Ronnie O’Sullivan takes aim at snooker rivals after criticism of UK Championship playing conditions as eight-time winner claims ‘the table will never control you’

Ronnie O’Sullivan has hit out at his competitors following a number of complaints at the state of the tables at the UK Championship in York. 

The tables – which were relaid on Wednesday – have caused something of a stir, with Australian Neil Robertson describing conditions at the Barbican as ‘as unplayable as it gets’ in his defeat by Judd Trump. 

Mark Williams also made reference to the state of the unpredictable tables following his clash with Stuart Bingham. 

World Snooker had pointed to Storm Bert as a potential reason for the conditions, claiming that the heavy levels of rainfall in the last few days and the high humidity can contribute to adverse conditions.  

Yet O’Sullivan was not taken by the argument that the tables were playing havoc, and instead insinuated that erroneous shots were all down to the player, rather than the environment.  

‘Everyone is complaining about the tables,’ the Rocket began. ‘But if you hit the ball well, the ball will go exactly where you want it to go.

‘If you’re not hitting the ball well, then you’re going to be chasing it around.

‘You control the table. The table will never ever control you.

‘The conditions are the conditions for all the players.

‘The tables will play really good – they usually do when they are refitted.

‘I really think you’ve got to get out of this table (talk). It’s the same for both players.

‘I actually think it’s better when the tables don’t play so good. Because you don’t get so many one visits. You still get some skilful stuff.

‘So a 40 break becomes a real brilliant break in some ways. You know that if I break down, the opponent is probably not going to clear up. You have to play perfect shots.

‘When the table is playing so well, pretty much anyone can take the balls because there’s no skill involved.

‘I like it when they’re a bit heavier, playing a bit harder. Then you have to use your snooker brain – and that’s when you really find out who can play snooker.’

O’Sullivan was beaten in the opening round of the competition by fellow English player Barry Hawkins. 

It was his second such early exit in the last month, having been beaten by Xiao Guodong in the opening round of the Champion of Champions competition, and after five titles won last season is yet to truly get up and running this campaign without a single final appearance. 

The 48-year-old has a record 23 Triple Crown titles to his name, having won the UK Championship on eight occasions, more than any other player in the history of the game.