Alexandra Palace and World Snooker Tour chiefs have spoken out following Ronnie O’Sullivan‘s scathing comments on The Masters venue.
O’Sullivan defeated Ding Junhui 6-3 to get his tournament bid underway and followed up his victory over the Chinese player by beating Barry Hawkins by the same scoreline on Thursday.
Afterwards, self-professed ‘clean freak’ O’Sullivan slammed the conditions at the Ally Pally, which also hosts the World Darts Championship, the Mosconi Cup and table tennis events.
“I just don’t like this place to be honest with you, I just find it disgusting,” he said.
“Everywhere’s just dirty, it’s cold, I’m freezing.”
An Alexandra Palace spokesperson has responded to the seven-time world champion’s startling rant, admitting that organisers for the venue have been left ‘disappointed’ by the criticism.
“We love hosting the Masters and welcoming all the players and fans to the Palace.
“We work tirelessly to provide an arena and atmosphere that this great event deserves.
“We’ve been proud of the overwhelming positive feedback the venue has received in recent years, and it’s obviously disappointing that Ronnie feels differently.
“We hope we can change his mind and that he enjoys the rest of his tournament here.”