World champion Kyren Wilson suffered a shock early exit from the UK Championship on Tuesday night, delivering a scathing assessment of the "unplayable" playing conditions at York's Barbican Centre.
A Night of Frustration at the Barbican
Wilson, known as 'The Warrior', was defeated 6-4 by Elliot Slessor in their first-round match on December 3, 2025. The match proved a gruelling affair for both players, with Wilson cutting a dejected figure, at times sitting with his head in his hands as he struggled with his game.
In a blunt post-match interview with the BBC, Wilson did not hold back. "Just guesswork. Table was awful, cue was awful," he stated. "Just very lost at the minute, to be honest. I mentally gave up as soon as I missed the pink in the first frame."
Cue Chaos and 'Tight' Pockets
The frustration marked a dramatic turnaround for Wilson, who had recently praised a new cue, telling Metro he was "absolutely in love with it." That affection had clearly vanished by Tuesday night. He revealed to TNT Sports that he had used three different cues during the tournament alone, switching back to an old model in a desperate bid for comfort.
Wilson attributed the difficult conditions to a worn cloth and exceptionally tight pockets, exacerbated by the fact this was the final match of the first round. "The pockets are already tight. I don't understand why they needed tightening," he said. "Unplayable." He described the experience as a "nightmare" and admitted he had wanted to "shake his hand and walk out."
Opponents Echo Concerns Over Conditions
Victorious opponent Elliot Slessor agreed the table was challenging, telling the BBC: "It was very, very tight... I just found it really tight. I thought the cloth had minimal grip. But it's had lots of games on. You've just got to battle."
Barry Hawkins, who won his match on the other table in the same evening session, concurred. "Hard. Very hard," Hawkins said. "Just felt like a battle from start to finish... the cloth wears, the pockets become nippier. They were tight today."
Despite his disappointment, Wilson congratulated Slessor, saying: "I have to obviously congratulate Elliot because he stuck in there... I wish him well for the rest of the tournament." Slessor now advances to the last 16.
In response to the criticism, World Snooker Tour issued a statement saying: "We always welcome feedback from players and encourage them to engage with us to make sure that table conditions are as good as they can be."
