O'Brien sickens Parrott to book Crucible trip
An emotional John Parrott was “sickened” by his 10-8 defeat at the hands of Irishman Fergal O’Brien in the final qualifying round of the Embassy World Championship tonight.
The result brought the curtain down on a sequence of 21 successive appearances for Parrott at the Crucible and left the 1991 world champion shell-shocked.
Apart from the outcome itself Parrott, who since turning professional in 1983 has always been part of the season-ending Sheffield showpiece, was upset by the manner in which O’Brien sealed victory.
Leading 9-5 O’Brien was comfortable but when Parrott gamely recovered to trail only 9-8 the veteran suddenly looked the stronger.
Parrott, who fought back from 5-0 and 9-7 down to edge O’Brien’s fellow Dubliner Michael Judge at the last qualifying hurdle 12 months ago, also put himself firmly in control of frame 18 with a 62 break.
However, it was then that luck deserted the 40 year-old, who must now content himself with BBC television duties when the championship begins on April 16.
O’Brien misjudged a safety shot on the last red but fluked the snooker he needed. Parrott’s escape failed and he could only watch and hope as O’Brien cleared to blue.
By now the pressure was intense so it came as no surprise when O’Brien snatched at the pink, missing it by what he later confessed was “a mile”.
Parrott jumped to his feet only for the cue-ball to hurtle around the table and cruelly snooker him behind the black.
Again Parrott failed to make contact and O’Brien sank the final two colours to book his first trip to the Crucible since 2002.
“It was unbelievable for the match to end like that,” said Parrott.
“Tonight I produced excellent match play and really came back at him strong.”
“How Fergal won that last frame I honestly don’t know. He could play those two shots a million times again and the white won’t stop where it did. To lose like that is sickening. It really was the luck of the Irish.”
O’Brien, the 1999 British Open champion but currently 41st in the provisional world rankings as a result of an extended slump, agreed lady luck had been especially kind to him.
“It was horrible for John to lose like that because he really dug in but over the last few years I’ve had my share of disappointments as well. I played good stuff all day but from 9-5 to 9-8 I didn’t see a ball so I’m relieved,” said O’Brien.
His victory means two players from the Republic of Ireland will be in the draw for the last 32 – Ken Doherty is seeded through – which takes place on Monday.
