I'm still seething about this one. Seriously. Imagine dropping over a hundred quid on tickets to see Ronnie O'Sullivan in a World Championship semi, only to be treated to... Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis reminiscing about the good ol' days instead.

That's exactly what happened to hundreds of snooker fans this weekend when they showed up at the Crucible for Saturday's afternoon session, wallets lighter and expectations high. The problem? There was no actual tournament snooker to watch because Zhao Xintong had already demolished O'Sullivan 17-7 the night before, finishing a whole session early.

When the Rocket Gets Grounded Early

Let me paint the scene. Friday night at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Zhao Xintong, the 28-year-old Chinese star, absolutely steamrolled seven-time champ Ronnie O'Sullivan with a session to spare. Not exactly what anyone expected from teh Rocket.

So what happens when a semi-final wraps up early? According to World Snooker Tour, apparently you get a hastily arranged exhibition featuring two legends from 40 years ago.

£143 for WHAT exactly???

The replacement "entertainment" was a short exhibition featuring Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor, commemorating the 40th anniversary of their famous black-ball final. Started at 2:30, wrapped by 4pm. That's right - an hour and a half of nostalgia instead of the high-stakes semi-final action everyone had paid for.

One particularly angry fan summed it up perfectly on social media: "£143 to watch Dennis & Steve play a s*** exhibition frame and waffle on about 1985 for an hour & a half. And no refunds offered from @WeAreWST. SHOCKING on both parts!"

I mean... can you blame them?

Sorry, No Refunds (But Thanks For Your Cash!)

The real kicker? World Snooker Tour flatly refused to offer refunds. Their statement was basically corporate-speak for "tough luck" - citing box office terms and conditions that apparently make it impossible to return people's money when they don't get what they paid for.

Andy Wilson, who forked out £115 for his seat, didn't mince words: "Like both Steve and Dennis but I paid £115 for my seat yesterday. Endlessly rolling out the old guys isn't an answer today. But WST do like to keep their money. Refunds can and should be made."

Another fan, Luigi di Falco, called it "pretty much daylight robbery" and said WST "should be ashamed" for not offering refunds on such expensive semi-final tickets.

World Snooker's Tone-Deaf Response

When pressed, WST released a statement to PA news agency that honestly made things worse: "We are putting together a fantastic exhibition this afternoon featuring all-time snooker legends. We realise that fans come from all over the world to enjoy the Crucible experience so our intention is to provide the best possible entertainment in these circumstances."

They added this gem: "This is the first time in over a decade that a semi-final has finished a session early. It is a very rare occurrence and unfortunately beyond our control."

Beyond their control? Sure. Beyond their ability to refund? Absolute nonsense.

Meanwhile, in Actual Snooker News...

While all this refund drama was unfolding, there was still a tournament happening. Zhao will face either Judd Trump or Mark Williams in the final.

Williams actually put together a strong morning session on Saturday, taking a 13-11 lead into Saturday evening's session. At least those ticket holders got what they paid for!

Back in 2019, I remember something similar happening at the Masters, though they handled it much better. My buddy Dave got a partial refund when a quarter-final finished early. Guess WST's policies have "evolved" since then.

The Bigger Picture

Look, I love snooker. Been watching since I was a kid. But this kind of treatment of fans who've spent serious money, often traveling long distances and booking accommodation, just leaves a sour taste.

When you're charging premium prices (£115-£143 for a semi-final ticket!), you can't just shrug and offer a watered-down exhibition as a replacement without the option of money back.

The message it sends? We value your money more than your satisfaction.

Shameful.