Every talented snooker young man will inevitably imagine himself standing in the dreamy Cruzburg Theater when he is stunned. Irish young player Aaron Hill is a little different. He has been thinking about the arrival of this day since he picked up the snooker club for the first time.
Text / Michael McMurland
Aaron Hill in WSF event
On Bralney Street in the center of Cork, Ireland, there is a Cruzburg Snooker Club. Not far from this club is the mural of Roy Keane, a famous attractions in the city. He is a star player of the Irish team in the 1994 World Cup and the captain of Manchester United in the glorious period.
html For more than 0 years, this second largest city in Ireland has contributed a large number of outstanding sports talents to the country. In addition to Keane , there are also football player Dennis Irving , track and field star Sonia O'Sullivan and Irish hockey legend Christie Ling.Snooker has not yet waited for a star player from the place, but 18-year-old Aaron Hill has been preparing for it since he was a child and strives to become a pioneer.
Hill and European U18 Championship Trophy
"The first deep memory I left behind when I saw snooker was the 2013 World Championships. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the championship after a season break." Hill said, "I can't remember how he played, but I remember that I went to Youtube to watch his game almost every night. He is really a warrior. As long as the game he participated in is always worth looking forward to."
"Billiards Emperor" Stephen Hendry said one thing for people: it took him less than four years from picking up the club to touching snooker to becoming a professional player. Hill did not spend too long more than Hendry. He started serious training at the age of 13. Like this Scottish legend, Hill also highlighted his talent in this sport early.
Hill said: "I have never had a formal coach. I have indeed cooperated with national team coach PJ Nolan, but I have only taken a few courses of him. As long as I participate in major competitions, PJ will guide me psychologically. If I struggle and are in poor condition, I will ask PJ to solve my problems, and he will help me find the right direction."
In February this year, Hill defeated Karen Wilson and others in a single limited time match to enter the top 32
In fact, Hill has not performed badly in major competitions in the past two years. He has won the European U18 championship for two consecutive years, followed by a valuable professional tour qualification with the U21 championship and will land on the World Snooker Tour (WST) as a professional player in the new season.
He recalled: "Recalling my trip to Portugal in March, I felt exhausted and played two games a day for two consecutive weeks, but once I won the semi-finals, I felt relieved to return to the room, told myself that my professional qualifications were only one step away, and then I led 4-0 in the final, and played better than I thought."
England opponent Haydn Stanilan won the next two games, but it was difficult to stop the Irishman from successfully winning the match point and ended the battle 5-2 to ensure professional qualifications for the next two seasons. This also made him invited to participate in the World Championships qualifying round for the second consecutive year. Hill will join the competition at the England Sports Association in Sheffield on July 21.
Hill
Recalling the scene of his debut against veteran Gerald Green in the World Championships qualifying round last year, Hill said: "I think I should have won that game and should have led 6-3. As a result, Gerald won the last game of the first stage by snooker while being super-scored, and scored the score to 4-5. The difference between these two scores is too big. "
" The next day I played well, leading 7-6, but Gerald scored a few high-scoring singles and won me 10-7 in a row. I felt that I had become stronger and could not wait to go on the court to test my strength."
Like everyone else, Hill's career has also stagnated due to the epidemic, but fortunately, his decision to install a practice table at home last year allowed him to avoid the dilemma of no ball to play.
"I have been playing snooker full-time for a year or two. My progress has been obvious since I installed a ball table at home for ten months. Usually, I practice for 5 or 6 hours during the day and then practice with my friends at night. I will make full preparations for the World Championship qualifiers," he said.
Hill
Ken Dahdi and Furgail O'Brien have been playing in professional arena for nearly 30 years, but the Dublin two still face the problem of relegation in the World Championships qualifying round, so Hill is currently the only Irishman to ensure professional qualifications in the new season.
He continued: "Every player's original intention is persistence in love, and the championship is a reward. I have won three European championships in two years, and nothing can bring me more confidence."
It is this combination of optimism, dedication and talent that has made Hill the most promising snooker star in Ireland in many years.
Please stick with it. Perhaps in the near future, the platform for his self-display will no longer be limited to the "Cruzburg" in his hometown city, but the real Cruzburg!
