Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan surged through to the semi-finals of the Masters but left London's Alexandra Palace with a sick feeling after labelling the venue disgusting and filthy.
O'Sullivan, 48, has won the Masters seven times in his illustrious career but was not satisfied with the cleanliness of the arena which was built in 1865 has hosted the tournament since 2012.
"I don't like this place. I think it's filthy. Everything is filthy. It's cold. It's very cold. I have to wear my coat everywhere," said the world number one, nicknamed 'The Rocket', after beating Barry Hawkins 6-3 in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
"I'm a bit of a neat freak and when I come in here it makes my hair stand on end. I can't wait to get out of here. I don't like it here. I find it disgusting.
"You pass car parks. There are dumpsters. Honestly, it makes me feel bad."
Alexandra Palace has also served as the venue for the World Darts Championship since 2008, memorably hosting 16-year-old Luke Littler's run to the final earlier this month.
"We work alongside Alexandra Palace to provide the best possible conditions for players on and off the table," said the World Snooker Tour (WST) to local media in response to O'Sullivan's comments.
"All the other players have spoken unanimously positively about the venue. The fans love coming here. This is evidenced by record ticket sales and the fact that all standard entry seats sold out before this year's tournament."
O'Sullivan will face Shaun Murphy in the semi-final on Saturday after the 41-year-old beat Jack Lisowski 6-3.
- Reuters