03 Jul 2008 13:28:00
www.worldsnooker.com
Tamworth's top talent looks back on last season and ahead to the next one...
How would you sum up last season?
Not very good. I won most of my first round games but didn't do anything else.
Were there any highlights?
No, nothing special
What was the low point?
Losing my first match in the 888.com World Snooker Championship qualifiers 10-3 to Liang Wenbo, especially as he went on to the quarter-finals. The previous year I'd qualified for the Crucible and that's where you want to be at the end of the season.
What's your target for next season?
To qualify for every venue and give myself a chance of taking on the top players. I want to be involved at the venue stage rather than always playing at the qualifiers.
Will you change anything to help you achieve that goal?
I'll practise more. You've got to put the hours in. I need to get around a bit more and practise against better players. I work part-time for my dad's farming company but I'm going to do less of that. The work gives me a few extra pennies but I'd rather put more time into snooker and give myself the potential to win more matches. If they really need my help I'll give them a hand, but otherwise I'll be putting a lot more into practice.
What are you up to over the summer?
A bit of farming, and playing golf once a week with the lads. My handicap is around 12.
When you played at the Crucible last year, your mum, Joan, had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. How is she now?
Thankfully she's been given the all-clear so she's got a clean bill of health. It was looking a bit dodgy at the time so obviously that's been a great relief.