Welsh 20-year-old Jackson Page qualified professionally through this year's Q School and reached the round of 16 in the rankings just two months after returning to his career.
Page beat Repefan, Noppen Sankam and Jack Lisowski to reach the round of 16 in the just-concluded Northern Ireland Open, and fought against Rich Wharton until the decider, regrettably missing the quarterfinals. Page's outstanding performance also made everyone have high hopes for him, believing that he can play better this season and launch a trophy attack.
World No. 91 Paige lost 5-6 to Poland's Katzpo Filipack in the first round of last season's World Championship qualifiers, failing to retain his professional qualification and forced to be relegated. However, Page was not discouraged, he signed up for Q School and won back his professional qualification in the first leg by beating Michael Giorgiou 4:1.
We interviewed Page to hear about his plans for the future, how he felt about playing in Belfast and how he was mentored by Mark Williams.
WST: Jackson, did last week's tournament reach the round of 16 give you a lot of confidence?
"I felt much more comfortable on the pitch and in the first few games everything was won as a matter of course. I'm more comfortable at the table, and that's the real key. Maybe it's also because I spent more time getting used to the rhythm of the tour. I got my professional qualifications through Q School again, and now that it's my first year, I have more confidence in planning. I can now look forward without burden. ”
"I played very well, keeping a clean sheet with Jack Lissovsky. Under the gaze of the audience, I found a sense of ease on the table. Ronnie O'Sullivan was playing at the next table, so there were a lot of fans on the scene. I felt comfortable in that environment. It's a wonderful feeling. I really enjoy performing on big scenes. When there is a large crowd of spectators around you, it feels very good to hear movement around the venue. I think every player feels the same way about that. ”
WST: Were you disappointed that you lost to Richie Wharton in the decider of the 16-in-8 match?
"The two of us fought a fierce battle, but in the end neither of us played well. Richie was able to get through with the last two sets of good balls. We waited until 10 p.m. to start the game, and the waiting to play was very painful. In this case you have to try to get used to the game. I can certainly learn from this experience. If this happens again when the game time is too late, I will adjust my mentality and return to the game in a different way. For example, I will sleep more between games to make sure I have enough time to rest. Simply staring at the game and waiting for the game to start can really drain your energy. ”
WST: After falling out of the tour last season, did you go through a lot of difficulties during this period when you returned to the profession through Q School?
"It didn't feel great to get back into my career through Q School, but I still built up enough confidence for myself. If you're the kind of player who has just been relegated, you'll naturally have enough confidence to be able to get back into the profession through Q School. During the weeks I was preparing for the Q School game, I almost lived on the edge of the table and practiced very hard. Such efforts have paid off. ”
"If I win last season's World Championship qualifiers and get relegated, I certainly don't want to play Q School. The process of preparing for the Q School competition gave me a lot of confidence. The fact that I got my professional qualification back in the first race gave me a little bit of relief. ”
WST: Do you think you can reach the semi-finals and even the finals this season?
"Definitely. However, you don't go to the competition to play soy sauce, you go to every competition, you want to win the competition. I know it's harder to do that than to say it. If you don't want to win, then you don't have to show up here. Realistically, I think I can make some breakthroughs this season. I believe that if I play well, keep up with my peak competitive form, and get just a few chances, then anything can happen. I know it's hard and you have to deal with every game positively and want the game to end the way you want it to. ”
WST: What was it like to make a splash at the 2017 Welsh Open and reach the round of 32 at the age of 15?
"It felt like it was a long time ago, a great experience. All the big names were there, and I was young and playing well did get a lot of attention. In fact, I didn't play very well, and I barely passed in those games. Winning on the Pro Tour is a wonderful feeling. Of course, at the end of the game I was bloodied by Judd Trump. He's just that kind of player, I didn't get a lot of chances. ”
"The following year I went to the Welsh Open again and lost 2-4 to Stuart Bingham in the second round. I would have had a chance to pose a threat to him. Playing against Bingham and Trump was a very rewarding experience for me. I enjoy every minute of the game. Playing on the live station didn't really bother me. You just have to adapt to the table itself. Compared with the non-live stations in the back, the conditions of the live broadcast stations are very good. ”
WST: When did you first meet Mark Williams? How much of a role did he play in your development?
"My first local league appearance was at Mark Williams Snooker in Tredegar when I was 11 years old. It was a club that Simon Griffiths and Williams had co-founded, and Griffiths took great care of me. The first time I played with Mark was when I was about 13 years old. They did a lot for me and I am very grateful. I learned a lot from him. I used to play a lot of power, and Williams would attack in the way he moisturized the rain. I now apply it to my game as well. You have to absorb everything you can learn from him. ”
"I remember when I first started playing practice games with him, I lost a lot, like 1:18, 1:19 or even 22 innings. Williams is focused and cold in practice. I still lose miserably to him from time to time. I also have the slightest possibility of dealing with him, but in turn will be unforgettable by his education. Any bitter defeat would have been publicly executed directly on Twitter, but I now have occasional victories, which is good. ”