HEY, YOU... GET OFF McLEOD!
All the criticism of ‘The Dentist’ and his slow play won’t stop giant-killer Rory from plodding along nicely
RORY McLEOD insists he will stay a potting plodder – no matter how many ‘dentist’ jibes are hurled his way.
World No.54 McLeod caused a sensation by knocking title favourite Judd Trump out of the Betfred World Championship this week (right).
But the 46-year-old from Wellingborough has been stuck with a nickname he would rather not have since beating Ricky Walden in Sheffield six years ago.
On that occasion Walden, exasperated by McLeod’s pedestrian style of play, likened the match experience to “a trip to the dentist”.
But McLeod, who was a 1,000-1 title shot last week, said: “Anyone who gets beaten talks too much and starts whining. I didn’t think too much of it. You take the time you need on a shot, it is a professional game.
“It is 70 per cent mind and 30 per cent talent. If the balls go scrappy, you don’t run around the table.
“You play to how the balls lie.
“Look, you are playing for yourself, money, your family… why play a shot in 10 seconds when you need 15 seconds? That would not be professional.
“But you have to play in your time and if the balls aren’t there, you have to think about it. You are not playing for £20 here. The fastest, most talented players don’t always win... you use your head.” And Neil Robertson has cruised into the last 16 at the Crucible – before revealing how a video game addiction had taken over his life. The Australian, a former world champion, easily beat Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham 10-4. But Robertson, 35, who now faces Hong Kong’s Marco Fu, then opened up over the reasons for abandoning a 20year pastime.
He said: “It started when I was a teenager – I think it stopped me doing better on the tour first time around.
“My mum had to create an account to log on and see if I was online playing.
“I have an addictive personality and have made a clean break. I used to play for 12 hours straight, you can lose years of your life.
“It was taking over and affecting my life – it is a serious issue. In China, there are gaming addiction camps where they take kids who are hooked.
“And it could resonate with other sportspeople. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of my favourite players and, in his book, he talks about playing Xbox and Fifa until 5 or 6am.”