Ronnie O’Sullivan complained about the conditions after humidity in the Crucible Theatre led to a series of miscues as he took a 5-3 lead against Mark Selby in their World Snooker Championship semi-final on Wednesday.
After both players
suffered a series of bad cue ball contacts in the third frame, five-time world
champion O’Sullivan told referee Paul Collier: “I’ve never had kicks like that
before in my life.”
Tournament
officials took the unusual step of changing the balls during the mid-session
interval and the kicks appeared to subside as O’Sullivan earned his slender
advantage heading into Thursday’s session.
Pundits including
six-time runner-up Jimmy White have suggested the warm weather may be a factor
in the increased incidences of contact issues this year.
White said on Eurosport that “it might be the humidity outside”, while O’Sullivan himself referenced the “damp conditions” after his second-round win over Ding Junhui.
A World Snooker
Tour spokesman confirmed that “humidity is bound to be a factor”, but pointed
out that kicks have been “dramatically reduced” in recent years following the
introduction of an anti-static cloth.
O’Sullivan had been
the first to suffer in the opening frame when a bad contact on a black brought
his break of 59 to an end, although a brilliant long red belatedly helped him
nudge ahead.
Both players made
uncharacteristic errors in the following frame, with Selby’s proving the most
costly when he caught a red on the lip of the pocket on a break of 39, and some
fine long-potting from O’Sullivan helped him extend his lead.
Selby held on to
win a near-farcical third frame in which the three-time champion was seen to
express his frustration, and after which O’Sullivan engaged Collier in
conversation as his opponent briefly left the arena.
In the other
semi-final, Anthony McGill made a fast start against Kyren Wilson as the Scot
raced into a 6-2 lead.
The 29-year-old is
playing in his first World Championship semi-final, but he showed no signs of
nerves as he won the first three frames.
McGill rounded off
a superb performance with a break of 92 to secure a four-frame advantage
against eighth seeded Wilson, who knocked out defending champion Judd Trump in
the quarter-finals.
