Ronnie picks pockets apart

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has given snooker bosses a pocket rocket. The seven-time Masters champion takes on Wales’ Ryan Day tomorrow for a place in the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace. O’Sullivan (left) reckons the tables are too easy and has urged World Snooker to make the pockets less generous.

The five-time world champion has enjoyed a blistering start to his season with three titles, a final and a semi-final in his five events before this week. O’Sullivan said: “They could do with tightening the pockets up a little bit, with the standard of play now. I don’t know if they are deliberately opening them now just so people can make tons.

“But they are playing pretty easy for the top players, and it would be maybe better if they were made a bit tighter. It is just a truer test.

“It’s like a golf course where the fairways are either 100ft wide or 30ft wide. A top player would rather play on 30ft wide fairways because you have to be more accurate.”

A World Snooker spokesman said the pockets had not been widened. He said: “The templates are the same at every tournament, although the way the tables play can be affected by atmospheric conditions.

“But we can categorically refute that pockets are widened to help see more century breaks, or for any other reason.

“The standard of play these days is also better than ever and many fans would say Ronnie O’Sullivan can make the game look easy when he is on form.”

Former Masters winner Neil Robertson won five frames on the spin to see off world champion Mark Williams 6-3.