Blog
There’s a well-known phrase about the ‘luck of the Irish’ – well I hope that rings true because I almost feel like an honorary Irishman this week!
After getting an early taste for all things Irish by watching the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations, I then took in a spot of Riverdance before spending four fantastic days in the Emerald Isle itself.
For the last few weeks, Mukesh has been telling me to keep the 17th free because we’re going to Nottingham. He wouldn’t tell me why, and despite trying to find out on the internet what was happening in Nottingham on that day, I had no idea what to expect.
So when we turned up at the Royal Concert Hall to see Riverdance, I was a little surprised to say the least. But it was brilliant, the way they move their feet so quickly is amazing. We had a great time and I thoroughly enjoyed it – but one thing is for sure, I won’t be trying it myself!
Two days later, with the noise of the Riverdancers’ steps still ringing in my ears, we were on a plane heading for Dublin.
We were spending four days in Ireland with Steve Davis, putting on exhibitions at three different venues around the country.
I’ve said before how Steve was one of the main players I looked up to when I was a kid watching snooker on TV. He was a legend then and he’s a legend now.
We had a fantastic time and I learned so much from him during the exhibitions. He’s such a natural and really, really quick at firing out the gags, and it was a privilege to be a part of it with him.
The Irish people are great too, so welcoming and friendly. I can honestly say I’ve never met an Irishman, or woman, I didn’t like.
And they certainly like the ‘craic’ as well! Mind you, they had plenty of reason to celebrate after winning the Six Nations Grand Slam. I don’t really follow rugby – I can’t quite get my head around some of the rules – but I watched the first half of the match against Wales before I had to leave for that night’s exhibition. You can imagine the party after Ireland won!
I hope some of that luck rubs off on me because I’ve got a big couple of weeks, starting with trying to qualify for the Matchroom Premier League.
I’m in the final qualifying group on Wednesday and Thursday and I would love to play in the tournament proper again. Reaching the final on my debut last year was brilliant, but I’d like to go one step further this time. It’s a great tournament to be involved in, and the exposure on Sky is good not only for me, but also for snooker.
When that’s over, we fly out on Saturday for the China Open. Via Helsinki!
Yes, that’s right, we’ve got a three-hour stop-over in Finland on the way to Beijing. I hope it won’t be too cold, although the Finns love their vodka so maybe that will warm us up a bit!
It’s a long flight, and there are about 12 of us pros on the plane. It’s usually a good atmosphere, we mingle and chat, and play a bit of cards. Hopefully it will help pass away the time.
I love going back to China, it’s an amazing country and they are so passionate about their snooker over there. They always seem to get behind me too, and I hope I can give them something to cheer about next week. I would love to go there for a holiday as well, because we never get to spend as much time as I would like doing all the tourist things.
When I get back from Beijing, I’ve got about 10 days before the World Championships start in Sheffield. I’m just taking it one day at a time at the moment, but I’m already getting a few butterflies thinking about it.
The next two weeks will give me great match practice, and I’m determined to make amends for last year when Mark King beat me in the first round at the Crucible.
I’ve put my hand up and said I didn’t prepare as well as I could have done last year – that will not be the case this time, and the odd bit of Irish luck thrown in will not go amiss.
