John Higgins has blasted the ‘pathetic’ tables at Saudi Arabia’s showpiece snooker tournament – saying it played as if it had been propped up by beer mats.
The Wizard of Wishaw, 50, eased into the quarter-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship after a whitewash 4-0 win over Ding Junhui, 38, on Wednesday.
But both players visibly struggled to get to grips with the table, though, with Ding scoring just 47 points and Higgins toiling before securing consecutive 106 breaks to set up a tie against Mark Allen.
‘It was a little bit difficult at the start,’ Higgins told TNT Sports post match.
‘I think me and Ding really struggled with the table. The first couple of frames there was no bite on the table and with me and Ding only being about 5ft 5in each, we really struggled. It’s as if there’s beer mats underneath the whole table.
‘Somebody needs to get told, I don’t know who has passed that but it’s pathetic for a million-pound tournament. It really is bad. I don’t know who has passed that.’
John Higgins has criticised the ‘pathetic’ tables at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship
The Wizard of Wishaw eased into the quarter-final with a 4-0 win over Ding Junhui
Four-time world champion Higgins pocketed £25,000 after beating Ding, who Higgins said gave him ‘a few chances’ to capitalise.
He continued: ‘In the third frame I done a hundred-break and felt I got through the ball a little bit better. And in the last frame there I felt I played a little pretty well, so I’m delighted to win.’
The Scotsman stands to make another £50,000 should he knock out the defending champion on Thursday afternoon, but will be hoping for a more enjoyable time on the cloth which he claimed lacked ‘bite’.
Asked to clarify on those comments by TNT presenter and snooker legend Stephen Hendry, Higgins said: ‘[There was] no grip whatsoever. I was trying to stun, and it’s just rolling through.
‘You can’t stop the cue ball… well I couldn’t with my cue action! But maybe some of the other boys will find it ok.’
He added: ‘The cushions were playing really, really fast, and that makes it difficult to play on.’
A World Snooker Tour spokesperson responded: ‘The table is regulation height in accordance with the WPBSA Official Rules of Snooker, measured from floor to the top of the cushion rail.
‘It was, of course, checked pre-event as part of extensive quality checks.
Higgins claimed the cloth on the tables lacked ‘bite’ and gave him ‘no grip whatsoever’
‘The tournament director demonstrated this fact to John (Higgins) after the match to prove all legs of the table were comfortably within regulation tolerance.
‘Our leading table fitters are at this event to ensure that the playing conditions are as good as possible and they continue to do a fantastic job.’
This year’s championship, held in the Saudi capital, has thrown up some shock results – particularly Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Shaun Murphy on Wednesday.
The tournament has garnered attention for its unique ‘golden ball’ which, if potted, offers an eye-watering prize of $1million (£787,000). It can only be potted at the end of a maximum 147.
Snooker’s biggest-ever bonus prize, potting the ball itself is worth more than the entire tournament’s £785,000 reward.