWST) September 4, 2024
Foul or no foul? 🤔#BattleOnTheBaize | @mosgovsa | @saudibilliards pic.twitter.com/13wIjuCMhp
What followed was Marteel attempting to explain the rule to Ding - who had to get his cue fixed before returning to the arena - before he attempted to do the same to Bingham.
The Englishman eventually came to the table and hit a break of 63 to win the match.
Marteel told Ding (via Eurosport): "It happens. Go to the office. They will sort it out.
"Yes, I'm sure that your tip hit the red. Junhui, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."
Ding said he didn't see the incident, to which Marteel nodded his head.
When the frame was over, the referee told the 37-year-old: "So sorry, there's nothing I can do." Ding replied: "No worries."
Topics: Snooker, Saudi Arabia
Ryan Smart