Ronnie O’Sullivan succumbed to a 13-12 defeat against John Higgins in a thrilling last-16 encounter, despite leading 8-3 and 9-4.
Neil Robertson, a former world champion, has urged for a ban on the controversial chalk favored by Ronnie O’Sullivan, citing widespread player disapproval and its tendency to “make an absolute mess of the table.”
O’Sullivan, 50, stands as one of the few competitors on the World Snooker Tour (WST) who still employ the traditional Triangle Chalk.
Critics contend that this chalk contributes to an increased frequency of poor contacts, leading to unpredictable ‘kicks’ upon the cue ball’s impact with the object ball, often disrupting player positioning or causing missed shots.
In contrast, the majority of players now utilize Taom Chalk, which effectively minimizes kicks and leaves no discernible residue on the table.
Presently, the WST imposes no restrictions on chalk usage, meaning O’Sullivan, despite his narrow 13-12 loss to John Higgins in the last 16, has not violated any sporting regulations.
However, a notable kick occurred during a crucial moment in the deciding frame as Higgins lined up a shot on a red ball.
Higgins audibly expressed his surprise as the cue ball deviated from its anticipated trajectory. Despite potting the red, the resulting unfavorable position led to a missed black, although this did not ultimately prevent him from securing a remarkable victory after trailing significantly.
Robertson secured his quarter-final berth with a 13-7 victory over Chris Wakelin, setting up a clash with Higgins. The Australian expressed relief at avoiding O’Sullivan – and his controversial chalk.
“I would prefer to play John so I don’t have to contend with the chalk that Ronnie uses, which should be banned from the game,” Robertson stated on BBC Four.
“I don’t know how you are allowed to even use it.”
John Higgins in action during Sunday’s session against Ronnie O’Sullivan, with chalk marks visible on the cloth
During his post-match press conference, the 2010 world champion elaborated on his concerns.
“All the players hate it, it just destroys it. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute mess of the table,” he remarked.
“I know he [O’Sullivan] is friends with [artist] Damien Hirst, but it’s like he is making artwork with the chalk all over the cloth. I don’t think he does it to put off anyone, he is not that way inclined at all.
“He is about the only player left on tour that uses that chalk – hopefully they bring in a ban.”
A WST spokesperson confirmed: “Currently players have free choice on what type of chalk to use.”
Robertson, who prohibits practice partners from using Triangle Chalk during their sessions, added: “It is something to bring up. It can really ruin the game and it’s not fair for the players who aren’t using it.
“Shaun Murphy and I would love to see it removed from the face of the Earth,” added Robertson, who jokingly called the incident “chalkgate”.
He said: “Even snooker clubs are banning it – it ruins the actual cloth and comes with a health warning label, so why are we using it? I’ve had people come up to practice with me and they have brought it and I’ve said ‘you’re not using that’.
“No pro allows anyone to use Triangle Chalk on their table.”
During Higgins’ struggles on Sunday, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, providing commentary on BBC television, observed: “Ronnie uses the old-fashioned chalk that leaves a lot of marks on the table.
“Marks on the cushions, which if the ball’s hit it can make big bounces. The table can play heavy and the players are not used to that because everyone else uses the other chalk – there’s no marks, there’s nothing, no bounces, no kicks.”
Six-time world champion Steve Davis elaborated: “What happened in a very short space of time, a new chalk came on the market.
“It certainly didn’t have as many shots where you get a bad contact, where chalk was stuck to the cue ball and then it was in the way between when it hit the object ball.
“Nearly all of the players adopted it because it’s far better, you don’t have to have the cue ball cleaned, it doesn’t lay on the cushions, it doesn’t lay on the cloth and the ball doesn’t pick up the residue chalk on the cloth even.
“But Ronnie decided to stay with the old one – the one he knew.”
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Higgins beats O’Sullivan in final-frame decider. The kick on the red is at about the seven-minute mark
Higgins, seeking to become the oldest World Champion at 50, advanced to the quarter-finals for the 20th time.
Reflecting on his struggles on Sunday, Higgins commented: “Ronnie was by far the better player. His cue ball was amazing and that’s what sort of makes you just feel inferior sometimes, when his cue ball is so much better and I’m scrapping about.
“But there are circumstances why that is because we all know he uses the other chalk and different things, so that’s what makes the table play a little bit bouncy and it’s all messy.
“It’s tough to play against, but you’ve just got to try and get it out of your mind. But today it was a brand new cloth, which helped me a great deal, because then I knew there was no chalk marks.
“He’s got a better cue ball control than any player in the game today maybe, probably even better than [Zhao] Xintong’s, so he can override that.
“The table has recovered and played a lot better today [Monday] as well. Ronnie plays with different chalk and that makes it difficult, and makes the pockets seem tighter than they appear to be.”
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