Ronnie O’Sullivan completed a routine 10-3 victory over debutant Craig Steadman at the World Championship on Wednesday, having played part of the first-round match in his socks.
O’Sullivan took off his shoes during play on Tuesday after complaining that they were uncomfortable, briefly playing in his socks before being loaned new footwear by tournament director Mike Ganley.
The five-time world champion could face a £250 (Dh1,383) fine for contravening the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association’s dress code, but he laughed off the matter after sinking Steadman.
“I’ve got no fashion sense at all,” O’Sullivan told the BBC. “I had the last ones for 10 years. I didn’t want to get rid of them and then I left them in a hotel and I lost them.
“I had this old battered pair, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to buy a new pair,’ and I just bought the wrong pair, basically. They were bashing my feet and I had to take them off. I couldn’t wear them.”
On borrowing Ganley’s shoes, O’Sullivan added: “He said, ‘You can’t play in your socks,’ but I didn’t want to play in my shoes either.
“I got a pair of Mike Ganley’s stinky old shoes, and you know what, they felt great.”
Breaks of 104, 61, 59, 54 and 75 helped O’Sullivan establish a 7-2 overnight lead at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and despite struggling for rhythm in Wednesday’s morning session, the Essex cueman sewed up the win.
He will face either Matthew Stevens or Mark Williams in the second round.
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Business Insights
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Australia World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
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Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
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8.50pm
Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
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Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo
Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 28
Sector: Financial services
Investment: $9.5m
Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors.
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- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
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T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
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Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed