Conditions at the Wuhan Open qualifiers this week have been described as ‘furnace-like’ with players ‘soaked with sweat’ although not everyone saw it as an issue.
The new snooker season is underway, with last week’s China Open qualifiers followed by those for the Wuhan Open, both held at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
Summer is not the obvious season to be playing snooker, but the professional calendar is almost year-round now, so there are important games being played in the hottest months of the year.
Players were feeling the heat on Wednesday in Leicester, with world number 43 Matt Selt posting a picture of him in his seat with a cloth on his head.
He captioned the image: ‘Got the W yesterday, but the biggest achievement was managing not to not pass out 🥵.’
Speaking to people in attendance, Metro has been told it was ‘boiling’ in the Mattioli, while a player confirmed he had a ‘right dab on’.
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Coach Stephen Feeney, who has worked with huge names in the game including Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, hit out at the temperatures in the arena, saying they are unacceptable for professional events.
‘Once again players have had to play Ranking Event Qualifying Matches in unacceptable furnace-like conditions,’ Feeney wrote on Facebook.
‘Some of the players are visibly soaked with sweat within five minutes of entering their match cubicle. And don’t forget the referees – it’s same for them too.
‘Something has to be done! Just look at the floor to ceiling black ‘blankets’ fencing in all the match tables on both sides at the back of the Practice Table in the picture.
‘They do not let hot air out of the four Match Table Arena or cool air in. And all the table lights and table heaters collectively heat up the Arena like a cauldron 🔥
‘This is not how Professional Snooker Matches should be played! And players should not be subjected to these conditions.’
Michael Holt was in action in both sets of qualifiers, but did not have an issue with the heat in Leicester.
The Hitman made the first 147 of his career in the China Open qualifiers, and while he accepted it was hot in the venue, he said there was nothing wrong with the table conditions.
‘It was warm, but if anyone’s blaming conditions there then it’s just excuses,’ Holt told Metro.
‘If anyone’s practice table was as good as that they’d be making hundred after hundred and doing cartwheels. If you hit the ball properly you’ll play well.’
A statement from World Snooker Tour on the conditions read: ‘The temperature outside is very warm and inevitably that impacts the temperature in the arena.
‘We are doing all we can to moderate this, using air conditioning at its highest level. As always we aim to provide the best possible playing conditions in the circumstances.’