The final of the Players Championship was halted after both Kyren Wilson and Judd Trump complained to the referee. The match was stopped in the 10th frame when Wilson complained to the referee about the cue ball’s movement.
It came after a new set of balls had been introduced for the second session of play, with neither player satisfied by the way they were behaving on the table. Wilson was the first to raise the issue with the referee before Trump, in agreement, agreed the white was “absolutely flying” off the cue.
Reacting to the incident, Ken Doherty said on commentary: “So there may be a change of balls after this frame, they’re not going to change them mid-frame, but you can hear them having a little discussion about the reaction they’re getting from the cue ball and they’re both unhappy about it.”
Commentator Phil Yates added: “Mutual agreement is needed but I think from that little discussion they have arrived already at the consensus.”
Doherty replied: “Sometimes if it is a new set, the cue ball will be a little bit lighter than the cue ball, meaning it will be reacting in a completely different way than what they’re used to. And that’s certainly not conducive to good snooker for either player. So maybe a change of balls, which is no big problem.”
Wilson, who had appeared disgruntled by the balls ever since returning for the second session, went on to win the 10th frame to level the tie-up at five all. And by the time they returned to start the 11th frame, there had been a change to the set-up, but not as had been predicted.
Instead, just one ball was changed – the cue ball. The commentator explained: “It is the final session of this year’s Players Championship, they didn’t change all the balls, just the most important one, the cue ball. We’ll see how that reacts in the upcoming frames. Both players weren’t dissatisfied with it though, so I think it’s a good thing to make the alteration.”
Doherty replied: “I think once both players agree, they were getting some funny reactions from the cue ball, which is why they had a few words with each other. As long as they both agree.”
The two were competing for a whopping £150,000 in prize money, with Trump and Wilson having entered the tournament as the top two ranked players. It comes ahead of the showpiece event in the snooker calendar, the World Championship, which kicks off in Sheffield next month.
