Ronnie O'Sullivan reply said it all after Stephen Hendry shut down Kyren Wilson claim
Ronnie O'Sullivan reply said it all after Stephen Hendry shut down Kyren Wilson claim
Kyren Wilson won the World Snooker Championship last year but caused a stir with his comments on the table conditions at the Crucible, which Ronnie O'Sullivan did not agree with
Ronnie O'Sullivan was asked about an issue that was discussed during the 2024 World Snooker Championship
(Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images )
The World Snooker Championship was at the centre of a heated debate last year - one which Ronnie O'Sullivan was his nonchalant self about.
The seven-time world champion reached the semi-finals this year but shrugged off questions about whether smaller pockets influenced his quarter-final exit in 2024. Kyren Wilson became the Crucible king in 2024 after defeating Welsh qualifier Jak Jones 18-14.
Despite his success, Wilson sparked discussions about changes to pocket sizes, prompting responses from fellow snooker stars Shaun Murphy and Stephen Hendry. In contrast, O'Sullivan sidestepped the controversy with a typically laid-back response.
Speaking on the Snooker Club podcast, Wislon shared his pocket size theory: "I do think so. I must admit, when it's gone to one-table I don't think it was as tight as the two tables. Maybe it was because of the new cloth for the semis, so it's going to slide in more. Then for the final they change the cushion cloth so it slides in more as well.
"I remember playing John [Higgins] last year, and he played a black down the cushion, and he was walking [to his next shot]. There's no way that would go in this year so they're definitely tighter than last year, 100 per cent. And obviously I've won it, so they're mega tight!"
O'Sullivan brushed off the idea that pockets had shrunk, and suggested that it shouldn't be much of a problem for top-tier players. "They seem all right to me. If you hit them sweet, they go in; if you don't, they don't go in," O'Sullivan explained.
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"Simple as. That's always been my motto. The tighter the better, really. It makes you more accurate."
Kyren Wilson argued that the pockets were made smaller during the 2024 World Snooker Championship
(Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images )
Hendry, who has seven world championships to his name, echoed O'Sullivan's sentiments. "There's been a lot of talk about the tight pockets. I'm not out there playing, the players are playing - so you've got to trust their opinions," the pundit said.
"But what happened to all the so-called best players in the world [who were knocked out early]? Ronnie [O'Sullivan], Judd [Trump], Mark Williams, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen - the new world No. 1. I'm sure I'll get a backlash from the players saying the tables were tight, but I say what I see."
Conversely, reigning Masters champion Murphy supported Wilson's argument: "The pockets are much smaller. These new batch of Star tables we've been using all season, they are more difficult. I don't know who made the decision to make the pockets smaller but they probably should have consulted with the players first."
A year later, defending champion Wilson bowed out at the opening round in Sheffield. Newly-crowned world champion Zhao Xintong seized the title, delivering an emphatic 17-7 victory over O'Sullivan in the semi-finals last week.
Stephen Hendry disagreed with Kyren Wilson
(Image:)
After his defeat to Zhao, O'Sullivan told SportsBoom: "I wasn't that bothered to be fair to you. I wasn't surprised, I've been playing like that a lot in practice. It's just hard to get my head around it. I can't even fix it, that's the problem. I know I said I'd like to give it two years, but if I'm gonna play like it, it's pretty pointless. It's not good."
Despite being unsure about his own future in the sport, O'Sullivan was full of praise for Zhao. Before Zhao defeated Mark Williams in the final, O'Sullivan argued: "I think it would be amazing. I think if he did win he would be a megastar. He's still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion it would just be amazing for snooker and for his life as well.
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"He can definitely get over the line. I think he'll have more of a test [in the final]. That will be a proper test for him. He played great. You have to give credit where it's due. We've got a really nice relationship. I'm always trying to help him if I can."
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