Snooker chiefs refute 'Rocket' blast

World Snooker have dismissed claims made by Ronnie O'Sullivan that the draw for the World Championships was fixed.

O'Sullivan has been matched against Ding Junhui in a tricky first-round encounter at The Crucible on Sunday, and the two-time world champion reacted to the draw by declaring it had been "fixed" and that someone was trying to "stitch me up".

But a World Snooker spokesman said: "We want to state categorically that the draw was 100% genuine."

He added: "The draw was done by two presenters from BBC Breakfast. The balls were drawn randomly from two bags by them.

"Also, the draw was witnessed by an independent auditor whose job it was to ensure the draw's authenticity."

World Snooker refused to comment on whether O'Sullivan's outburst would result in disciplinary action.