Ali Carter has insisted his 'heat of the moment' feud with Ronnie O'Sullivan isn't on his mind as he bids for World Snooker Championship glory.
Carter will face Stephen Maguire in the first round of the tournament today as he looks to win the prestigious trophy.
The 44-year-old clashed with O'Sullivan earlier this year, accusing his rival of 'snotting all over the floor' during their Masters final.
“There were a couple of things that happened out there that go unnoticed," the Captain said in January.
World Snooker Championship: Ali Carter has moved on from his feud with Ronnie O'Sullivan
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“Well, they don’t go unnoticed but anyone with an eyesight or a brain can see what’s going on. And it’s disgusting quite frankly.
“No-one wants to say anything, do they? Snotting all over the floor and all that.
“I mean it’s outrageous behaviour from a top professional. If it gets swept under the carpet then for me, it’s not good.
“Did we have any words of exchange? No. I’ve got no words for him at all.”
O'Sullivan then launched a stinging attack on Carter, with the Rocket furious at the criticial comments from his opponent.
Fast-forward to now and both men could meet at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Yet Carter, speaking to the Daily Star, insists their feud is over and that it was a 'heat of the moment' thing.
After saying he hadn't spoken to O'Sullivan, he added: “I reflect on it [the Masters] as a really good tournament.
"I won’t lose any sleep over what was said. It was heat of the moment stuff.
"We move forward and look forward to the battle in Sheffield hopefully.”
With both men on opposing sides of the draw, they can only meet in the final of the competition.
And it'll be fascinating to see how the tournament plays out, with O'Sullivan the favourite to win.
The Rocket has secured the prize seven times over the years, with his last victory coming back in 2022.
O'Sullivan has been asked about retirement as he prepares for his return to action.
The 48-year-old believes he's got five to 10 years left in the tank as he looks to shatter more snooker records and continue to etch his name into the history books.
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World Snooker Championship: Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan clashed at the Masters back in January
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"I like to win and I've got another five to ten years, and I've got to enjoy the work that I'm doing," he said.
"I know I've won tournaments but winning and playing to a certain standard don't always match up.
"I've played a lot better and not won anything all season.
"It doesn't really make sense but I haven't really enjoyed it, I've just been struggling to get through the ball smoothly.
"Being happy with the game is what it's all about, or if that's not the case, I've got to get around not playing well and accept it, but I'm not good at accepting it."
World Snooker Championship: Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan are both hunting glory
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O'Sullivan meets Jackson Page in his first round clash on Wednesday.
Page is relatively new to the sport but, after recently making the semi-finals of the World Open, will fancy his chances of victory.
