'Ronnie O’Sullivan came to me for help at World Championship – I couldn't say no'

 EXCLUSIVE: The cuemaker who altered Ronnie O'Sullivan's equipment during his Crucible semi-final on dealing with the snooker icon.

Ronnie O'Sullivan struggled with his cue throughout the World Championship

The cuemaker who made emergency alterations to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s equipment during the World Championship has described the snooker great as the perfect customer. Despite sharing the first eight frames of his semi-final against Zhao Xintong, The Rocket wasn’t happy with his cue, prompting him to get in touch with Martin Chesworth of Chesworth Cues in Sheffield.

The drastic move surprised many, including Chesworth, who was having his hair cut when he suddenly received a call from the seven-time world champion. The cue expert, who had done work for O’Sullivan in the past, decided to take on the job, which involved replacing both the tip and the ferrule (the metal sleeve that sits beneath the tip).

Chesworth told Express Sport: “He wasn’t playing at his best and I heard on the grapevine that there was a problem. But I don’t go pestering people for work, I’ve got enough work as it is.

“Anyway, I was in the barbers and he rings me. He sounded a bit anxious. He was adamant he wanted it changing. He wanted the titanium ferrule off and a brass ferrule putting on.

“I was asking him questions because I wanted to make sure we’d got the stuff in. When I work on someone’s cue, I don’t just put a ferrule on and then sand the cue down to fit the ferrule. I actually alter the ferrule to fit the cue. We do sympathetic restoration, not leaving it looking like it’s been butchered.

“I stayed back after work and did the job. I put him a decent tip on as well. I then dropped it round to where he was staying. He said, ‘Do you want to have some tea with us while you’re here?’ I couldn’t stay because I had other things to do.

“But I had a class of water with him and we had a good chat about tips. He always asks about those things. He’s very easy to get along with, very genuine, appreciative and very generous, so he’s got some lovely qualities.

“I got a text later on from him and he said, ‘It’s better.’ I just wished him well and that was the last I heard from him. He’s very generous and that’s perhaps a quality people don’t know about him.

Martin Chesworth with Ronnie O'Sullivan after delivering his altered cue

“When I’ve done jobs for him in the past, he’s always been friendly, upbeat and genuine. What more could you ask for from a customer?”

The alterations, sadly, didn’t improve O’Sullivan’s fortunes as he crashed to a 17-7 defeat, with most of the damage done during Friday morning’s session when he lost all eight frames. The defeat led to question marks over The Rocket’s decision to make fundamental changes to his cue in the middle of such a big match.

Chesworth has come in for some criticism himself for agreeing to perform the cue surgery, but he said: “I’m not the player, I’m only the bloke who did the job. People have said, ‘Why did you change it for him?’

Ronnie O'Sullivan's cue after being altered by Martin Chesworth (Image: Chesworth Cues)

“But he’s grown up, he’s 49 years old. What am I supposed to do, say I’m not doing it and he goes somewhere else, knowing full well I can do that job?

“I was on a hiding to nothing. I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t. If he’d won the World Championship this week, it would have been, ‘Isn’t Ronnie a great player?’ When he loses, they blame the ferrule! Anyone who makes cues would love the opportunity to work on Ronnie O’Sullivan’s.”

Chesworth, who has been in the cue business for 35 years, has done work for numerous top players, including new world champion Zhao, who practises at the nearby Victoria’s Snooker Academy.

With the World Championship having just finished and the World Seniors Championship, also played at the Crucible, now underway, this is one of Chesworth’s busiest times of the year. Only this week, he served a party of Brazilian snooker fans.