World Snooker Championship: Ronnie O’Sullivan leads Mark Selby in semi-final despite humidity complaint
- O’Sullivan moves into a 5-3 lead at the end of the first day of play
- Anthony McGill makes a fast start against Kyren Wilson leading 6-2
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.