Snooker star Mark Allen has made the decision to withdraw from the upcoming Wuhan Open in China. However, his absence from the tournament does not mean he is out of the spotlight. Allen recently took to social media to express his frustration with fellow player Shaun Murphy after the latter defended table conditions at the British Open.

“Baffling behavior,” Allen said of Murphy’s comments.

Allen, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, was scheduled to face Jamie Clarke in the second round of the Wuhan Open. Despite his early exit from the tournament, Allen had previously secured qualification by defeating Bai Yulu 5-1 in July.

The ongoing feud between Allen and Murphy began when Allen criticized the tables at the British Open, suggesting they should be “burned.” Murphy, who serves as chairman of the WPBSA Players Board, defended the conditions and labeled Allen’s criticism as a “misconception.”

“I think some of the criticism from fellow professionals has been nothing short of rude and amateurish,” Murphy commented.

In response to Murphy’s defense, Allen accused him of being a “Yes Man” and giving conflicting opinions to players privately and publicly. The public spat between the two players shows no signs of abating, with Allen expressing his frustration on social media.

“It’s about time the players understood that it’s about which match is the most attractive, the most exciting, which is going to pull more viewers in and that’s the one that will go first, it’s no more complicated than that,” Murphy stated on his podcast.

The back-and-forth between Allen and Murphy highlights the tensions within the professional snooker world. Despite his decision to withdraw from the Wuhan Open, Allen remains a prominent figure both on and off the table.