Chris Wakelin reckons the ongoing battle between Kyren Wilson and Shaun Murphy over who is the best player with the rest is ‘quite pathetic’ and ‘a sausage competition.’
The very specific snooker topic of who is the best with the rest generally sees Wilson and Murphy touted as the top two in the world.
Barry Hawkins often gets a nod as excellent with the rest, while Jimmy White was always seen as very good with the piece of equipment, but the general consensus is that Wilson and Murphy are at the top of this tree.
It is a discussion that gets brought up pretty regularly – not least by the players in question – but Wakelin is not entirely sure why either player is bothered about it.
Wakelin takes on Wilson in the opening round of the British Open on Monday, telling Metro: ‘There’s no easy games. It was a hell of a season last year, but I didn’t have an easy draw in every single tournament.
‘That’s not how it works now. You have to play difficult players in every single round. Obviously you don’t get much tougher than the world number two, the self-proclaimed best rest player in the world.’
On whether that comment suggested he disagreed with that proclamation, Wakelin said: ‘I don’t get involved in all that.
‘I think it’s quite pathetic, to be honest: “I want to be the best at something. I want to be the best at something that probably doesn’t make any difference to your game.” I want to be the best all-rounder.’
Wakelin went further, telling his rivals to ‘grow up’ and get over the ‘sausage competition’ they have got involved in over the rest.
‘It’s all a bit of a sausage competition, shall we say,’ he said. ‘I think the pair of them need to just grow up and find something else to talk about.
‘Every time they get the rest out, they’re like, “I’m the best because I’ve potted one with it.” There’s a life to be lived, guys. Get over it.’
Murphy appeared to have claimed victory in the rest debate when he won the Masters in January, beating Wilson in the final and ending the tournament with 100 per cent pot success when playing with the rest.
The Magician potted all 51 of his efforts with the rest at Alexandra Palace, but then kept the so-called sausage competition alive by suggesting Wilson actually had the upper-hand.
‘If I’m totally honest, it is a bit niche, but isn’t that what we’re here for? I would actually say Kyren is better with the rest than I am,’ said Murphy.
‘I think he’s a better rest player than me. I think he has a much wider range, a much fuller range of shots that he can play.
‘I might be a bit more accurate as the stats this week show, but he has a much bigger range of shots he can play, and I’m surprised he ever misses with it. He’s incredible.’
Murphy is in action against Ross Muir in his British Open first round match at 7pm on Monday with Wakelin and Wilson meeting for a place in the second round later in the evening.
