Maguire blasts ‘diabolical’ conditions after exit

Furious Stephen Maguire blasted the ‘diabolical’ Crucible conditions after slumping to a shock first-round defeat at the World Snooker Championship.

The Glaswegian was stunned 10-4 by world No 69 Jamie Jones as his miserable run of form on the circuit continued in Sheffield.

Maguire, the world No 8, had opened up a 3-1 lead in Saturday’s opening session but fell apart on Sunday as breaks of 81, 73 and 65 from Welshman Jones dumped him out at the first hurdle for the second year running.

The Scot fumed at the condition of the table after blowing his early lead but insisted he wasn’t making excuses after another premature defeat.

The two-time semifinalist said: “The game’s hard enough and it’s a tough game out there. “I was talking to Jamie and I hope he tells you guys – the conditions were just diabolical. They really were. “I said it when I was 3-1 up so I don’t mind saying it now that I lost. I did say to them when I was 3-1 up the table was shocking. So it’s no sour grapes, I’m just telling the truth.

“I was talking to Jamie during the match and he was agreeing with me, so that didn’t help. “And when you’re not cueing well, it just magnifies it and you lose trust in your cue action and everything you’re doing. That’s what happened and that’s why I got beat easily. I’m frustrated. I didn’t even think there was a word for that and how I played out there. If there is a word, I’ll get fined.”

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