Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 16-match winning run brutally snapped as Rocket’s thumped 6-0 by Mark Selby at Players Championship

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S 16-match winning run crashed to a halt with a 6-0 drubbing by Mark Selby in the Players Championship.

Selby took just one hour and 42 minutes to whitewash Rocket.

The Leicester star knocked in breaks of 105, 91, 81, 65 and 59 in the Telford quarter-finals.

O’Sullivan, 48, had missed the Welsh Open and German Masters to look after his mental health.

That came on the back of winning snooker‘s Masters and UK Championship.

Selby said: “To beat Ronnie is always a great victory.

“To beat him in the way I did, I’m very pleased.

“I hope it acts as a spark for my season. That has proved to me what I need to carry on doing.

“After that win I fancy my chances.”

Earlier in the match, the referee was forced to apologise after her blunder saved Ronnie O’Sullivan from forfeiting a frame.

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In the opening frame, and despite having a clear sight of the reds with the cue ball on the top cushion, O’Sullivan fouled on his first two shots.

The referee should then have given O’Sullivan a warning that a third miss in a row would result in him gifting Selby the frame.

But she forgot and so when O’Sullivan fouled for a third time, there was confusion at Telford.

The ref apologised for her error and the warning was given ahead of his fourth shot – with both players seemingly agreeing to the spontaneous rule change.

And knowing the pressure was on, O’Sullivan took zero chances as he blasted the white into the cluster of reds, sending them sprawling across the table.

The seven-time snooker world champion barely waited to see the cue ball come to a stop before marching back to his seat wearing his chunky black trainers.

Selby offered up no complaint and simply got on with the opening frame, accepting the honest mistake and carrying on with the crunch clash.