(Reuters) – Chinese snooker player Ding Junhui had to forfeit the opening frame for wearing the wrong trousers in his 4-3 victory over compatriot Ma Hailong at the English Open on Monday.
The 36-year-old donned his usual brown snooker suit with bow tie and waistcoat, having forgotten about the all-black dress code for the event held in Brentwood near London.
“I totally forgot that I needed a black shirt and trousers for this tournament,” Ding was quoted as saying on the World Snooker Tour website.
“My memory is not good! I didn’t think about it. Once I was playing, I tried to just concentrate on the match.”
Despite a friend’s quick run to a store to purchase the correct uniform, Ding was late for the start of the match by the time he was ready to play and was docked the opening frame.
After falling behind 3-1, the 14-time ranking event winner made a strong comeback by winning the last three frames.
“Luckily Ma’s safety was not that good, and he gave me enough chances to win,” Ding added.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
