Following their much-anticipated encounter at this year's World Snooker Championship, Ali Carter has expressed admiration for Ronnie O'Sullivan's exceptional display during their first-round match.
The contest ended 10-4 in O'Sullivan's favour, with the seven-time champion securing three centuries.
Carter acknowledged the challenging circumstances surrounding the match, saying: "It was a big game, to be honest.
"I've had a lot going on behind the scenes, family stuff, and it was probably a game I didn't need."
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ali Carter have a bruising history | PADespite their turbulent relationship, Carter praised his opponent's form: "And despite what people say, in the second half of the match he was unbelievable."
The reconciliation marks a significant shift from years of animosity between the two players.
Their rivalry reached a boiling point during a 2018 World Championship match when they collided shoulders whilst passing each other at the Crucible.
Tensions resurfaced at the 2024 Masters final, where Carter criticised O'Sullivan for "snotting all over the floor" during the match.
O'Sullivan responded harshly, suggesting Carter needed to "sort his f****** life out".
However, their recent Crucible meeting showed no traces of hostility.
Carter revealed: "When I drew Ronnie, I was like oh f***ing hell, but he was good as gold. It's fine between me and him now."
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Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan have put their differences aside
| PACarter watched as O'Sullivan progressed to the semi-finals, where he suffered a heavy 17-7 defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong.
The Captain expressed disbelief at O'Sullivan's decision to modify his equipment during the crucial match.
With the score level at 4-4, O'Sullivan opted to replace both his cue tip and ferrule, switching from titanium to brass.
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Ali Carter was beaten by Ronnie O'Sullivan during the World Championship earlier this year
| GETTYCarter questioned this choice: "I just can't understand why he did that. You'll have to ask him. He wasn't 8-0 down or 7-1 down, he was 4-4!"
He emphasised the difficulty of adapting to such changes mid-match: "Ronnie plays everything with side, he moves the ball around and that's hard enough to do with a new tip on a new cloth as it is but to throw that in with a new ferrule going from titanium to brass and having all those factors in the semis of the Worlds, you're gonna be a million no matter how good you are!"