Snooker stars scared of being stabbed like Monica Seles after protest

Mark Allen and Mark Williams fear this year’s attack on the Crucible by climate protesters shows a Monica Seles-style stabbing is possible in snooker. This year’s World Snooker Championship was interrupted when a ‘Just Stop Oil’ activist got on the table in the Rob Milkins against Joe Perry first-round match in Sheffield – before covering it in orange powder.

Another was prevented from trying to glue herself to the other table by referee Olivier Marteel in the Allen vs Fan Zhengyi match. But despite no one getting hurt, security and player safety immediately come under scrutiny given the ease with which the protest was executed.

Three-time world champion Williams, 48, was quick to point out “the problem is they could have had knives on them” as a scarier side of the theatre’s intimate and tight surroundings was highlighted.

Former tennis women’s world No 1 and nine-time Grand Slam winner Seles was infamously stabbed while sitting in her chair by a crazed fan invading the court in Hamburg 30 years ago.

And player of the season Allen, looking for a first Crucible success after winning three titles in the current campaign, said: “I can see there is a safety risk. Knowing that people jumping out could have had knives makes what referee Olivier Marteel did even more impressive.

“He didn’t know what they had or didn’t have, he just instinctively acted. Unfortunately bad things happen. We saw it with Monica Seles in tennis, and you get some crazed fans or crazed protestors that go down weird roads to prove their point.

“The spectators are very close. I remember thinking the first time I played here at the Crucible that it feels as if someone could reach out and touch your cue. So if you had someone in there that could potentially be a danger, it’s far from perfect.

“But it’s hard to know what more you can do. Even more security? I’m not sure if you want to go down that road. I know some players have received death threats, and have had to play under that knowledge.”