Kyren Wilson slams ‘unplayable’ UK Championship table aft...

Kyren Wilson slams ‘unplayable’ UK Championship table after emotional defeat

Phil Haigh Published December 3, 2025 8:07am Updated December 3, 2025 8:09am Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Players Championship Snooker

Kyren Wilson struggled with conditions and equipment in York (Picture: Getty Images)

Kyren Wilson cut a dejected figure during his UK Championship defeat to Elliot Slessor on Tuesday night, labelling conditions ‘unplayable’ and his cue ‘awful’.

Slessor won the match 6-4 to advance to the last 16 at the Barbican in York, with both players finding playing conditions difficult.

Wilson was especially affected by the situation and looked to be badly struggling as he sat with his head in his hands at times.

The Warrior came into the tournament playing with a new cue, telling Metro last week: ‘I’m absolutely in love with it. It’s better than the bit of wood that I won the World Championship with.’

However, that love affair appears to have quickly soured as he vented his frustrations after defeat.

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‘Just guesswork. Table was awful, cue was awful,’ Wilson told the BBC.

‘Just very lost at the minute, to be honest. I mentally gave up as soon as I missed the pink in the first frame, but tried my hardest. When you do not know where the balls are going to go – especially on tight pockets and unplayable conditions – it’s a recipe for disaster.

Kyren Wilson looked distraught during the loss to Slessor (Picture: BBC)

‘I gave it my all. I wanted the world to swallow me up as soon as I missed the pink in the first frame. It’s been a nightmare. You can’t win matches in this tournament using a cue first thing this morning.’

He explained: ‘First thing this morning I’ve gone through four or five tips to give myself a chance. I’m just lost at the minute. Absolutely lost from something that’s totally out of my control.’

Wilson added on TNT Sports: ‘It’s been a nightmare. I’ve had three cues on the go at this tournament alone. Changed to my old one today just to go out there and try a little bit comfortable. Then as soon as you miss the pink in the first frame you think I don’t even know where to aim anymore. When the conditions are tough as well…’

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRxr2-0jDLA/?hl=en

Issues with the conditions seemed to be down to a relatively old cloth, as this was the final game of the first round, and punishingly tight pockets.

‘It’s the last of the first round,’ Wilson explained. ‘The pockets are already tight. I don’t understand why they needed tightening, I get it for China, but here they played fine. Unplayable.

‘I hit a few balls I thought were in. When you’re guessing with your cue as well, you feel as though you’re playing to nothing because there’s nothing to aim at.

‘When the tables are so difficult, I just didn’t want to be out there, I wanted to shake his hand and walk out but people pay good money to watch you play snooker. I battled, gave it my all, but not to be.’

Elliot Slessor will play Barry Hawkins in the next round (Picture: Getty Images)

He added: ‘I have to obviously congratulate Elliot because he stuck in there and I think I dragged him down a little bit. I wish him well for the rest of the tournament.’

Slessor was in agreement that the game was especially difficult, telling the BBC: ‘It was very, very tight. That’s the last game of round one so If it’s going to play its worst, it’s going to play its worst in that match.

‘I just found it really tight. I thought the cloth had minimal grip. But it’s had lots of games on. What can you do? You’ve just got to battle. I was just battling away.’

Barry Hawkins beat David Lilley 6-4 on Tuesday night (Picture: Getty Images)

Barry Hawkins beat David Lilley on the other table in the evening session and was of the same opinion, saying: ‘Hard. Very hard. Just felt like a battle from start to finish. Just pleased to win in the end.

‘Maybe I was cueing badly. Obviously it’s had a lot of play since Saturday, when the cloth wears the pockets become nippier. They were tight today. There was a few balls that should have gone in but just rattled and stayed there. Not from me, from Dave actually.’

World Snooker Tour responded in a statement, which read: ‘We always welcome feedback from players and encourage them to engage with us to make sure that table conditions are as good as they can be.’

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