Ronnie O'Sullivan corrects snooker referee with his cue after bizarre mistake during World Championship clash

Ronnie O'Sullivan was forced to correct the referee with his cue after the official made a strange mistake during his Snooker World Championship opener.

Defending champion O'Sullivan was flying in his first session against Jackson Page and surged into a 7-1 lead, threatening to make light work of his opponent in the first-to-10 encounter. But in a rare ropey moment in an otherwise straightforward session, O'Sullivan found himself snookered in the final of the nine frames, and missed the red balls completely.

The ball came back up the table towards the baulk end and Page gave the referee the nod to make O'Sullivan, who had fouled, take it again. But rather than return the ball to its starting position, the referee had a look at it and left it where it lay, standing back to let O'Sullivan take his shot. But the confused world No.1, still cruising to victory despite the predicament, quickly corrected him.

He was heard saying 'that's the line' as he pointed to the exact spot where the shot should have been taken with his cue. And as the crowd laughed, the red-faced official returned the ball to where it should have been. O'Sullivan then pulled off the escape and went on to win the frame 98-4.