“I want to be the Cassius Clay of snooker. Cassius is the greatest at boxing and that’s what I mean to be at snooker.”
Alex Higgins
Introduction
The World Championship qualifiers can always be brutal, with plenty of shocks and thrills. The tight booths with every shot played out on the live stream and an eerie silence deafening in victory or defeat. This year has been no exception so far, with Jimmy White saying goodbye after just one win, Ken Doherty producing some magic after ditching his beloved cue and a retirement swansong for Joe Perry and Dominic Dale after long careers on the green base. Although no sooner as I have written this, Ken Doherty loses 10-2 to David Lilley. That’s the nature of the beast! We even saw Jack Lisowski crash out to an in-form Basildon player, Zak Surety. This is despite Jack attaining an excellent 133 break in the first frame. This is the brutal reality of the qualifiers as players battle to get to Judgment Day and one of the prized spots in the first round of the World Championship at the Crucible. Who would have thought Gary Wilson would have to fight for his place? Although he seems to be in fine form, motoring his way to Judgment Day with a 10-1 win over Hammad Miah. Ouch! We even saw Anthony Hamilton return from 9-0 down to beat Steven Hallworth. With just 16 places on offer, this will be a gripping snooker drama. All will be decided on April 15th and 16th.
No Done Deal
Of course, the qualifiers are only the precursor to this 17-day gruelling snooker marathon, and a player could easily do all the hard work and crash out in the first round. That’s the brutality of snooker, and let’s face it: the truth is that only one player can win this title and hold it for a year. Some have won it before, but for others, it is that dream they crave to become a reality. Years of blood, sweat and tears have been harnessed in snooker clubs, practice tables and early exits on the tour. The World Championship is the Wimbledon of the season. It has grown since its conception in 1977 at the Crucible. Leicester Square Hall, Manchester and all the other working men’s clubs it was once played at may be a distant memory, but this venue, which holds less than a thousand people, is a holy shrine for snooker players and fans alike. A place where the devout come for a 17-day holiday and sit for hours on end to watch the drama be played out. The starting pistol has yet to be fired, but we will soon know the snooker army is competing in this war of attrition.
