'If you've got to go!' - Mark King needs toilet mid-frame as baffled Neil Robertson laughs at English Open

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 06/11/2021 at 23:46 GMT

With Robertson at the table in what was a turgid match, King managed to slow things down even more during the eighth frame when level at 4-4 as he jumped up from his chair, put his cue on the table and strode off to visit the facilities. Stream the English Open and top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+

There were bizarre scenes at the English Open as Mark King needed to go to the toilet mid-frame as Neil Robertson laughed in his chair, totally baffled.

Playing in the second semi-final with John Higgins having downed Ronnie O'Sullivan in a thriller earlier in the day, King and Robertson played out a turgid encounter with the snooker far from free-flowing.

With Robertson at the table, King managed to slow things down even more during the eighth frame when level at 4-4 as he jumped up from his chair, put his cue on the table and strode off to visit the facilities.

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It was a surreal moment as Robertson was left laughing and exchanging comments with the referee, who appeared to be equally baffled.

• 'You are awake, then?' - King jokes with crowd during semi-final
• 'I said to Ronnie to get rid of that' - Higgins tells O'Sullivan to change chalk
• Higgins fights back to stun O’Sullivan and reach English Open final

The fans did not quite know how to react either as a delay ensued with King's cue resting on the table, mid-frame.

'It's hard' - Robertson laments gruelling battle with King at English Open

King eventually returned and Robertson went on to win the frame as the sluggish match took another painful turn.

"Well, I've seen him do this before," said Eurosport expert Neal Foulds, on commentary at the time.

For him to need to go to the toilet mid-frame... well I suppose if you've got to go, you've got to go!

For Robertson and the crowd, the wait was certainly not worth it.

It wasn't the only strange moment in the match. Earlier, King joked to the crowd, "You are awake, then!" after he fouled at the end of a frame.

'You are awake, then?' - King jokes with crowd during semi-final

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