Michael Georgiou, who fell out of the World Snooker Tour in 2020 and used a year to adjust his mindset and get back on the tour, said he had a very different mindset and perspective on the game and life.
文/phil haigh，《metro》
As the former singles limited time champion, Georgiou unexpectedly fell out of the profession last year, and he still failed to qualify for the q school, which made Georgiou doubt his snooker career.
However, with the advent of the new crown epidemic, Georgiou's career prospects have become even more slim, but the 33-year-old has tried his best to do his best, and he has returned to snooker with a relaxed and positive mentality.
It's a pity that Georgiou has not passed the q school test this year, but fortunately he ranks second in the q school overall results list, which means that he can have a great chance to play on the professional tour, while at the same time he can also participate in amateur competitions freely. Georgiou said he liked this free life.
In an interview, Georgiou said: "I have a good location at q school, it's a bit like a one-year tour wild card. I had an idea of being a top player, and it was a feeling I had never felt before. I can play in both professional and amateur tournaments, so I'm a little bit busier than a lot of professional players. ”
"I don't have to worry about rankings, it's a lot easier. In the year since I left the tour, I have had a good life, I know myself more deeply, I have learned a lot of things, I have done a lot of psychological construction, and I feel very good. ”
For Georgiou, moving from London to Northern Ireland was meant to focus more on snooker, but the arrival of COVID-19 has changed everything.
After falling out of his profession, he finally had the opportunity to return to his hometown of Cyprus to visit his family and try to do a distraction for the local snooker start, and now Georgiou is back in London with a homely feeling.
"I probably chose to move out of London at the worst of times. Before COVID-19 I moved to a new house, and then the pandemic left me alone in a home lockdown for 12 weeks. I do miss Antrim, the people there are really nice to me and the club environment is good. ”
"I was planning to travel without a professional game, I could put my backpack on my back and spend a few months in Asia, and then the coronavirus suddenly came and the travel plans were disrupted."
"In the end I went to Cyprus, where the outbreak was severe. The local lockdown is very tight and we can only go out twice a day for three hours each time. Before we leave our place of residence, we have to send a text message to get government approval. There was a curfew after 9pm and you had to wear a mask outside, and I endured a three-month high-pressure lockdown there before I realized that London was the best place for me. ”
"I tried to get snooker to grow in Cyprus, that's my plan and I found a small club. Unfortunately, the timing was not right, so my attempt did not play a huge role. I've always wanted to go back to Cyprus to live, and maybe there will be some opportunities to come back. ”
Georgiou, who had just fallen out of his profession last year, was devastated, and now, a year later, his form is clearly different from last year. Even if he was about to meet O'Sullivan in the second round of the English Open, he was still positive and optimistic. He believes that his good mentality is due to the extensive reading he has done over the past year, which has broadened his horizons and injected him with a lot of new ideas.
Georgau explains: "I read a few books, and I read a lot of books on psychology and philosophy, and I was able to see life in a whole new way. What has already happened is irreversible and you have to accept it and move on with your life. ”
"It sounds crazy, but I'm trying to compete without taking advantage of my desire to win, without relying on my confidence to compete." Without any expectations, I can play whatever performance I want, and I can win 4:0 or lose 0:4 fearlessly. ”
"When you don't want to practice, don't force yourself to practice anymore, you're going to drive yourself crazy. My current approach to practice is more constructive and I feel happier in the game. ”
"Some people think I'm crazy, but I just want to get rid of the need for confidence. If I don't have enough confidence, then I'm directly at a disadvantage. When you're confident, it does the same thing, because you can fool yourself into thinking you're playing well, but you're not. ”
"As long as you are ready for the game, it will naturally be reflected on the table. Let the ego slowly dissipate and put yourself in the right place. ”
"Every day is going to be different than before. The games I've played so far this season, I'm happy with my performance. I don't feel pressured, I don't think too much, I just keep doing what I have to do. ”
Georgiou's new thinking seems to be working, and he has scored some good wins so far this season, the most notable of which is his beating barry Hawkins in the German Masters qualifiers for a trip to Berlin for the main event next January.
Speaking about the match against O'Sullivan, Georgwu said: "O'Sullivan is a presence that cannot be ignored, he is an amazing player. I have my own opinion of him, but I don't want to share it with people, and there's nothing disrespectful or negative about him in my thoughts. ”
"He's a great player, if I can win, then naturally it's good, if not, I'll go home. I've played with him three times before. Regarding the previous games, I can only say that I won at least one of them in each game, but that is in the past, it is no longer important, focus on today's game. ”
Win or lose, Georgiou will not give up on himself, and he will look forward to the next trip with the club.
Georgiou said: "I like snooker, as long as there is a snooker game, I want to punch in and try to win the game. I will not drive myself crazy because of the unsatisfactory results of the game, and I will not let it affect my mood and my way of doing things. ”
"My life is always full of new points of passion. Travel is something I'm very eager for right now, and I want to explore the world. I wasn't in good shape when I fell off the tour last year, but now I'm in good shape. ”