By Elliott West
Introduction
Turkish snooker fans have had to wait with bated breath for the start of the Turkish Masters. A tournament that had to be postponed in September last year due to high Coronavirus levels deeming the country as a red zone and wildfires that were spreading at the time. Despite causing a hole in the snooker calendar at the time, players such as Mark Selby and Judd Trump used the free time as a chance to go and play pool in the USA in the US Open Pool Championship and the Ultimate Pool Pairs Cup respectively with Selby taking his pool partner Gareth Potts along with him.
In a country that is steeped in history, Turkey has always had a large number of snooker fans, fans that avidly tune into Turkish Eurosport to catch one of the many tournaments televised, using the television feed alongside Turkish speaking commentators. In a land where the local lady Grandma Fatma is revered for her love of the game and always cheering on her snooker hero, Mark Selby from the comfort of her living room.
Turkey like Germany has a smattering of snooker clubs and a few players but sadly at this stage, none to write home about. So the signing of a five year deal by World Snooker in Antalya is just what the Turkish doctor ordered. An event to be held at the lavish Nirvana Cosmopolitan Hotel, where a wealth of snooker players will take part minus players such as Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan who have withdrawn for personal reasons. A tournament that attracts a cash wealth of a £500,000 prize fund with £100,000 going to the winner at the end of the week’s play.
Day One
The much-anticipated play got underway yesterday and I must say I was impressed. The event organisers are using a social media friend of mine, Alisha Singh as their Master of Ceremonies, her first time in the role but one that she is a natural at. I would say though that the television lighting needs to be sorted out as it makes the venue seem dark and the lights leave an angelic hue on the top of the players’ heads. That aside I have fallen in love with the carpet in the venue. Bright and full of life, it creates a fiery atmosphere under the five tables currently being used. A carpet that Joe Johnson jokingly said in commentary that he wouldn’t mind having a piece of at the end of the tournament for his front room.
The two players that stood out on the first day were ThepchaiyaUn-Nooh who beat the local Turkish player, Ismail Turker 5-0, Jordan defeated Ashley Hugill 5-2, Kyren Wilson produced perfection snooker against Rory McLeod, beating his opponent 5-0 and John Higgins, thanks to a fluke on a pink early on in the match, defeated the European Under-21 champion, Dylan Emery 5-2. Wins also came for Jackson Page, Zhao Xintong, Graeme Dott, Tom Ford, Matthew Selt, Wu Yize, Anthony McGill and an emotional Michael Holt who showed his joy after defeating Lukas Kleckers 5-4.
Afterthoughts
The Turkish Masters is a tournament that explores new territory and leads snooker out of the Coronavirus mire that has largely confined the game to Milton Keynes for the last two years. I do feel that this event is a winner and will grow year on year with massive potential for new investment and sponsorship with Turkish Radio and the Television Corporation having already agreed to broadcast the tournament. The writing on the contract may have only just dried for this five-year deal but hopefully there will be a massive surge of interest and potential play in this rich and diverse country.
Turkey is only the start of this continental snooker crusade and hot on the heels of this tournament comes the return of the Gibraltar Open. Hopefully, soon the China market will open up again and players will be able to travel to the wealth of tournaments that this country offers. There is already talk of the Women’s Tour playing a tournament in Australia and I am sure Jason Ferguson and his team are planning future existing and new events across the globe as the market gradually reopens. As I am often reminded, there isn’t a second in the day when snooker isn’t being played somewhere in the world. Exciting times and times prove that snooker is in a very good and healthy place.
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