Gary Wilson Seeks Nineball Success Amid Snooker Struggles

Gary Wilson Aims for Nineball Pool Glory Amidst Snooker Struggles

Snooker star Gary Wilson is venturing into the world of Nineball pool this week, hoping to find success at the European Open Pool Championship in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 39-year-old has endured a challenging season on the snooker circuit, with his best result being a single quarter-final appearance.

Wilson, a two-time ranking event winner last season, has seen his form and results dip in the current campaign. He has fallen out of the top 16 in the world rankings and faces the daunting prospect of World Championship qualifying next month. However, before that crucial test, Wilson is taking a detour to the pool table in search of a morale boost.

The Tyneside Terror has already made waves on the World Nineball Tour, claiming impressive victories over top players like Naoyuki Oi and Tomasz Kaplan. His best finish to date is a last 16 run at the 2023 UK Open. While pleased with his achievements so far, Wilson believes he has more to offer and is determined to go deep in a major event soon.

"To be honest, I've probably done roughly what I thought would happen and what is possible," Wilson told Metro Sport. "I thought I'd be capable of beating any name because it is pool, I'm obviously going to be good at certain parts of it and you can beat anyone. But at the same time, I'm actually a touch disappointed, I've only had one last 16. I would like to push past the last 16 and go deep in one of them and see how I cope against the big, big players. It would just be fun, it would be a buzz to be in the final stages of another cue sport and see what that's like."

Wilson is well aware that success in snooker does not automatically translate to the pool world. While some snooker players may harbor illusions of easily conquering the pool scene, Wilson maintains a realistic perspective. He acknowledges that with dedicated practice, he could become highly competitive, but trophy aspirations are not his primary focus at this juncture.

"We know that you can't just swan in to a top-level professional sport of any kind and start beating everybody. I never thought that," he said. "You need a fair bit of luck and a fair bit of practice, a lot more than what I'm doing. There are a few on tour who think that. I do hear that. They think we can automatically beat top players and get to latter stages, but it is not that easy. If I played for a month solid then I'd fancy being very competitive because I'm used to big occasions and playing on TV. I'd still be lacking years of experience but I do fancy being very competitive if I played solid for a month."

For Wilson, the European Open Pool Championship serves as a "free roll" before the intense pressure of World Championship qualifying. While he aims to perform well and enjoy the experience, he is keeping expectations in check.

"I'm going to try and enjoy it this week, or there's no point going, I'm going to try me hardest to do well but I'm not putting any pressure on myself," Wilson explained. "If I get beat, I come home. If I win a few games, nick a few quid and enjoy myself then great. It's a free roll, just having a stab at something. You know deep down that if everything goes your way, get a bit of luck then you can have a decent run, do something, get on Sky Sports. But mainly for me, I'm going to enjoy it, it's nice to see the lads, I'm kind of part of two tours now which is nice. It's not a holiday, but it is somewhere to go that's enjoyable. Then I'll relax and go back to work in the snooker."

Wilson's snooker season may have been disappointing thus far, but he refuses to make excuses, attributing the lackluster results to his own performances. "A lot of the games I haven't played up to scratch," he admitted. "Even though I've lost a lot of close games, I feel that if I'd even played somewhat of my game it'd probably have been the other way round, even if it had been a decider. I've had periods in the past where I've been pretty decent and kept coming out the wrong end of them and they're a bit more frustrating because I'm not playing bad and getting beat. But a lot of matches this season the results have not gone my way and that's down to me not being up to standard."

Key Takeaways:

• Gary Wilson is participating in the European Open Pool Championship in Sarajevo this week, seeking success in Nineball amidst a tough snooker season.
• Wilson has already made an impact on the World Nineball Tour but believes he can go deeper in major events with more experience and practice.
• The snooker star maintains a realistic outlook, understanding that dominating the pool world requires dedication and time.
• Wilson sees the pool tournament as an enjoyable diversion before the intense challenge of World Championship snooker qualifying.
• Despite a disappointing snooker campaign, Wilson takes responsibility for his performances and aims to bounce back.