Ex-world champions slam ‘unplayable’ conditions which marred UK Championship clash as snooker chiefs give bizarre excuse

JUDD TRUMP and Neil Robertson slammed the “unplayable” array conditions successful York which marred their UK Championship clash.

Both erstwhile satellite champions were unhappy with the playing aboveground of the baize and the prime of the cushions arsenic they tussled successful the last-32.

At 3-1 down astatine the mid-session interval, Trump returned to the enactment and clinched the next 5 frames with breaks of 73, 126 and 67 to advancement with a 6-3 result.

But the 2 cueists walked distant feeling frustrated with the concern they experienced successful the sport’s second-biggest tournament.

Trump, 35, said: “I’ve played successful immoderate atrocious conditions but that was close!

“It’s disappointing arsenic it ever seems to beryllium successful the large events implicit here. Very dense each of the time. The cushions were bouncy and heavy.

“From the archetypal day, they didn’t look great. Hopefully they tin bash thing astir it. I deliberation each of the players are struggling. It’s disappointing for the radical watching.”

Australian potter Robertson, 42, said: “The array was beauteous overmuch arsenic unplayable arsenic it gets for nonrecreational conditions. That was arsenic pugnacious arsenic I’ve ever played.

“It’s specified a pugnacious sport, it tin marque either subordinate look stupid. The lone radical who tin beryllium captious of our shots and performances are ourselves. Neither of america could play astatine our level.

“It could astir apt bash with a caller cloth. Maybe it wasn’t lukewarm capable successful the arena.”

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Scotland’s four-time satellite champion John Higgins – who plays Trump successful the last-16 connected Thursday – was a 6-0 victor implicit China’s He Guoqiang.

Yet the day league was suspended for up to 20 minutes erstwhile the Barbican arena was cleared arsenic a instrumentality fell ill – the antheral was conscious and seen talking to paramedics.

Higgo, 49, said: “It happens rather a batch now. It’s truthful lukewarm successful the auditorium now.

“Some of the older procreation travel and you consciousness for them due to the fact that it gets truly lukewarm successful there.

“That’s what has happened. I anticipation the man is okay.”