Ali Carter is perplexed by Ronnie O’Sullivan feud: ‘We were fairly nice’

Ali Carter is at a loss for how his feud with Ronnie O’Sullivan began, saying the pair used to be on good terms, but he wants to move on from their headline-grabbing beef.

The pair do not have a good relationship and tensions boiled over on Sunday after O’Sullivan beat Carter 10-7 at Alexandra Palace to win an eighth Masters title.

Carter accused O’Sullivan of ‘snotting all over the floor’ during the match, which he described as ‘outrageous behaviour’ from the world number one.

The Rocket did not take kindly to the accusation and told a press conference: ‘He needs to sort his f***ing life out. I’m not going to skirt around it anymore, tip-toeing on egg shells around someone like that. He’s a f***ing nightmare.

‘Playing snooker against someone like that is a nightmare. He’s not a nice person. It’s not a nice vibe he leaves around the table.

‘I’ve said my piece, I don’t give a s**t. I’ve said it now, done. You know what he’s like, everybody knows what he’s like.

‘He’s got issues. F***ing why has he got issues with me? I’m not having it. I don’t care, grow some balls. I don’t give a f*** about any of these snooker players, any of them.

‘The more he brings it on, the more I f***ing punish him every time. He’s just digging a grave for himself. I don’t give a f***. That’s it, I’ve said my piece.’

Both men are playing at the World Grand Prix in Leicester this week and Carter was asked about the Rocket’s comments, telling ITV: ‘I actually feel a bit sorry for him. I don’t think he’s that well, mentally. So we move forward and we go again this week.’

He was asked if he could remember how his feud with O’Sullivan began and told the Daily Star: ‘No, I’m afraid not.

‘I just want to move on. He can rant off if he wants, that’s fine. I’ll take it on the chin and carry on. That’s the sensible thing to do as a professional sportsman.

‘We were quite friendly when we were younger, I don’t really know what happened.

‘I learned a lot off him. Who wouldn’t learn a lot off him? He’s the greatest player of all time, no doubt about that.’

O’Sullivan had suggested that their issues go a long way back, saying that he has not spoken to Carter for two decades.

‘He’s got beef with me. He’s got issues, he’s got to sort his life out, he’s got to see a counsellor or something. He’s got to sort it out because I haven’t spoken to him for 20 years,’ said O’Sullivan.

‘I played with him when he was a kid and shared a lot of stuff with him.

‘For him to come out and try to trash talk me like that, do you know what? He can have one of them (middle finger), he can sit on it as far as I’m concerned.’

The two players used to practice together years ago, with former Masters champion Alan McManus suggesting that O’Sullivan feels wronged by Carter after taking him under his wing as a youngster.

‘Tensions can boil over, there is history there. They’re from the same neck of the woods and they’ve kind of grown up together,’ McManus said on ITV.

‘Ronnie, I think, took Ali under his wing in some way a number of years ago and he felt a bit wronged… on both sides of it.

‘But is shows the importance and the tension that goes on in these events.’