Glasgow’s own Stephen Maguire has aired his views on Ali Carter’s perceived snooker table manners at the Welsh Open.
Maguire rallied from 3-2 down to defeat Carter 6-4 on Saturday and book his place in the Welsh Open final. But he assured The Captain’ helped fuel his comeback thanks to what he considered improper etiquette.
Eurosport’s Alan McManus – a two-time Welsh Open finalist himself – pointed out Carter’s forceful way of putting away the rest mid-match. Snooker star Maguire echoed those same sentiments and took issue with his rival’s conduct at the table.
“The rests were getting thrown about, the extensions were flying under the table,” the 43-year-old told Eurosport (via the Daily Express). “I felt like saying to the ref, ‘Let him pick them up’. It made things a wee bit easier. I thought: ‘Is that how you act?'”
In the world of snooker, animosity between players is less frequent than it used to be. Nevertheless, Maguire welcomed the extra motivation he took from Carter’s antics.
The scores were even at three frames each when Carter engaged in one such loud return of the rest to its stand. And that prompted McManus to remark on it during the Eurosport broadcast.
The Glaswegian didn’t hold back his thoughts on the air as he said: “Never liked the way Ali Carter throws that rest in the hooks, I must confess. Just putting it out there. No need for it. No need for it.”
Social media users had mixed reactions to the incident, too. Some sided with the Scots and suggested Carter’s handling of the equipment was a tad too boisterous, while others felt McManus was too sensitive.
One X user asked: “I’m no fan of Ali, but why would you even say that? Talk about being impartial!” And another social media spectator played it down, writing: “Doesn’t even put it down that aggressively.”
Meanwhile, Maguire is set for a showdown with Mark Selby on Sunday, aiming for his first ranking title win since the 2020 Tour Championship. Yet ‘The Jester from Leicester’ presents a formidable challenge having just secured a 6-3 victory against 2023 world champion Luca Brecel.