OR NOT QUITE DONE...

The only sour note on day one of the final qualifying round were a few negative comments about playing conditions.

This is how Matthew Stevens saw them: “The table was atrocious. It was like playing on mud. I have changed the cloth on my practice table to replicate the conditions but this was just so slow.

“To be fair to Martin he played quite well but I didn’t feel that I could get back into it when I was three or four frames down because of the condition of the table.”

Michael Judge also complained, saying: "I ended up playing on the worst table that I have played on all year."

Of course, both Stevens and Judge lost and could therefore be accused of sour grapes.

I think this would be wrong, particularly in the case of Stevens who is always gracious in defeat.

I had heard that there had been a few moans and groans about conditions but some players adapt better than others.

Martin Gould, for instance, compiled three centuries and there was some good snooker on show in the other matches.

The difficulty if you haven't taken to a table is shutting that out of your mind when you go behind.

If you feel conditions have already beaten you then you are not going to get through.