Graeme Dott says that his competitors should stop making excuses by criticising the iconic venue of the world championships.
Scottish player Dott won the world snooker title in 2006 and has jumped to the defence of Sheffield's iconic Crucible Theatre. Some players have been critical of the venue and this year Neil Robertson said that it was 'very cramped' and proposed that the tournament is held in a bigger venue.
Former world number one Robertson has been named world champion just once in 2010 despite winning 23 ranking tournaments. Dott told the Talking Balls podcast : "I don’t really like people that say it’s wrong or that you should change it, I’m not for that.
"I’m fairly sure it’ll be the same size when Ray Reardon won it (when the venue first hosted the world championships), it’s the same test. There must be players the same height as Neil Robertson, it’s not that he can’t fit to play his shot.
"He just needs to try and deal with it better. Personally I think it’s a little bit of an excuse because he’s not done that well there.
"He’s maybe looking for a reason why but I don’t think the size of the Crucible is the reason he’s not winning, I can’t really have that."
Promoter Barry Hearn confirmed earlier this year that talks have been had with Sheffield Council over the prospect of building a 'new Crucible'. “I can understand it’s quite cramped at the Crucible, especially with a two-table set-up," he added.
Ronnie O'Sullivan won a historic seventh world titles at the Sheffield venue but has also told of the stress of the event and toll it takes.
Talking to Orla Chennaoui and Greg Rutherford on Eurosport podcast series 'The Breakdown' O'Sullivan said: "Sheffield is a hard, hard venue. It is a gladiatorial venue. There is a lot of pressure in the build-up. When you are out there playing it is okay - that's the best place to be."
Despite losing two world championship finals at the Crucible Theatre, Dott would not change the iconic venue and doesn't want to hear other players criticise the showcase. "I love the Crucible," he added. "I bottled it the first time I played in it, I’m not scared to admit. The partition came down and the colour must have just went from my face.
"I thought it’s in the wrong place, it was too tight, it must have been a mistake. But I love it, I can’t possibly say a bad thing and I won’t hear anybody say a bad thing about the Crucible."
