Shaun Murphy complained about the condition of the tables after losing 13-4 to Ali Carter at the 888.com World Championship.
Former champion joins chorus of disapproval over Crucible tables
Ali Carter needed just one frame on Saturday evening to complete a 13-4 victory over Shaun Murphy in the second round of the 888.com World Championship.
The Essex potter had built a commanding 12-4 lead over the course of the first two sessions and wasted no time in sealing a quarter-final date with Peter Ebdon.
Murphy, the champion at the Crucible in 2005, was unhappy over the condition of the tables during the match, echoing the
earlier comments of fellow last 16 loser John Higgins.
"We have a gambling sponsor, why don't we take the championship to a casino and have a real game of chance?" said Murphy, who managed a high break of just 60 in the 17 frames.
"This is the world championship, the gala event we all look forward to. Yes I'll hold my hands up, I missed some shots I shouldn't have but there were a lot of problems out there that cost me the match.
Not sour grapes
"It's not just me and John Higgins having a problem with it and it's not just because we lost. It will look like sour grapes but it's not and it will cost other players.
"The comments have been made backstage for days. The cloth is so thin and light it's only good for three days' play.
"After three days you get bad bounces and balls going where they shouldn't be and it makes a mockery of the biggest tournament we've got.
"I filled a complaint form out immediately after my first-round match. The cloth is made very well but it needs to be changed after every round."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Carter had few complaints about the playing conditions.
"I thought the table was playing okay," said the 28-year-old. "I got a few bounces but I am playing on the same table as Shaun.
"It can cost you if you get a ping off the cushion but it's the same for both of us.
"It's not the best conditions there has ever been but it's not the worst.
"I played very well yesterday, put Shaun under pressure and he didn't play so well.
"It's nice to be in the quarter-finals, we're at the business end of the tournament.
"I know what I'm up against against Peter, he wants it badly but so do I so I'm going to go out there and give it everything."
O'Sullivan edges in front
Meanwhile in Saturday evening's other action, Ronnie O'Sullivan opened a 5-3 lead in his second-round match with Mark Williams.
The first four frames were shared before O'Sullivan returned from the mid-session interval to fire a total clearance of 140, the highest of the tournament so far.
The Englishman extended his advantage to 5-2 with clearances of 81 and 59, but Williams hit back to take the final frame with an 88 break.
