Robertson urges ban on O'Sullivan's Triangle chalk

Neil Robertson, a former world snooker champion, has urged the World Snooker Tour to ban the traditional Triangle chalk used by Ronnie O'Sullivan, claiming it disrupts play and leaves marks on the table. The call came after O'Sullivan's 13-12 last-16 defeat to John Higgins at the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday.

Robertson, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a 13-7 win over Chris Wakelin, faces Higgins next. He described the chalk as ruining the game, telling BBC that most players hate it because it causes kicks, unwanted bounces and residue that dirties the cloth. "All the players hate it, it just destroys it. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute mess of the table," Robertson said. He noted that O'Sullivan, a seven-time world champion, is among the few professionals still using Triangle chalk, while nearly all others have switched to Taom, a newer brand that minimizes such issues and leaves no marks.

A noticeable kick affected Higgins in the deciding frame, prompting an audible reaction from the Scot as his cue ball failed to run through cleanly. Though he potted the red, Higgins missed the black that followed. He had trailed...