Stephen Maguire was not impressed with Ali Carter’s table etiquette during their Welsh Open semi-final clash and aired his opinion ahead of the finale against Mark Selby
Welsh Open finalist Stephen Maguire has spoken out about Ali Carter’s snooker etiquette after their tense semi-final clash.
‘On Fire’ rallied from a 3-2 deficit to secure a 6-4 victory over Carter in Llandudno on Saturday. And he even credited his win partly to The Captain’s perceived provocations.
Former pro-turned-Eurosport commentator Alan McManus – who was twice a Welsh Open runner-up himself – pointed out how Carter emphatically stowed away the rest mid-game. And Maguire echoed that sentiment post-match as he was clearly irked by his opponent’s habit.
After returning from the interval trailing by one frame, Maguire dominated the latter stages of the encounter. He didn’t hold back in his post-match analysis on Eurosport, criticising Carter’s rough approach with the equipment.
“The rests were getting thrown about, the extensions were flying under the table,” he said on 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?'”
While intense rivalries are rarer in today’s snooker landscape, Maguire evidently used the tense atmosphere as fuel to outplay Carter. Their match was finely balanced at three frames all when Carter notably slammed the rest back into place, prompting McManus to remark on it.
‘Angles’ didn’t hold back his feelings about Carter’s habits at the table, commenting: “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.”
Reactions on social media were mixed over McManus’s comments. Some users sided with Carter, suggesting he could be more cautious, while others thought the Scot was being a bit too touchy.
“I’m no fan of Ali, but why would you even say that?” asked one puzzled supporter. “Talk about being impartial!” Another played down the controversy and added: “Doesn’t even put it down that aggressively.”
Maguire is heading towards a facing off with Mark Selby in Sunday’s final, seeking his first ranking title since the Tour Championship almost five years ago. But ‘The Jester from Leicester’ might prove a more difficult opponent to overcome after a 6-3 win over former world champion Luca Brecel in his own semi.