Yelling at myself, hitting the table with my fists and banging my stick on the floor.
The snooker World Cup tournament played in Sheffield, England, is known as the sport’s absolute stress test. The 980-seat Crucible theater has held the World Cup continuously since 1977, and over the years the players’ mental cauldron has spilled more than once if not more.
Friday, however, saw something unprecedented in the 47-year history of the Crucible, known as the Theater of Dreams and Nightmares.
English player Robert Milkins completely lost his cool in his second round match against his compatriot David Gilbert against when he had failed in an easy red ball pocket.
Milkins threw his cane with force to the floor of the arena and walked over to sit down. Immediately after Milkins had time to sit down, he quickly stood up and retrieved his cane from the floor.
It is not the first time that a snooker professional has thrown his stick on the floor. An Englishman who is one of the most popular players in the snooker nation Jimmy White in the past years, he used his valuable playing equipment at least twice at the professional level. At the Crucible Theatre, however, Milkins’ cane throw was the first of its kind.
– I feel sorry for him. He regrets this, English coach Stephen Feeney comment on the situation to Urheilu by phone.
Feeney knows Milkins and Gilbert well. Both top players have been coached by Feeney, who changed the sport’s age-old aiming doctrine and achieved great popularity among professionals in the last decade.
– As a person, Rob is one of the nicest on the professional tour. When he looks back with certainty, he will surely ask if it was really me. That throw is repeated millions of times on Guarantee, Feeney said.
Finns will also get their share of Milkins on the 25th-26th. in May, when an invitational competition for eight professional players will be played in Helsinki’s Kulttuuritalo.
A unique place
Feeney has been a regular visitor to the Crucible Theater since 1997. At that time, the aiming theory he developed was used for the first time in the sport’s most sacred venue. According to Feeney, no other arena exposes players to anywhere near the same pressure.
Every year, 32 players get to perform in the Crucible theater, where the 16 best players in the world rankings find their way without qualifying. This year, no less than half of the 16 placed went to the choir right in the opening round.
Feeney was there to witness the 15th-placed Englishman Barry Hawkins falling.
– When he walked away from the camera, he visibly trembled.
The pressure comes not only from the history of the Crucible Theater but also from its small size. The 1st and 2nd rounds of the World Championships and the quarterfinals are played on two tables – that is, the already small arena is divided in two.
– It’s as if you’re sitting in the lap of the front-row spectators. The pressure is incredibly hard. At the same time, you should play the best game of your life.
– If you can’t do that, the player can feel that he’s letting himself down and starts to feel ashamed. When the pressure can’t be released, mental collapse comes more easily than elsewhere, Feeney described.
Seen worse
Although Milkins’ outburst was extraordinary and far from snooker etiquette, Feeney does not consider the incident serious.
The coach would compare Milkins’ pain to the mental meltdowns seen on the tennis courts. One of the most famous was seen 40 years ago, when the American star John McEnroe raged and shouted at the head referee at Stockholm’s Royal Tennis Hall.
– We are still far from that. Milkins was made by the modern-day Kyrgios, Feeney said, referring to the hot-headed Australian to Nick Kyrgios.
The Crucible Theater has also seen much worse than stick throwing.
In 1996, the sport’s English superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan was convicted of assault when he head-butted the tournament director in the back room.
In 2004, again an Englishman Andy Hicks and Australian Quinten Hann had a war of words after the handshake, during which Hann raised his cane extension towards Hicks. The judge had to calm the duo down.
The players have vented their bad feelings especially on the balls. Hann is also remembered from the year 2002, when he hit the 1000th of a deck of 15 red balls in the opening stroke of the set. Iranian player Hossein Vafaei committed the same last year against O’Sullivan.
– The Crucible makes you do special things, Feeney stated.
Will the stars last?
The World Championships have been expected for season-dominated Englishmen O’Sullivan and Judd Trump showdown.
In recent months, O’Sullivan has focused on honing his technique and working with a coach Nic Barrow’s with.
– I didn’t expect this. The effectiveness of the changes will be tested under high pressure and at the Tour Championship Ronnie’s level of performance collapsed at the end, Feeney said, referring to the final which O’Sullivan lost To Mark Williams.
– I naturally hope for David (Gilbert), Shaunia (Murphy) and Ronnie, Feeney named his favorites who have been in his school.