Chris Wakelin admitted that he had to overcome plenty of nerves as he edged past Neil Robertson in the first round of the World Snooker Championship on Sunday.
The Englishman won his first-ever match at the Crucible Theatre on his fourth visit to the iconic venue with a 10-8 success over the 2010 world champion.
Wakelin was in fine form in the opening session as he orchestrated a commanding 7-2 lead, only to see his esteemed opponent fight back with five frames on the bounce in the second session to restore parity.
But Wakelin, whose hand was visibly shaking at one point, managed to hold himself together and won three out of the concluding four frames to advance in the 2025 draw.
“It was terrifying towards the end,” world number 20 Chris Wakelin told the World Snooker Tour.
“I’ve nearly thrown it away three times. When I potted the black and it went back on the black spot, you could have knocked me down with a feather duster at that point.”
“I’ve gone from a match-winning opportunity to tying myself up in knots like Houdini, trying to get out of that situation.
“But it’s tough out there. You’re playing against one of the greatest players ever to play this game.
“He came back from 7-2 down to 7-7. I had to find a way of standing there and getting through.”
The triumph reflects the 33 year-old’s rapid progression up the ranks over the course of the last couple of years.
After years of playing the journeyman role on the main tour, Wakelin broke through with glory at the 2023 Snooker Shoot Out.
While there’s always a flavour of unpredictability with that tournament, getting his hands on silverware completely transformed the former English under-21 champion’s mindset.
That increased confidence was evident when he reached the final of the Northern Ireland Open several months later, where he was denied by Judd Trump.
This season, Wakelin has continued his upward trajectory by finishing runner-up to Ding Junhui at the International Championship and enjoying a brief stint inside the world’s top 16 that simultaneously gifted him a maiden invitation to the Masters.
By winning his first World Championship match against such an illustrious opponent, Wakelin has firmly established himself as a player ready to consistently compete at the sport’s top table.
“The psychological part of this game is the game. We’ve all got the skill to play out there,” Wakelin added.
“But doing it on the day when it matters, dealing with the crowd and the situation and the fact that this is the World Championship, and someone at the end of these two weeks is going to go home as world champion, it adds a lot of extra pressure.”
“I was prepared for it to go close today. I was ready for him to come back at me, and I managed to get over the line in the end.
“I tend not to think too much about the results when I’m playing, or the consequences of such results.
“You try out there to concentrate on what you can affect. At the end of the day, if your opponent plays amazing, the results aren’t in your control.
“So as long as I’m focused on what I’m doing and putting the work in off the table as well, there’s no reason why I can’t establish myself as one of the top 16.
“I played really well in the qualifiers, and I’ve played really well in the last few months. I’ve been putting the work in.
“My goal was to just come here and play to the best of my ability.
“A lot of my memories of my career up until two years ago were all negative. It was the match I nearly won or the ball I nearly potted.
“It’s amazing now to think that some of my matches will be remembered in years to come for good things.
“A lot of times in the past, it’s been because it’s all gone horribly wrong.
“But look, I know how well I’m playing. I didn’t showcase it towards the end of that match, but given what was going on, there was no surprise that it got a bit sticky.
“But I know once I reset tomorrow and go for a run with my friend Charlie, I’ll have a couple of days practice.
“When I come back up here on Wednesday for the second round, I’ll be damn well ready for it.”
Chris Wakelin will face either Mark Allen or Fan Zhengyi in the last 16 of the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
Featured photo credit: WST
