Bizarre incident as Joe Perry complains about opponent’s towel in World Championship qualifier

Joe Perry complained to the match referee after he felt repeatedly distracted by opponent Jamie Clarke’s towel during their World Championship qualifier.

Perry was left very agitated by the situation and, after talking with the referee, confronted Clarke about it mid-match.

“Joe went over to him and just said what he had to say there – things can get to you out there,” Eurosport pundit Neal Foulds said in trying to explain the incident on commentary.

“These things happen in snooker and you’re not able to hear it very often. I’m not going to form any judgement on that.”

There was no suggestion of the use of the towel being intentional, but it was a strange and awkward moment during the qualifying clash in Sheffield.

Eurosport’s Reanne Evans, who was knocked out earlier in qualifying, was left baffled by the situation and said she was not allowed one at all.

“Why has Jamie got his huge white towel I wasn’t allowed my own little black one?????” she wrote on Twitter.

Clarke, who went on to clinch the biggest win of his career so far in coming through 6-4, admitted afterwards in an interview with Eurosport that the incident had rattled him.

“It broke my concentration, probably broke his as well. It really made me nervous, to be honest,” he said.

You can watch the World Championship and the World Championship qualifying action live on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player.