Every year I invest two fraught weeks of my life in World Championship Snooker. The missed pots… the remarkable clearances… the momentum shifts. All pull me in unexpected directions.
I surprised myself this year by heartily supporting 22-year old Wu Yize as he defeated a succession of ageing snooker grandees to claim his first title.
My first love is always Ronnie O’Sullivan. The best ever. He brings an elevated level of theatre to any match he plays. Usually brilliant. But loses often enough to be fallible. Once Ronnie’s knocked out I mourn… and then transfer my allegiance to a remaining player.
This year that went to someone far from my demographic. Wu Yize is a young man. We don’t share a language. He doesn’t seem to know what fear is. Or the significance of what he’s achieving. And he even said he just wanted to go to bed when asked how he was going to celebrate. Brilliant.
Wu also said that his parents – who were there watching – were the real, deserving World Champions. And that he loved them very much. Brought a lump to my throat.
See you next year young man.
Andrew Greenhalgh 