Ronnie O'Sullivan's unseen gesture to Ali Carter picked up by BBC before Crucible clash

Ronnie O'Sullivan clearly has no ill feelings towards rival Ali Carter after extending a hand before their World Snooker Championship grudge match. The duo have sparred at and away from the table for the best part of 25 years.

Snooker fans eagerly anticipated how they would greet each other ahead of their first-round clash. Carter walked out just ahead of O'Sullivan before their scheduled 2.30pm start. However, the camera then cut away just as they went to sit down together inside The Crucible Theatre. It left viewers wondering whether they had blanked each other.

But after Carter claimed the first frame, the BBC cleared up any confusion. They broadcast a shot from a camera positioned high above the table which showed O'Sullivan smiling and then extending his hand to greet Carter.

The pair shook hands and exchanged a few words before turning their attention to the match.

Their feud spans almost exactly seven years. At the 2018 World Championship, a spiky confrontation saw both players engage in several heated conversations. O'Sullivan then took the animosity up a level by delivering a shoulder barge to Carter as they walked past each other at the baize.

Six years later, Carter accused O'Sullivan of blowing his nose on the floor at the Masters. The Essex star said: "There were a couple of things that happened out there that go unnoticed. Well, they don't go unnoticed but anyone with an eyesight or a brain can see what's going on. And it's disgusting quite frankly.

"No one wants to say anything, do they? Snotting all over the floor and all that. I mean it's outrageous behaviour from a top professional. If it gets swept under the carpet then for me, it's not good."

O'Sullivan did not hold back in his response, insisting: "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***. 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***, 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 players shared positive words about each other ahead of their World Championship reunion, with O'Sullivan telling the BBC: "It was probably just heat of the moment stuff at the time. I've always said that I wished I wouldn't have said what I said but I can't take it back. It's kind of out in the open. Neither of us really think much about it."

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