Out-of-luck Wild feels Rocket roar

SNOOKER:

MOORSIDE snooker ace Michael Wild felt the full force of The Rocket in the first Players’ Tour Championship event of the season in Bulgaria.

In a first-round match televised live on Eurosport, Wild was beaten 4-0 by reigning world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

But even the most biased of O’Sullivan fans conceded that their man had enjoyed good fortune throughout the match.

Said Wild: “I just didn’t get the run of the ball at all. On one occasion, Ronnie fluked a snooker and although I managed to get out of it, he went on to make a hundred break!

“I enjoyed the occasion, though. I felt a bit nervous before the game and during the first frame, but after that I settled down and was fine.

“Ronnie was okay, too. We had a chat before the match and he was all right with me.”

O’Sullivan went on to reach the semi-finals, but lost to eventual winner John Higgins.

Wild’s practice partner at Tara Leisure, Joe Swail, succumbed 4-3 to the highly-rated Joe Perry in a match which went to the final brown in the deciding frame.

Wild’s next tournament is the second TPC event of the season in Holland next month.