Judd Trump said he was frustrated at the cue ball "taking off like a ping pong ball" after his 10-9 defeat to Kyren Wilson at the Players Championship snooker final in Telford.
World No 2 and reigning world champion Wilson knocked off top-ranked Trump in a thriller as he beat his opponent in a third straight final, after the Xi'an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open in the second half of 2024.
Wilson - who led Trump 8-5 and 9-7 in Telford before the world No 1 fought back twice - is now up to four ranking titles for the 2024/25 season having also won the German Masters in February and 10 in his career, level with Jimmy White.
Trump was denied a third ranking title of the campaign, following wins at the Saudi Arabia Masters and UK Championship, as Wilson won the deciding frame 69-30 after Trump fired in the only century of the match to set up a decider.
Trump told ITV afterwards: "The balls were playing a bit tricky, it wasn't like the rest of the tournament where I was able to play free-flowing.
"I don't know what the difference was. It was very, very strange and I don't think I've ever experienced that before in a tournament.
"It was tricky, tricky for both of us. The [cue] ball was very light and it was taking off like a ping-pong ball. It was a bit strange."
Wilson, who will defend his Crucible title in Sheffield from April 19, said: "It's so special to lift trophies.
"For me growing up, watching a legend like Jimmy [White], to be level with him [on 10 ranking titles] is a dream come true. This gives me a bit of confidence going into [the World Championship]."
