Ronnie O’Sullivan crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Players Championship after one of the worst defeats of his career: 0-6 against Mark Selby.

Ronnie O’Sullivan beaten 6-0 by Mark Selby in Players Championship quarter-final

It was Selby’s first strike against O’Sullivan. It was the 34th game and the 12th victory of the “Leicester Jester”.

A four-time world champion, Selby has not had the best of seasons, but he played superbly in Thursday’s match.

“To beat Ronnie in any tournament is a big thing. To beat him like I did today is exceptional, I’m very, very happy. I played almost flawlessly.

These are the matches I prepare for, and if you can’t produce your best snooker when you’re up against the big champions, you better put down your cue.

I was confident I could win, if you don’t approach the snooker table with such confidence, your opponent won’t forgive you. The most important thing for me is what I have seen in the last few days that I am at a very good level, I need this game even if sometimes I lose.

I’m playing the best snooker of the season, that’s for sure. After playing with Barry Hawkins, I felt something click in my game. I am confident in my technique, I hit the balls very cleanly, and that gives me confidence” – Mark Selbyquoted by Eurosport.

Mark Selby will face the winner of Zhang And (#13 in the world) and John Higgins (#11) in the semi-finals of the Players Championship.

Ali Carter (8th place) and Mark Allen (3rd place) will meet in the other semi-final.

Video source: Eurosport

The 2024 Players Championship takes place from February 19 to 25 at the Telford International Center (England). The tournament has a total prize pool of £385,000 and the reigning champion is Sean Murphy (2023).