SHAUN MURPHY has questioned Ronnie O’Sullivan’s equipment choice after the Rocket was knocked out of the UK Championship.
O’Sullivan crashed out of the first round of the tournament last week after a 6-4 defeat to Barry Hawkins in York.
Seven-time world champ O’Sullivan has always stuck out from the crowd with his approach to snooker and his personality at and away from the table.
But Murphy thinks that there’s one thing he does differently than the rest that he ought to change.
The Rocket has persisted with Triangle chalk despite most of the other pro snooker stars switching to Taom.
Taom chalk is considered to be better for avoiding mistakes such as kicks and miscues.
And Murphy has asked whether O’Sullivan‘s use of the old chalk could have played a part in his loss to Hawkins.
He said: “I’ve absolutely no idea why some players still use what is obviously a bit of a spoiler.”
Adding: “I think it would be very hard for the governing body to insist that all players use a particular brand of chalk. It’s an accessory.
“They’d be telling us what tips and cues to use next. I don’t think that could happen. It is completely personal choice.”
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Murphy isn’t the first to question O’Sullivan’s use of the old chalk either, question marks over his choice to use Triangle have dated back to 2021.
John Higgins told O’Sullivan to catch up with the pack after beating him 6-5 at the English Open in 2021.
Speaking on Eurosport, he said: “I said to Ronnie to get rid of that Triangle chalk.
“It felt like everything for him was a kicky shot. He says it is the tip, but it is the striking of the cue ball.
“You can hear it on every shot. I was sitting and watching and he was kicking every single shot. He says he loves his Triangle.”
Shaun Murphy will take on O’Sullivan’s conqueror Hawkins in the UK Championship quarter-final next week after beating David Gilbert in his last-16 clash on Wednesday.
