Dave Chisnall demands better conditions on Pro Tour: "When you see the money the tour are making at the moment..."

Dave Chisnall has called for better playing conditions on the ProTour following his early eliminations at the Players Championship events last week in the Netherlands.

The 44-year-old Englishman has no fewer than 18 Players Championship titles to his name and has topped the ProTour Order of Merit for the past two years. Still, he had a disappointing performance in the Netherlands, where he was eliminated surprisingly early.

Chisnall, currently ranked number seven in the world, suffered a remarkable defeat in the second round of the third event. He lost to Oskar Lukasiak with an average score of only 73.30-a performance well below his usual level. According to Chisnall, the icy cold at the venue played a major role in his mediocre performance.

“I’m back from a few days in Holland, which turned out to be a bit of a disappointing trip. I went out to Oskar Lukasiak but neither of us played well and I played awful. The average of 73.30 is pretty embarrassing, and if I was on any going day, I would have beat him easy. The thing is, it was absolutely freezing there and I could barely feel my fingers at times.  

Chisnall explained that the cold was a big problem. “I’ve seen complaints from a few of the other lads in the week – Daryl (Gurney), Justin (Hood) and a few others lads posting similar comments on social media.”

In addition to the cold, Chisnall also criticized the lack of facilities at the venue. "I’m not one to really complain about conditions or anything, because we’re all pros and have to adapt etc.  

“However, when you see the money the tour are making at the moment, like the new 5-year deal with Sky for example, they should be at least putting venues on with basic standards and heating. There were complaints about a lack of refreshments at the venue too, it’s all very basic.”

Despite his disappointment in the Netherlands, Chisnall is now focusing on the UK Open, which starts this week. A former semifinalist, he cherishes fond memories of the prestigious tournament.

“I’ve had a good record in this event, especially when it used to be played at Bolton’s football ground. I probably should have beaten Luke (Littler) here last year when 3-2 up at the break and then he came out and won 5-0 in about ten minutes that left me pretty stunned to be honest. You don’t need me to tell you that he’s a good player! 

“Robert Thornton beat me in the semis back in 2012 before beating Phil in the final, and despite the score of 10-5 it was actually pretty close!”