Robertson calls for rule revamp after McGill clash with Clarke

NEIL ROBERTSON has called for a revamp of the snooker rules after Anthony McGill and Jamie Clarke became embroiled in a heated spat during their World Championship second-round clash at the Crucible on Saturday. Former winner Robertson, who edged into the last eight after completing a 13-9 win over Barry Hawkins, said he sympathised with both players after Scotland’s McGill (below) accused Clarke of deliberately standing in his eyeline as he prepared to play a shot. The pair had to be separated by referee Jan Verhaas and McGill followed Clarke out of the arena at the end of the frame, before returning to reel off five frames in a row to reduce the deficit to 8-7 at the end of the second session.

The duo shared the first four frames of the final session to head into the mid-session interval with Clarke holding a 10-9 lead, moments after missing a black off the spot when on course for a 147.

Robertson said: ‘There needs to be a flat rule where if someone’s playing a shot you sit in the chair, and probably more referees need to be sterner with how they apply that rule. ‘If you’re playing a shot and your peripheral vision picks up a player moving as you play the shot, if your vision goes from the object ball to what they’re doing, you can miss the shot by several inches.’ While Robertson stressed he did not believe that Welsh player Clarke had deliberately sought to gain an advantage, he said it was an issue which needs to be addressed as it occurs too frequently in the sport. ‘Some of the other guys do look for an advantage,’ added the Australian. ‘I’m certainly not going to say that was the case (on Saturday) because the Crucible, especially when you’re not experienced here, is so tight for space. ‘It goes on a lot on the outside tables. There are a lot of players who fiddle around with their towel in your shot or they get up out of their chair to see if a ball’s on when you’re about to play your shot. ‘For me, I think the (other) player should always be in his chair.’ Meanwhile, Kyren Wilson set up a quarter-final meeting with Judd Trump after withstanding a stirring fightback from Martin Gould to triumph 13-9. In the other match from yesterday’s evening session, Ronnie O’Sullivan came through a 13-10 thriller against China’s Ding Junhui. Having shared the first two sessions 4-4 to come into last night’s finale 8-8, it was the Rocket who seized the initiative, taking the first two frames before Ding hit back to trail 10-9. But O’Sullivan was in a hurry to end the match, taking three of the next four frames. O’Sullivan will face long-time rival Mark Williams for a place in the semi-finals.