The former world number one's latest comments were explosive, yet it is worth remembering that although O'Sullivan was asked to explain his Masters remarks, he avoided punishment.
Ronnie O'Sullivan accused the snooker authorities of bullying and intimidating him in a breathtaking outburst at the Betfred World Championship.
Post-match interviews have seen O'Sullivan deliberately and repeatedly respond with one-word answers, while he gave an interview to British television channel ITV at the World Grand Prix in February using a "robotic" voice.
But the two Englishmen's relationship took a turn for the worse when Hearn said last week that some of O'Sullivan's recent behaviour had been "embarrassing". But I believe there's only three or four people who have got a good chance of winning it. Get Me Out Of Here, I could have a great life doing other stuff.
"I'm just fortunate I've got a very good friend who's got very good lawyers and they've got my back".
"The pace of play was diabolical from pretty much start to finish, and it wasn't me", Gilbert told Press Association Sport.
"The fans have supported me for 25 years, they will continue to support me so I feel loyalty towards them and they are the most important people in my career".
Selby modestly said his performance "could have been better", and the 33-year-old added: "I was gutted not to come out 9-0 after the first session, knowing there'd only been one whitewash here and it'd be nice to get another one".
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"I have had it for five, six seven years and I'm done with it and this was fighting off something I didn't think I should have to".
This time O'Sullivan is setting low expectations, having failed to win back-to-back matches since landing the Masters title in January.
A thankful White said: "I haven't won the World Championship, but I'm not finished yet".
"I'd like to try and do what he has done, to hold as many big titles as possible and get to the top of the game". "I need to be in the right frame of mind".
That graft at the Grove Academy in Romford, Essex, definitely seems to be paying off for a player who is an avid follower of social media.
"I've taken less breaks and have just been going on the practice table and staying there until I am done, rather than going away and playing on my phone". We need to be sensible.
O'Sullivan sampled his first match as a 17-year-old at the Sheffield venue on April 18, 1993.
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