Shoot Out: WPBSA to review event after Dave Gilbert controversy

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Dave GilbertImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Gilbert lost to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the opening round of last year's World Championship

Snooker's governing body will consider changes to its one-frame Shoot Out after controversy on the final day of this year's tournament in Watford.

World number 21 Dave Gilbert was knocked out in the quarter-finals after referee Rob Spencer failed to call a time foul on China's Xiao Guodong.

Gilbert, 35, expressed his anger, external over the manner of his defeat.

"We will review this," said WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson., external "Extra fail-safe is needed for the future."

This is the first year the Shoot Out has counted as ranking event.

Each match has a maximum time of 10 minutes, with players on a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and 10 seconds for the second half of the frame.

'No way this should be a ranking event': McGill wins Shoot Out tournament

Spencer was unable to hear the clock had run out on Xiao because of the noise from the crowd.

"Current rules state players have the opportunity to intervene at the time and call the referee's attention," Ferguson added.

"You have to feel for Dave here, though, not easy at the time with the noise, distractions, time restraints etc."

Fellow players Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams were among those to offer their support to Gilbert, while one of his sponsors described the situation as a "debacle".

Anthony McGill won the event, beating Xiao 67-19 to make it two victories from two in career ranking finals, having won the Indian Open last May

He said: "It is a coin-toss tournament. In no way on God's earth should this be a ranking tournament."

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