Robertson Calls For Ban On O'sullivan's Chalk

ByMichael Emons

BBC Sport journalist astatine nan Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Former world champion Neil Robertson has called for a arguable chalk utilized by Ronnie O'Sullivan to beryllium banned, saying astir different players "hate it" and that it "makes an absolute messiness of nan table".

O'Sullivan, 50, is 1 of only a fistful of players connected nan World Snooker Tour (WST) to still usage nan accepted Triangle Chalk.

Critics opportunity it causes much mediocre contacts, starring to 'kicks' erstwhile nan cue shot hits nan entity ball, often resulting successful players moving retired of position aliases missing pots.

Almost each players usage Taom Chalk, which reduces kicks and leaves nary marks connected nan table.

There are presently nary restrictions successful spot connected what chalks tin beryllium utilized successful WST events truthful O'Sullivan, who mislaid a thrilling last-16 necktie 13-12 to John Higgins earlier connected Monday, has not done thing against nan sport's rules.

However, location was a noticeable footwear successful nan deciding framework erstwhile nan Scot was taking a changeable connected a red.

He could beryllium heard saying "oh my god" erstwhile nan cue shot did not tally done arsenic expected. That reddish was potted, but, retired of position, Higgins past missed nan pursuing black, though it did not beryllium important arsenic he sealed an unthinkable victory, having trailed 8-3 and 9-4.

Robertson won 13-7 successful his last-16 lucifer against Chris Wakelin to group up a gathering pinch Higgins, pinch nan Australian pleased to debar O'Sullivan - and his chalk.

"I would for illustration to play John truthful I don't person to contend pinch nan chalk that Ronnie uses, which should beryllium banned from nan game," Robertson told BBC Four.

"I don't cognize really you are allowed to moreover usage it."

In his post-match news conference, nan 44-year-old world champion of 2010 expanded further.

"All nan players dislike it, it conscionable destroys it. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute messiness of nan table," he said.

"I cognize he [O'Sullivan] is friends pinch [artist] Damien Hirst, but it's for illustration he is making artwork pinch nan chalk each complete nan cloth. I don't deliberation he does it to put disconnected anyone, he is not that measurement inclined astatine all.

"He is astir nan only subordinate near connected circuit that uses that chalk - hopefully they bring successful a ban."

A WST spokesperson said: "Currently players person free prime connected what type of chalk to use."

Robertson, who said he will not let believe partners to usage Triangle Chalk erstwhile playing, added: "It is thing to bring up. It tin really ruin nan crippled and it's not adjacent for nan players who aren't utilizing it.

"Shaun Murphy and I would emotion to spot it removed from nan look of nan Earth," added Robertson, who jokingly called nan incident "chalkgate".

He said: "Even snooker clubs are banning it - it ruins nan existent cloth and comes pinch a wellness informing label, truthful why are we utilizing it? I've had group travel up to believe pinch maine and they person brought it and I've said 'you're not utilizing that'.

"No pro allows anyone to usage Triangle Chalk connected their table."

When Higgins was struggling successful Sunday's play, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, speaking connected BBC tv coverage, said: "Ronnie uses nan old-fashioned chalk that leaves a batch of marks connected nan table.

"Marks connected nan cushions, which if nan ball's deed it tin make large bounces. The array tin play dense and nan players are not utilized to that because everyone other uses nan different chalk - there's nary marks, there's nothing, nary bounces, nary kicks."

Six-time world champion Steve Davis explained further and said: "What happened successful a very short abstraction of time, a caller chalk came connected nan market.

"It surely didn't person arsenic galore shots wherever you get a bad contact, wherever chalk was stuck to nan cue shot and past it was successful nan measurement betwixt erstwhile it deed nan entity ball.

"Nearly each of nan players adopted it because it's acold better, you don't person to person nan cue shot cleaned, it doesn't laic connected nan cushions, it doesn't laic connected nan cloth and nan shot doesn't prime up nan residue chalk connected nan cloth even.

"But Ronnie decided to enactment pinch nan aged 1 - nan 1 he knew."

Higgins, who astatine 50 would go nan oldest subordinate to triumph a World Championship if he was to assistance nan trophy connected Monday, 4 May, moved into nan quarter-finals for a 20th time.

On struggling connected Sunday, Higgins said: "Ronnie was by acold nan amended player. His cue shot was astonishing and that's what benignant of makes you conscionable consciousness inferior sometimes, erstwhile his cue shot is truthful overmuch amended and I'm scrapping about.

"But location are circumstances why that is because we each cognize he uses nan different chalk and different things, truthful that's what makes nan array play a small spot bouncy and it's each messy.

"It's reliable to play against, but you've conscionable sewage to effort and get it retired of your mind. But coming it was a marque caller cloth, which helped maine a awesome deal, because past I knew location was nary chalk marks.

"He's sewage a amended cue shot power than immoderate subordinate successful nan crippled coming maybe, astir apt moreover amended than [Zhao] Xintong's, truthful he tin override that.

"The array has recovered and played a batch amended coming [Monday] arsenic well. Ronnie plays pinch different chalk and that makes it difficult, and makes nan pockets look tighter than they look to be."