Neil Robertson calls for snooker authorities to ban Ronnie O'Sullivan tool 'everybody hates'

Neil Robertson has called for an immediate ban to be introduced in snooker that would have an impact on Ronnie O'Sullivan next season.

Robertson progressed to the quarter-final of the World Championship for the first time in five years on Monday after securing a 13-7 win over Chris Wakelin.

The Australian can end the tournament as world number one after current occupant Judd Trump was knocked out in the last 16 by Hossein Vafaei.

O'Sullivan, meanwhile, was 9-7 up against John Higgins heading into Monday's final session, but suffered a deciding-frame 13-12 defeat to the four-time world champion.

Read more: Ronnie O'Sullivan praised for act of respect at end of John Higgins defeat at World Championship

'The Rocket' was looking for title number eight, which would have overtaken the existing record he jointly holds with Stephen Hendry.

But he encountered Higgins in imperious form on Monday afternoon, with the 50-year-old Scot reeling off the first three frames in front of a packed Crucible crowd.

Higgins suffered a kick during the final frame of his win over O'Sullivan (Image: Getty)

'The Wizard of Wishaw' credited the recovering of the table overnight as one of the reasons behind his comeback, noting how O'Sullivan's chalk has the tendency to cause a significant number of marks on the green baize.

"I came out last night and won 5-3, and gave myself a chance," he told BBC. "Today, the table was recovered and it played a lot better.

"The table was tough. Listen, we all know Ronnie plays with the other chalk, and it makes it difficult. It makes the pockets even tighter, or it seems to be that way.

"I prayed to God [after the kick in the last frame]. He was listening, because he gave me a chance and then I potted the red into the middle."

Robertson calls for O'Sullivan chalk ban

In 2018, a number of top snooker players switched from the traditional Triangle chalk to Taom, which promised to reduce kicks and reduce the amount of chalk residue that was disposed onto the table.

O'Sullivan is one of the few remaining players on tour that still uses the Triangle chalk.

Players have commented in the past about O'Sullivan's choice of equipment, with 2014 champion Stuart Bingham noting at the 2024 UK Championship that the table 'played differently' when he faced 'The Rocket' or Luca Brecel - who also then used Triangle chalk - compared to when he faced other players.

"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," he said.

"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."

But Robertson has now called for an outright ban on Triangle chalk, claiming that it is 'not fair' on the other players.

"All the players hate it," the Australian said in his post-match media conference on Monday.

"It just destroys it [the table]. You get kicks, bounces, and it makes an absolute mess of the table.

Chalk marks were visible on the table during O'Sullivan's match against Higgins (Image: Getty)

"I know he [O'Sullivan] is friends with Damien Hirst, but it's like he's making artwork with the chalk all over the cloth.

"I don't think he does it to put off anyone - he is not that way inclined.

"He is about the only player left on tour that uses the chalk. Hopefully they bring in a ban.

"It is something to bring up. It can really ruin the game and it's not fair for the players who aren't using it."

Robertson, who faces Higgins in the quarter-final, had earlier told the BBC that he preferred to take on the Scot rather than O'Sullivan - simply because of the difference in chalk.

"It should be banned from the game. I don't know how you are allowed to even use it."

Seven-time champion Hendry urged O'Sullivan to switch to Taom chalk back in 2024.

He said on his YouTube channel: "I don't know why he wouldn't use a new one. Whether it's stubbornness, I don't know.

"All the other players use the new chalk. You never get any marks on the table. If you watch old snooker matches from the 80s, there would be chalk marks everywhere and you'd get kicks all the time."