Dechawat Poomjaeng ‘not full shilling’

STEPHEN Maguire said he did not think Dechawat Poomjaeng was “the full shilling” after the Scot lost to him in the World Championship first round late on Tuesday night.

Maguire, the world No 5, suffered a shock 10-9 defeat by Poomjaeng. The Thai player, ranked No 70 in the world, applauded his own shots, willed Maguire’s to go awry and even spilled a bottle of water mid-frame.

“I was afraid to look. Crazy things were happening. I don’t think he’s the full shilling,” the Scot said. “I just had to switch off. I’ve never seen him before but there’s definitely something missing.”

But Maguire added: “He seems like a really nice boy and very genuine. The crowd seemed to take to him and got behind him at the end. He seemed to be enjoying it. I’ll have a pint, forget about it and move on to next season.”

Poomjaeng, who twice took a wrong turn when entering the Crucible arena, is in his second season as a professional.

He said: “I tried to relax and enjoy it rather than be serious, because that wouldn’t be good for my game. It was exciting.”