TABLE MANNERS
‘You control the table, the table will never ever control you’ – Ronnie O’Sullivan hits out at ‘moaning’ snooker rivals
The issue has been a topic of conversation at the UK Championship
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has told moaning players to put up with any dodgy conditions in York, saying: Use your snooker brain instead.
The UK Championship has been marred by complaints from top pros that the tables have been “unplayable” and unpredictable.
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Judd Trump and Neil Robertson were unhappy with the situation they experienced on table one on Tuesday afternoon.
Later that evening, Stuart Bingham and Mark Williams struggled for rhythm and consistency on the same cloth.
World Snooker Tour blamed the impact of Storm Bert, saying that the large volume of rainfall and high humidity around the country can “negatively influence the conditions”.
The tables were reclothed at the start of the Last 16 on Wednesday – in fairness, this was a scheduled refit – but the Rocket was not convinced it should be used as a legitimate excuse.
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O’Sullivan, winner of seven world crowns, said: “Everyone is complaining about the tables.
“But if you hit the ball well, the ball will go exactly where you want it to go.
“If you’re not hitting the ball well, then you’re going to be chasing it around.
“You control the table. The table will never ever control you.
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“The conditions are the conditions for all the players.
“The tables will play really good – they usually do when they are refitted.
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“I really think you’ve got to get out of this table (talk). It’s the same for both players.
“I actually think it’s better when the tables don’t play so good. Because you don’t get so many one visits. You still get some skilful stuff.
“So a 40 break becomes a real brilliant break in some ways. You know that if I break down, the opponent is probably not going to clear up. You have to play perfect shots.
“When the table is playing so well, pretty much anyone can take the balls because there’s no skill involved.
“I like it when they’re a bit heavier, playing a bit harder. Then you have to use your snooker brain – and that’s when you really find out who can play snooker.”
After his exit, Williams, 49, bit his tongue and refused to speak his mind for fear of being punished by baize bigwigs.
WST dish out £250 fines for swearing or comments that are deemed detrimental to the sport but that figure increases the more you are fined in a season.
Bingham, who came from 5-2 down to beat Williams 6-5, plays Maximum Man Zhang Anda on Thursday afternoon in the second round.
Ball Run – a former world champion – has a theory it could be down to the use of chalk used by O’Sullivan and Luca Brecel, which is different to the rest of the cueing fraternity.
Bingham said: “I saw Ronnie in the Eurosport studio and I said: ‘It’s these club players that use Triangle Chalk…!’
“You see at the worlds, the table plays nicely, and then you follow someone like Ronnie or Luca and the table conditions play totally differently.
“It’s up to them what they do. Ronnie has won seven world titles using that. So, why not? Luca obviously won the worlds with it.
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“The new Taom Chalk is great, it has revolutionised the game. It has made a hell of a difference to the conditions.
“With it being reclothed now, I think we’ll be in for a good scoring fest for the last 16 of the tournament.”
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