Mark Allen slammed by fellow snooker star for 'rude and amateurish' comments at British Open
Antrim man Allen was furious with the conditions in Cheltenham but went on to hit a maximum break later in the tournament. He was knocked out by eventual winner Mark Selby at the semi-final stage
Snooker star Shaun Murphy has launched a passionate defence of the table fitters who have come under fire at the British Open.
Mark Allen slammed the conditions and demanded the table be “burned” before ironically making a 147 on the same table.
World No.1 Judd Trump backed Allen’s stance and said the tables had been “horrible” in Cheltenham. But former world champion Murphy hit back and stressed: “I must defend the staff. I think some of the criticism from fellow professionals has been nothing short of rude and amateurish.
Read next: Mark Allen makes maximum 147 break on same table he called to be 'burned'
“There’s a real misconception about playing conditions, people either refer to them as good or bad. The truth of the matter is they’re either difficult or more difficult.
“It’s about time players understood that. They’re either difficult or get more difficult with the weather and humidity. A lot of players don’t understand that once humidity hits a table, it becomes very difficult.
“It’s nothing to do with the table fitter or their skill. They get a table off the back of a lorry and fit it. They do a great job. It’s about time some of our players educated themselves and maybe visit the factory. Maybe they wouldn’t say such silly things.
“Criticising members of staff, who are just doing their job and they do it brilliantly all around the world week in and week out, was a step too far. I hope it’s something that we see the back of.”
Murphy has made a good start to the new season as he reached the Shanghai Masters final, losing to winning machine Trump, and the semi-finals at the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters.
But silverware is what the world No.8 truly craves and he believes a long-awaited trophy, which would be a first ranking crown since July 2023, is just around the corner.
The ‘Magician’, who is yet to secure a spot at next month’s prestigious Champion of Champions tournament, added: “I want to win another tournament.
“People say I’ve had a good season so far, but I don’t turn up to lose. I don’t turn up for semis or finals.
“I want to win. If I go home without the trophy then that week is a failure for me.”
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
