Guest columnist Chris Shaw, author of To the Max – Celebrating Snooker’s 147 break, enjoys his first visit to the British Open.
The start of September is becoming known as “re-set week”. And where better to re-set after a long, hot summer than at the Unibet British Open in Cheltenham?
Snooker’s re-set on the professional tour sees leading players return from three big events in China as well as the Championship League and summer qualifiers.
For me, this week provided an opportunity to fill a gap in my snooker watching experiences by taking in an afternoon session of play at the Centaur, which is part of Cheltenham Racecourse.
In the past few years, I have been researching a book about my quest to see a 147 break. (If you missed my previous article on SnookerHQ.com covering the five acts that make a maximum, click here.)
I visited 18 tournaments during the 2023-24 snooker season for my book, though I was not able to make it to the Centaur back then.
So, as I arrived in the picturesque Cotswolds for my first taste of live snooker watching this season, my focus was just as much on what was happening off the table as on it.
I was fascinated to see how and why Cheltenham is gaining a reputation as one of the hotbeds of support for snooker in the UK.
That’s why I paid £22 to attend quarter-final Friday with two enticing matches on offer – Mark Selby against local player Jack Liswoski on Table 1, next door to Liam Highfield’s clash with Stan Moody.
Snooker has had friendly direct and indirect links with horse racing over many decades.
Alex Higgins’ first ambition was to be a jockey, and if you asked John Parrott to name his biggest sporting love, it is hard to know whether he would name national hunt racing or Everton FC.
Of course, many snooker players have had regular wagers on the horses with varying degrees of success, while Goffs – the bloodstock auction house in Ireland – remains one of snooker’s most atmospheric and beloved venues.
Cheltenham is a venue steeped in turf history which is recognised around the racecourse with statues to the legendary horse Arkle and the jockey AP McCoy.
In the Centaur, where we were to watch events on the baize, the bar was named after Istabraq, the winner of a hat-trick of Champion Hurdles.
As well as the horses, the British Open is also different by virtue of its open draw that adds a degree of intrigue and jeopardy to the fixtures.
On the downside, it can mean some matches that would have graced the final – such as Zhao Xintong against Judd Trump – take place “too early” in the tournament.
Support for the British Open is impressive, however.
More than half an hour before emcee Rob Walker introduced the players into the arena, all seats in the lower sections near the tables were taken, and the balcony seats were also virtually full.
What this does is not only create an exciting and motivational atmosphere for the players, it also looks good on TV when there are packed audiences. It is a welcome sign for advertisers and sponsors too, I’m sure.
As for the business in hand, my £22 paid for four hours of last-eight snooker, excellent value and a timely reminder at a time when sports fans around the world are worried about excessive ticket costs that you don’t have to rip off the punters.
It would be a stretch to say it was vintage entertainment in the Cotswolds. Selby demolished Liswoski 5-0, much to the dismay of the home fans who wanted to see more of a contest.
I kept a closer watch on Highfield versus Moody. This was a strangely uneven match in which the most exciting frame was probably the worst of the seven in terms of quality. Moody will be annoyed at the chances he missed at crucial moments.
With the outcome in doubt and three colours left in the sixth frame, Highfield took a 4-2 lead that proved pivotal as he then closed out victory to earn himself the biggest match of his life: a semi-final with Selby.
Since being relegated from the main tour in 2024, the Stoke man has fought his way back and looks a different player in many ways.
He will hope his personal re-set stands him in good stead for the rest of the season.
As for Cheltenham, it has gone straight into my personal top five snooker venues.
Chris Shaw’s new book To the Max – Celebrating Snooker’s 147 break is out now on Amazon in hardback, paperback, and e-book formats. Click here to purchase.
