MOORSIDE’S MICHAEL Wild has potted his biggest-ever prize in snooker.
The 34-year-old’s victory in the European Open in Prague has guaranteed him a place among snooker’s elite for the next two years.
After striving throughout his career for this moment, Michael now has the chance to compete against the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump on a regular basis.
Michael reflected: “I had never given up hope of making it, but when you fail at the last hurdle, as has happened to me a number of times, you wonder whether it is going to happen.
“It is never too late as there are players at the top level in their forties and world champion Stuart Bingham is aged 39.”
It took a super-human effort for Michael to finally make it to the top level of his sport.
He took part in six regional tournaments and had to finish top overall in them to qualify to compete in the European Open where he had to top a field of 108 players.
Michael, who won nine matches to become European champion, said: “I fancied my chances because I had been playing well.
“It doesn’t matter how well you are playing, but you still have some very good players to beat. My hardest game was in the last 16 against a Pole and I won 5-4 having been 3-0 and 4-2 down.
“It was only the winner who gets to play on the tour so, had I finished runner-up which would still have been good, I would have missed out and it would have been back to square one competing all round England again trying to qualify.”
Michael starts out in the big time in early August in Barnsley which stages the qualifiers for the Shanghai Masters.
And next year he knows that he will be only three qualifying rounds away from competing at the World Championships at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
Michael, who has a full-sized snooker table at his home in Moorside, says the pressure won’t be as intense as he knows he has two years to make his mark on snooker’s biggest stage.
He explained: “There was pressure playing in Prague knowing what the rewards were for winning, but I don’t think they will be as great.
“I have played Rod Lawler, who is ranked 36th on the tour, a number of times and hold my own against him when we meet.”
Michael is looking for a sponsor as he bids to establish himself at the highest level of the sport and he can be contacted on 07592 596914.
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