Ronnie O’Sullivan concerned World Championships at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre will see players treated as ‘lab rats’

Judd Trump defends his Crucible title in Sheffield tomorrow, when the tournament finally cues off – delayed three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But for the first time, fans will be allowed into the Sheffield theatre, the only indoor event among three pilots in England as the government looks to allow crowds back to watch live sport.

Ticket-holders – who will have to agree to strict protocols – will wear face masks to enter the Crucible, but can remove them once in their seats.

But O’Sullivan, 44, is unhappy at the health risks involved and the five-time world champion revealed he had lost friends this year to Covid-19.

“This is a bit of a test,” he said. “They’re treating this snooker event like lab rats really, so what can you do?

“You can sit here and complain about it and say it ain’t right, but it is what it is.

“I thought a mask was there to protect other people, so if someone isn’t wearing a mask but I’m wearing a mask, I’m protecting them and they’re not protecting me.

“Unless I put glasses on and stop them getting in my eyes and up my nose and in my mouth, but how would you play snooker with all that sort of equipment on. I’ve had people that have died from Covid-19, friends that I know.

“So obviously I am taking it a little bit more seriously. It’s not until you’ve had people close to you that have gone through it, and know someone who has died.

“And I’ve had nurses who I have spoken to and they say, ‘People have come in with Covid-19 and they think they are going to be all right and it’s not until they can’t breathe that they say “please don’t let me die”’.

“Grown men and women crying their eyes out because they can’t breathe. It’s only when something like that happens and you hear those stories that you go ‘hold on a minute, this is serious’. I don’t think it has been taken seriously enough.

“A lot of people go if you’re young and you’re fit you’ll be all right. But I just don’t want to get it. Why take the risk? ”

The Crucible have reduced the number of fans to 250-300 each session, with groups of up to four allowed to sit together in their own bubble.

World Snooker Tour responded in a statement: “For the Betfred World Championship to be designated as the first indoor sporting event to be held with a crowd within the UK is a fantastic triumph for not only the World Snooker Tour but all of our partners.

“WST and our partners would like to state that public health and safety is our highest priority and protection for our fans, players and staff have been of paramount concern in our approach.

“Independent and government advisors will be on site supporting WST and Sheffield Theatres, observing and assisting in ensuring the measures we have put in place are effective.”

Trump, who is aiming to become the first first-time winner to defend his title at the Crucible, will play his first-round match to a finish tomorrow against world No 26 Tom Ford.

The 36-year-old Ford has reached the first round on three previous occasions and is yet to win a match in the final stages.

Alan McManus, the oldest player to reach the Crucible since Steve Davis’s final appearance at the age of 52 in 2010, takes on Mark Williams, while four-time winner John Higgins starts against former finalist Matthew Stevens.

Rotherham’s Ashley Carty marks his Crucible debut with a first-round match against former champion Stuart Bingham.

First round draw: J Trump v T Ford, Y Bingtao v E Slessor, S Maguire v M Gould, K Wilson v A Hamilton, J Higgins v M Stevens, D Gilbert v K Maflin, J Lisowski v A McGill, M Allen v J Clarke, M Williams v A McManus, S Bingham v A Carty, D Junhui v M King, R O’Sullivan v T Un-Nooh, M Selby v J Brown, S Murphy v N Saengkham, B Hawkins v A Ursenbacher, N Robertson v L Wenbo.

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