By Dan Warren BBC Sport at the Crucible

O'Sullivan may play left-handed next season

Despite the controversy he courted in the early part of the tournament, the behaviour of Ronnie O'Sullivan has subsequently been impeccable.

There is still one area in which he disagrees with a fellow pro, however.

After being thrashed by The Rocket in the quarter-finals, beaten Anthony Hamilton joked that ambidextrous O'Sullivan was better playing right-handed than left.

Hamilton suggested that O'Sullivan might only be in the world's top 64 if he played exclusively left-handed, although the Essex exocet disagrees.

"I might play next season left-handed. But I reckon I'm a top-16 player," he joshed after dishing out the beating of a lifetime to Stephen Hendry.

He's still being modest. Having watched him against Hendry, the general mood at Diary Towers is that O'Sullivan would probably make the top 10 playing with the cue sellotaped to his teeth.

Snooker journalists across Sheffield rejoiced at Ronnie O'Sullivan's win over Stephen Hendry with a session to spare.

Not because they are fans of the Rocket, though. More because, with no evening session, it guaranteed an early finish and a chance to sample Sheffield's interesting nightlife.

Not so for everyone, however.

For professionals Steve Davis and John Parrott - and Ian McCulloch and Jimmy Michie - any hopes of hitting The Roxy nightclub were scuppered as they were recruited to play an exhibition match to keep the crowd happy.

"What a shame," the crowds of hacks exiting the Crucible to head to the pub most definitely did not say.

"Yes Matthew, here's what you could have won..."

At the risk of turning this page into a tabloid-esque smut-o-rama full of snooker-based double entendres, it seems only fair to remark on the extraordinary friendship between Matthew Stevens and Paul Hunter.

The Yorkshire pin-up went out to his great mate 13-12 in a classic second-round encounter, but clearly there were no hard feelings.

In true 'indecent proposal' fashion, he offered his mate the 'company' of his wife-to-be Lyndsey for one night - if he won the world title.

No chance of that, it subsequently transpired, as Stevens lost to Graeme Dott.

Although, having clapped eyes on the future Mrs Hunter, one does wonder if the prospect of a "fun evening" with her took the Welshman's eye off the balls somewhat.