Ronnie O’Sullivan’s choice of chalk brand has been branded a “nightmare” by four-time world champion John Higgins. TAOM chalk is the brand most commonly used by snooker players, but O’Sullivan and Luca Brecel have continued to use Triangle.
And Higgins was not happy with the use of Triangle chalk at this year’s World Snooker Championship, blaming it for causing a kick during his second round win over Xiao Guodong. “Do you know why I got a kick? Because Luca was on previously,” Higgins told BBC Sport.
“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.”
Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has also weighed in on the issue and claimed that other players find O’Sullivan and Brecel’s use of Triangle chalk “very annoying”. He told BBC Sport: “I know it’s an irritation for all the other players that Ronnie continues to use the old chalk that does give bad contacts and bounces off the cushion.
“Luca Brecel is the other player who uses it. I know from speaking to all the other players it does get very annoying. Because the table starts to play a little bit heavier. Kicks become a factor, cushions become a bit unpredictable, so it’s something that Si Jiahui has got to be patient with.”
Last year, former world champion Stuart Bingham revealed that he had voiced his concerns about the chalk to O’Sullivan. “I saw Ronnie in the Eurosport studio and I said: ‘It’s these club players that use Triangle Chalk…!’
“You see at the worlds, the table plays nicely, and then you follow someone like Ronnie or Luca and the table conditions play totally differently. It’s up to them what they do.
“Ronnie has won seven world titles using that. So, why not? Luca obviously won the worlds with it. The new Taom Chalk is great, it has revolutionised the game. It has made a hell of a difference to the conditions.”
However, when quizzed on his use of Triangle by TNT Sports earlier this season, O’Sullivan replied: “Why do I not use the round chalk? Because I don’t believe in it. I believe this [Triangle] is the king of all chalks.
“This you can buy a piece for maybe 20p, the other stuff 15 quid. I just don’t like it. I think this is still the best stuff.”
O’Sullivan has also reached the quarter-finals, picking up wins over Ali Carter and Pang Junxu to set up a clash with Si Jiahui which he is leading 6-2 after the opening session. Speaking after his second round win over Pang, O’Sullivan admitted he was nowhere near his best.
“I need game time and I’m trying to get my game back,” he said. “I don’t mind who I play as long as I play my game. It’s irrelevant who is sitting in the chair, I always back myself if I can play somewhere near my best level.
“I’m not sure I’m close to that but it can click at any time. Pot one ball at a time. That feels hard for me to approach the game like that, but that’s where I’m at and have to just keep going.”
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