They are trying to make out he was using it as a measuring instrument
Stuart Bingham has an overnight 5-3 lead on Ronnie.
Judd Trump having an incredible run of the balls this evening
Judd Trump, the pride of Bristol
Trump is now the tournament favourite after demolishing Ding 12-4 today, he needs one more frame to clinch a semi final berth. Murphy leads McGill 9-6 at the moment, the final frame of the session is underway, and you feel the ginger Scot must win this.
Heard some right stories about Murphy…
Do tell, I’d love Bunter to be embroiled in a sleazy scandal. McGill won the last frame and is still very much in the hunt at 7-9.
He walked out on the wife fairly hastily. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s hooked up with a man now.
Judd Trump has beaten Ding 13-4.
Neil Roberstson has just broken a 6 frame losing streak to cut his deficit against Barry Hawkins to 4-7.
Ronnie O’Sullivan chalk incident being investigated
An investigation is under way after Ronnie O’Sullivan placed his chalk on the table in the World Championship.
O’Sullivan, 39, broke snooker rules by lining up a shot with the chalk but was not reprimanded by the referee during his match against Stuart Bingham.
A World Snooker spokesman told BBC Sport it will look into the incident.
“The referee is unaware, Ronnie is too but for me, that is a foul. You are not allowed to do that,” said BBC Sport pundit Ken Doherty.
World Snooker will ask referee Terry Camilleri for his interpretation of the incident. There is no possibility of punishment against O’Sullivan.
Although O’Sullivan was allowed to finish his break in the fifth frame, he went on to lose the next three as Bingham opened up a 5-3 lead after the first session in the quarter-final.
The match resumes on Wednesday at 14:30 BST.
Camilleri should have called a foul when O’Sullivan placed his chalk on the table to line up a shot, as snooker rules state a seven-point penalty will be awarded to the opponent if a player ‘uses any object to measure gaps or distance’.
Doherty added: "As far as I am aware, you are not allowed to put the chalk on the table because you are using it as a tool to measure the ball.
“That is exactly what Ronnie has done. Stuart Bingham was looking at him and should really be aware. If he had more knowledge of the rules, he would have jumped up out of his chair.”
It is not O’Sullivan’s first controversy of at the Crucible in this championship.
He escaped a fine after briefly playing in his socks in his first-round win over qualifier Craig Steadman. He also came close to snapping his cueduring his second-round match against Matthew Stevens.
In 2013, ‘The Rocket’ was warned by referee Michaela Tabb for what she believed was an improper gesture during his semi-final against Judd Trump.
Regarding O’Sullivan’s latest incident, Tabb - who resigned from the tour in March[/URL] - said [URL=‘https://twitter.com/MichaelaTabb/status/593095463466840064’]on Twitter: “Chalkgate…Foul seven. I don’t have Terry’s opinion though, he may have seen it differently. Also the Crucible is the hardest venue to ref in.”
Robertson has won 4 frames on the trot now to level it up at 7-7.
Not fit for public consumption that’s all I’m saying on it, some boyo.
Ronnie makes it six all
Nicely poised ahead of the last quarter final session tonight.
Ronnie & Stuart Bingham 8-8
Barry Hawkins & Neil Robertson were pulled off a frame early from this mornings session with Hawkins leading 8-7.
Ronnie got him with a savage snooker there behind the pink to make it 9-8
Bingham on a 147 here
He bottled it