Inside Ronnie O'Sullivan's feud with Ali Carter with shoulder barge and vicious jibes

Ronnie O'Sullivan's return to professional was never going to be low-key. After a four-month absence, the 49-year-old will return to action at the today when he takes on .

It will be his first match since to Robert Milkins in January. As if the publicity around his return wasn't frenzied enough, the prospect of facing Carter adds extra spice to the occasion. The pair have shared a deep rivalry over the years, and the feud has become personal.

Express Sport looks inside the ill-feeling between the two players...

Argy bargy at the Crucible

has twice beaten Carter in the final in Sheffield, comfortably winning 18-8 in 2008 and then 18-11 in 2012. However, it was their last-16 match in 2018 that truly sparked their feud.

With Carter leading a tense affair 9-7, the pair deliberately bumped shoulders as O'Sullivan returned to his seat, having fluked a snooker during the 19th frame. An irate O'Sullivan appeared to shout: "That's for being Mr Angry," before the pair exchanged further words.

Carter went on to win the match and then took a dig at his rival post-match, stating: "I'm not intimidated by Ronnie like a lot of other players are. I've been through harder things than that in my life."

Apology claims

The heat hadn't simmered by the time the pair met in the semi-finals of the Northern Ireland Open in 2020. Carter had previously said that O'Sullivan had apologised for his actions, a claim the Rocket dismissed.

"That apology they say that I said was definitely not an apology," he said. "It was more like, 'let's just move on'. It was what it was, I've got to see you and you've got to see me at tournaments. So we can say hello to each other. We're not boxers, we're not enemies."

Carter told to "sort life out"

The pair locked horns again last year . Relations were evidently frosty, and after lifting the trophy, O'Sullivan blamed the tension on Carter's attitude, telling him to "sort his life out."

He has, however, struck a more respectful tone in the build-up to the Crucible clash. O'Sullivan has said Carter is the favourite to win given his quality, but all eyes will be on both players as their rivalry takes on a new chapter.

O'Sullivan regrets his comments

O'Sullivan admits he regrets what he said about Carter when he called him a "f***ing nightmare" after the final last year. That followed Carter accusing the 49-year-old of "snotting" on the Ally Pally floor.

'The Rocket' said this week: "I've always said that I wished I wouldn't have said what I said but I can't take it back. It's kind of out in the open. Neither of us really think much about it." Carter by contrast responded "no comment" when he was asked about his rival.