A Thai surprise

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It seems so long ago that Thailand produced a quality player, James Watanna was the last, reaching number three in the rankings in the early 1990s. Last night in the Shootout we saw Thepchaiya Un-Nooh make not only the highest break in the tournament’s history but also the title. The Thai has been knocking on the silverware door for sometime but has always ended up being a nearly man, memorably missing the crucial black for a 147.

Thepchaiya is a quick player and a fantastic potter and so was well suited for this event but has always lacked the all round game to play conventional snooker. His attacking play has sadly become his Achilles’ heel. This type of play works when you can maintain the break but if you miss and let your opponent in, the world becomes their oyster, leaving them plum in the balls.

Despite this critique of the Thai, Michael Georgiou’s win last year showed that this tournament can be the first stepping stone in improving a lower rank player’s form, ranking points and the potential to compete and win elusive tournaments such as the Champion of Champions.

Ironically, this competition was criticised by some players in past years, especially when Barry Hearn made it a ranking event. Now players such as Peter Ebdon have had to eat humble pie and now praises it. It may not be conventional snooker but the Shootout is here to stay.


Comments

  1. Unknown25 February 2019 at 04:43

    Great competition.. Really enjoyed the atmosphere and seeing a lot more up and coming snooker players. ☘️

    ReplyDelete

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