Several of snooker's most prominent figures have voiced opposition to the chalk employed by Ronnie O'Sullivan, with demands growing for a ban on the equipment. The seven-time world champion uses the old-style triangle chalk, which is notorious for creating marks on the table and the balls, occasionally leading to heavy contact during shots, affecting all elements of the game.
Neil Robertson Leads the Charge
Neil Robertson, who claimed the World Championship title in 2010, has been amongst the most outspoken. The Australian is demanding the chalk be outlawed. Speaking to the BBC following his second-round win, Robertson said: "I would prefer to play John [Higgins] so I don't have to contend with the chalk that Ronnie uses, which should be banned from the game. I don't know how you are allowed to even use it. All the players hate it. It just destroys it [the table]. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute mess of the table."
Robertson also referenced Shaun Murphy's position on the equipment. "I know he [O'Sullivan] is friends with [artist] Damien Hirst, but it's like he is making artwork with the chalk all over the cloth," he added. "I don't think he does it to put off anyone. He is not that way inclined at all. He is about the only player left on tour that uses that chalk - hopefully they bring in a ban. It is something to bring up. It can really ruin the game, and it's not fair for the players who aren't using it. Shaun Murphy and I would love to see it removed from the face of the Earth."
John Higgins and Stephen Hendry Weigh In
Higgins himself, who ultimately emerged as 13-12 victor over The Rocket in this year's tournament at the Crucible, has previously voiced his opposition to the chalk. During last year's World Snooker Championship, he told the BBC: "Do you know why I got a kick? Because Luca [Brecel] was on previously. Luca doesn't use the [TAOM chalk]. They brushed [the table] but it's still really messy. It's difficult when you play guys like Ronnie and Luca, and they're using the Triangle chalk. It's a bit of a nightmare."
Addressing the matter during the epic second-round clash between O'Sullivan and Higgins, snooker legend Stephen Hendry explained: "I said last night in commentary that John needs to be patient, have good patience in this match because we have said a few times and it has been said that Ronnie uses the old-fashioned chalk that leaves a lot of marks on the table, marks on the cushions, which if the ball hit it can (cause) big bounces. The table can play heavy and the players are not used to that because everyone else uses the other chalk where there's no marks, no bounces, no kicks. He has got to be patient, John, there were a couple of times he sort of got bounces and was a wry smile was on his face and he would wipe the table and stuff."
Steve Davis and Alan McManus Offer Insights
Fellow legend Steve Davis shed light on the controversy surrounding O'Sullivan's chalk preference. "What happened (was) in a very short space of time a new chalk came on the market that certainly did not have as many shots where you would get a bad contact where chalk was stuck to the cue ball and then it was in the way between when it hit the object ball," he explained. "Nearly all the players adopted it because it is far better, you don't have to have a cue ball cleaned, it doesn't lay on cushions, it doesn't lay on the cloth. The ball doesn't pick up the residue chalk on the cloth even. But Ronnie decided to stay with the old one, the one he knew. I don't think I really know the total answer (why). Initially, I think there was a certain more grip that the old chalk gave you but that has been proven to be wrong now because the new batch of the new chalk is better. It may be for commercial reasons, we don't really know."
He went on to highlight the effect on O'Sullivan's rivals: "It doesn't affect him, but it does affect some of the other players, they don't like the fact he plays with the old chalk." Retired snooker professional Alan McManus also offered the perspective from the players' side. "Just to give an insight, and this is most players on the tour, without labouring the point," he told TNT Sport. "They don't like this old chalk when an opponent is using it because it does affect the way the table plays, the way it bounces. And it has thrown John off kilter a tad."
