By Elliott West
Introduction
When asked to name an Australian snooker player, someone will reply with either John Campbell, Eddie Charlton, Warren King or Neil Robertson. However, there is someone else who is rarely mentioned. He is of course the former professional player, Vinnie Calabrese. Coming from Campbelltown, New South Wales, Calabrese spent a number of years living in Cambridge, a city where Neil Robertson also resides.
Career
Born in 1987, Vinnie started playing snooker at the age of 7, winning a number of local tournaments in his early years. By the age of 16, Calabrese had won the Australian Snooker Championship. A regular practice partner of Neil Robertson since 2006, Vinnie spent a lot of time in England, mainly playing in PIOS tournaments and trying to become a professional via Q School. This eventually happened when he won the Oceania Championship in Papua New Guinea with a 6-5 victory over Matthew Bolton in the final. A win that earned him a two-year tour card for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
2013-14 Season
Calabrese joined the main tour at an ideal time because it coincided with the introduction of the flat draws. This allowed him to qualify for the main stages of the Wuxi Classic where he defeated Anthony McGill 5-3. He went on to lose to John Higgins in the last 64 stages 5-1. A promising progression also ensued in the UK Championship where he overcame his initial nerves to win a deciding frame against Dominic Dale with a 70 break to win 6-5. However, he would go on to lose to Gary Wilson in the second round 6-3.
Vinnie didn’t fare so well in the European Tour events, being knocked out in the first round of seven of the eight events. He did however beat Mark Selby 4-2, Dechawat Poomjaeng 4-2 and David Morris 4-1 to reach the last 16 of the Bluebell Wood Open. In the last 16, he was 3-0 up but went on to lose 4-3. A season that left him 105 in the rankings.
2014-15 Season
Calabrese only won two matches during this season and as a result, decided to give up his tour card when he lost 4-1 to Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Welsh Open. This enabled him to compete in the Oceania Championship, a tournament he would go on to win for a second time and regain a two-year tour card as a result.
2015-16 Season
Vinnie would only win 13 matches in this season and despite getting back on the tour, was relegated at the end of the season from the professional tour. This was despite him having already resigned his place several months earlier.
