A World Seniors Snooker Championship match at the Crucible was suspended on Thursday due to a fault with the table, causing confusion among fans. The match between Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale was halted after several incidents, including a shot where Stevens potted a red only for the white ball to leap into the air, prompting the 48-year-old to stare in disbelief.
World Seniors Snooker issued a statement confirming the fault with Table Two. “Due to a fault with Table Two, there will be no further play on it this evening,” it read. “Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale will conclude their match on Table One following Ali Carter v Roger Farebrother.” The match was later rescheduled and Stevens won 4-2.
Meanwhile, the match between defending champion Alfie Burden and Igor Figueiredo was moved to the practice room and played behind closed doors. Figueiredo secured a 4-0 win to set up a quarter-final against Robert Milkins.
The incident sparked confusion on social media, with fans questioning the nature of the fault. One wrote: “What could the fault be, I wonder?” while another asked: “What is wrong with the table?” A third commented: “Like potting up a pavement kerb that.”
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is set to enter the tournament on Friday, facing Ken Doherty in the second round. The World Seniors Championship has a prize pot of £80,000.
