Ronnie O'Sullivan has two-word nickname for Mark Selby as World Snooker star crashes out

Ronnie O'Sullivan's 'Midnight Selby' nickname for has become quite fitting once again, after his rival's shock first-round exit at the Snooker World Championship.

was a lengthy battle that began on Wednesday, and continued into the early hours of Friday morning - with defeat confirmed for the four-time champion at eight minutes past midnight.

The shock 10-8 triumph initially looked like it would continue for longer, with on course to make the score 9-9, but Woollaston soon put a stop to the comeback, as the final frame lasted an agonising 46 minutes.

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It seems that better than he knows himself, as the 41-year-old told TNT Sports in 2024 about his cheeky nickname for Selby.

At the time, O'Sullivan revealed that players generally try to avoid being scheduled after the Leicester-born star, as his matches drag on for so long.

O'Sullivan, also known as the Rocket, said: "I call him 'Midnight Selby' because his games go past midnight every night. He's a nightmare! You don't want to be following Mark because you're going into the next day."

Following the upset in 2025, Selby was blunt about his own poor performance, calling it "pathetic" and acknowledging he was his own worst enemy throughout the clash.

Selby claimed that he "didn't deserve to win," before praising Woollaston as he said: "Ben played some great stuff, his safety was unbelievable at times but I still had my chances. It was pathetic really from me, to play like that is disappointing.

"It's the same old story, I try too hard and stop myself from playing. I love Ben to bits, I've known him for years. I grew up with him and have seen him progressing."

He admitted that frustration had boiled over during the intense match, snapping after the 13th frame by hurling the yellow ball down the table in a rare loss of composure.

Selby added: "I just felt like I threw so many frames away. I kept getting 30 in front and running out of position or missing a silly shot. Ben would come back and win the frame. I probably threw five or six frames away. Just disappointing, you know, because I came here with a bit of confidence and I didn't expect to play like that."