SEETHING Scot Stephen Maguire was left “p***ed off” at the state of the table after he crashed out on the opening day of the UK Championship.
The former champion, 43, missed a red at a pivotal point during his frustrating 6-4 defeat to world No.1 Judd Trump at York’s Barbican.
And the qualifier fumed: “I’m p***ed off. I’m p***ed off with the table.
“It cost me. It cost me the frame at 3-3 and I think it cost me the match so I’m not very happy.
“He was there for the taking. I was the better player. I should have won.
“When you play an easy shot into the middle and the white hits the slate and takes off, I nearly missed the red completely, what can you do?
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“It’s supposed to be the second biggest tournament in the world. How can you not get the table up to scratch? It’s not a hard job.
“The table played well apart from that slate, the bags were tight for both of us.
“That match was there for the winning at that point, it was a simple shot. Judd does not know what day it was, you could have asked him and he wouldn’t have known.
“Through no fault of my own, I’m out of the tournament.
“I thought I had a lot more to give in this tournament. I did have a lot more to give. I feel a bit hard done by, but it’s not sour grapes.
“I don’t watch matches back, but there’s no way he played better than me there.”
Defending champion Trump opened up a 2-0 lead with breaks of 62 and 100.
World No.25 Maguire hit back with a run of 86 before Trump took a 3-1 lead into the interval.
Milton potter Maguire roared back to 3-3 with visits of 111 and 82 before the missed red allowed Trump to make a 66 break to lead.
To rub salt into the wounds Trump pinched a re-spotted black in the eighth frame to go 5-3 up.
Maguire reduced the arrears with a second visit of 86 but it was Trump who booked a spot in the last 16.
Trump is in his last chance saloon to win a tournament this year having opted to skip next month’s Shoot Out and Scottish Open.
And Trump said: “That shot at 3-3 when it hit the slate was a big point in the game.
“If that goes in it’s a completely different game. He would have been 4-3 up.
“I can sympathise with him on that one, but I’m pleased it happened!”
A WST statement read: “We always listen to feedback from players and will check any issues raised.”
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