Aaron Hill is from Gurranabraher, Cork, Ireland, whose hobby he grew up with. Little Hill, who loves snooker, wouldn't have imagined that he would one day appear on the pro stage.
Text:John Coughlan, Echolive
Aaron Hill befriended snooker when he was 12 years old, when his father Stephen took him to the Crucible Snooker Arena near Blarney Street, and seven years later Hill became a professional snooker player, able to compete with many of the best on the tour.
Aaron Hill said: "The season started as early as August, I came to England to play many races, looking back on the last 5 months, my performances have been mixed. ”
Hill's biggest victory of the season was his victory over Xinkeying Champion Zhao Xintong at the European Masters qualifiers. Hill said: "When I come on the field with my best, I can compete with the best players. ”
Looking back on the match, Hill said: "To be honest, the qualifying match where I beat Zhao Xintong 5-4 is arguably my best performance of the season so far, and what I need to do now is to make my performance more stable. ”
Young Aaron Hill's most impressive achievement was last year's European Masters victory over O'Sullivan, and speaking of this proud match, Hill said: "Not only did I beat O'Sullivan, but I also beat Andy Hicks and Matthew Stevens, and these wins really gave me a lot of encouragement and allowed me to reach the round of sixteen in the rankings. ”
'To beat a player like Ronnie O'Sullivan, you have to play very well, and I felt good that day, it was a victory that was worth remembering over and over again."
In February 2020, 18-year-old Aaron Hill turned professional. Status as a professional player gave Hill higher demands and challenges, and Hill was particularly grateful to his sponsor Thomas Singleton for his funding.
"It's very expensive to get into the professional arena and compete in professional snooker, and I wouldn't have been able to continue my career without Thomas's generosity, and I would like to take the opportunity of this interview to thank him."
"The Macau Casino has also taken a lot of care of me, and of course I would like to thank my parents, who have been with me all the time, without whom I would not even have the opportunity to play professionally."
The experience of playing on the Snooker Tour is completely different from what it feels like to sit in front of a TV and watch the game, and Hill thinks it's important to maintain a positive and optimistic mindset: "The atmosphere of the professional game is tough, the players have highlights, and more are the lows. But my philosophy is simple, when the good times come, it will make everything worth it, and hopefully 2022 will be better for me. ”
'There are games where you get it wrong no matter what you do, but I've learned to look forward or you wouldn't have survived on the pro and I'm always looking for ways to improve my ability to play.
Through observation and hand-to-hand combat on the pro court, Hill has generated some interesting insights into who is the best player on the tour.
"For now, I'm betting on Mark Selby because I think he's the best player in the world. While Judd Trump is infinitely close to Selby, Selby is relatively more comprehensive. ”
Fans are mostly fond of Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Hill has a unique view of O'Sullivan. Hill said: "When Ronnie was in shape, I didn't think anyone could beat him. But he hasn't had an easy season either, and in the last two games he's looked really focused, but for now it's still a little bit worse for him. ”
"Most of the people on the tour are friendly, but during the big games, some people still choose to be cautious. But back off the pitch, I must admit that I have always been treated well by all the players. ”
The Christmas holidays are meant for Aaron to spend time with his family and at the practice table. "My next game is in mid-January, but my parents have a table at home where I can practice," Hill said. But as you know, Christmas is a time for family reunions, and I intend to enjoy this rare happy time as much as possible. ”
In mid-January, Aaron will travel to Leicester for a single-time limited time tournament, and improving the ranking has become The hill's main task in the next stage, saying: "I am now ranked 84th in the world, but I have to improve my ranking so that I can stay on the Tour in relegation. I have to have higher rankings, but I'm still a rookie in the sport and I still have time to do that. ”
"While Mark Selby, Judd Trump, John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan are all still shining on the Tour, none of them are young and I feel like I'll have a brighter future on the Tour."
'I'm going to go all out to the top, I know I can't do it on my own, but a lot of talented young players have the same ambitions as me and we're all doing our best to survive.