Snooker star Zhao Xintong was left baffled after accidentally breaking a pocket during his World Championship semi-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The unusual incident occurred when the 28-year-old Chinese player was trailing 4-3 in the match at the Crucible.
Zhao had been building a promising break in the eighth frame when the mishap happened.
What followed was a moment of confusion that drew gasps from the crowd and amusement from the commentators.
Zhao Xintong accidentally broke the snooker table
BBC
The damage to the table created an unexpected twist in the tense semi-final encounter.
The incident happened after Zhao potted the black to go 66-32 up in the frame.
As the ball dropped into the pocket, two red balls suddenly fell to the floor.
The television camera panned to reveal that the corner pocket had become loose.
"Well, has he broken the pocket? He has! That was a real pocket breaker," exclaimed BBC commentator Dennis Taylor.
Members of the crowd gasped in shock when the reds dropped to the floor.
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The netting of the pocket had split under the pressure of the balls Zhao had previously potted.
O'Sullivan, meanwhile, didn't seem fazed by the unusual interruption.
Remarkably, play continued despite the damaged pocket as the frame was nearly over.
One red ball remained on the floor next to the table for the remaining few minutes.
When Zhao subsequently potted the pink into the same pocket, the crowd sarcastically cheered as another ball fell to the floor.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan remained composed despite the hiccup
PA
Stephen Hendry, co-commentating alongside Taylor, quipped: "Good job it's the last frame! Great temperament he's shown in this frame, Zhao Xintong."
The commentators continued to enjoy the unusual situation.
"God knows where this next black is going to go," joked Taylor. "Is it going to go on the floor as well?"
Zhao went on to win the frame, drawing level at 4-4 with O'Sullivan.
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Snooker fans were left stunned when the ball ended up on the floor
BBC
Former world champion Shaun Murphy explained that repairing the table would be a quick process.
"Minutes only. It's just a little clasp and it gets screwed in, no problem," said Murphy.
"But a table fitter out the back in the Crucible somewhere has just stopped what they were doing momentarily!"
O'Sullivan had been struggling with his form before the incident.
After his quarter-final win over Si Jiahui, he admitted: "I'm playing awful and the cue feels awful so it is the worst situation to be in as a snooker player."
The Rocket had also made a significant error at the start of the match by potting the cue ball with his first break.
