By Elliott West
Introduction
The World Championship hasn’t even started yet but down at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, a war of snooker attrition is being fought out in the World Championship qualifiers for a prized place in round one of the tournament. There are been plenty of casualties so far with a number of well-known players waving goodbye to the main tour that has been their bread and butter for so many years.
The maize of qualifying cubicles that currently occupy this building, provide a daunting task for those involved and ones that the players will leave either jubilant or despondent. Never mind the prospective 17 days at the Crucible, the task in hand could be likened to racing the Grand National or running the London Marathon. Qualifiers that take no prisoners and only the best player in the allotted match can progress further. A process when a player can win their first match and fall at the next juncture. No one is safe and a lack of form will quickly be detected, leaving those players licking their wounds in the car park.
So Near But So Far
A number of snooker players have already been tossed aside by this brutal process and these include Fergal O’Brien and Ken Doherty which now means that there is only Michael Judge left from the Republic of Ireland on the tour. Fergal may decide to try his hand at Q School after losing to the young and talented Welshman, Liam Davies 4-5 and Ken hopes that he is offered another invitational tour card for his years of contribution to the game after losing 4-6 to Rory McLeod. They are joined by Nigel Bond who decided to take the opportunity to retire as a professional after 33 years when he lost 6-1 to Germany’s Lukas Kleckers. A decision that has been coming for a while after poor form continues to consume his game and concentrate instead on coaching and still taking part in World Seniors events.
Not All Doom and Gloom
Michael Holt continues his run into round 3 after a good win over Hammad Miah, beating him 6-1 and now faces Tom Ford. He is joined by a resurgent Matthew Stevens who dispatched Gerard Greene 6-1 and will now face Sam Craigie. Dominic Dale gets a walkover after his opponent Liang Wenbo was barred from the competition and all future events, pending a disciplinary investigation following a conviction for an assault on a woman in Sheffield. Elliot Slessor also progresses after a whopping 6-0 victory over Ian Burns.
Afterthoughts
Whoever is lucky enough to reach the first round of the World Championship is worth their weight in gold. However, progression always comes with certain danger in the Crucible arena and the top dogs of the tournament will be circling ready to pounce on their opponents. The World Championship isn’t for the faint-hearted and requires true stamina, grit and determination. Only the best will survive this seventeen-day marathon to fight it out for the most prestigious prize in the snooker calendar.
With Trump, Selby, Robertson and O’Sullivan nipping at their heels, victory will constantly be sensed and the fight for the World Championship qualifiers will quickly fade into the Sheffield sunset. Snooker can be so cruel, splintering the soul and crushing a player’s belief. Snooker is always the ultimate winner but a player from either the predictable top 16 or the possible depths of the qualifiers will ultimately kiss the silver lady on the trophy as they bask in their hour of glory.
