John Higgins criticised the playing conditions at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, labelling the table 'pathetic' despite securing a 4-0 whitewash win over Ding Junhui. The Scottish veteran struggled with the table's height and lack of 'bite', saying it felt as if 'beer mats' had been placed underneath.
Higgins, who stands around 5ft 5in, claimed the table was raised too high and questioned how it was approved for a tournament with a £250,000 top prize. 'Somebody really needs to get told. I don't know who has passed that, but it's pathetic for a million-pound tournament,' he told TNT Sports.
World Snooker Tour denied any issue, stating the table was regulation height and had passed pre-event checks. Tournament director demonstrated this to Higgins after the match. However, the 49-year-old insisted the cloth offered no grip, making it difficult to control the cue ball.
Despite the conditions, Higgins produced back-to-back century breaks in the final two frames to set up a quarter-final clash with defending champion Mark Allen. The event also features a unique golden ball worth an extra 20 points and a $1m bonus for a 167 break.
Meanwhile, Ronnie O'Sullivan suffered a shock 4-0 defeat to Shaun Murphy, who secured his first win over the seven-time world champion since 2017. Murphy said: 'It's a long time since I tasted victory against Ronnie and they're special any time they come up.'
