By elliott West
Germany only hosts two of the twenty tournaments on the snooker tour but like a good Riesling they are extremely special. Having experienced the atmosphere of the German Masters firsthand, the Paul Hunter Classic has become the German equivalent of the invitational Masters. The event is a fitting tribute to Paul Hunter who lost his battle to cancer in 2006. This tournament was originally part of the PTC series but fortunately survived after the events were disbanded. Played over a weekend in Fuerth, the cream of the snooker crop slog it out to lift a title that still brings tears to the eyes as memories of Paul flood back.
This year’s final did not disappoint with two of the greats vying it out for the title. Last year’s winner Kyren Wilson again made the final stage and was pitched against Barry Hawkins. Hawkins has recovered well from a recent boating accident when he sustained a cracked rib. Wilson on the other hand was hoping that this tournament could further springboard him into the season unlike the previous one when he won a string of events including this one but went flat over the rest of the season. In the end the final went to the wire and a deciding frame ensued with Hawkins emerging as the victor winning the match, 4-3.
Amidst the veil of victory however lies a problem with the running of this event. Not with the organisers as I feel this is spot on but how the tournament is broadcast or in this case isn’t. Originally Eurosport showed the whole tournament live and then this was sidelined to the Eurosport player. Now play has disappeared from their schedule and fans have to hunt for the results on the World Snooker website or other sites. This has enraged fans and should be addressed before next year’s event because this tournament is far too special to be kept off mainstream broadcasting. I implore the powers that be to change their course of thought.
German fans eat and breathe snooker and it is sad that these fans only have limited access to watch their heroes live. It would be great if we could have another longer German event in the calendar with a week rather than a weekend. Berlin and Fuerth have shown that snooker works in Germany and there are many other great cities in Germany where snooker could be showcased and a seven day tournament established. This sport is so special and is unique because it is universal in all languages. The audience may need to be educated on the rules but in Germany they have embraced snooker since the boom of the game in the 1980’s.
The Paul Hunter Classic is here to stay and hopefully the snooker message will create other tournaments in this impressive country!
