Steven Hallworth is set to return to the pro circuit next season after successfully coming through the Q Tour Play-Offs in March. We caught up with the 29-year-old as he looks ahead to competing again at the highest level.
Steven, congratulations on getting back on tour. In recent seasons you have played on the amateur circuit and been a familiar face at the big events as a commentator and pundit, but was getting back on tour always the goal?
Yes. Ultimately I want to be a pro, to get into every event by right and to have the chance to climb the rankings. Getting back on tour was the priority and I'm really excited looking ahead to the new season. A lot of my best friends are on tour so it will be great to be back and travelling around with them. On the amateur circuit I didn't feel that.
How much do you think you have changed, since you first turned pro back in 2014?
I was 18 at the time, I thought I had made it and would be a pro forever. Then very soon there was wake up call because I was losing heavily week in, week out. I soon realised that I wasn't good enough and had to go back to the drawing board. There have been a few long years and times when I have doubted myself and lost belief. But I have a great team around me and the right things in place. Now it's up to me to practise hard and commit myself to my profession. Hopefully that will bring results. The tour is as strong as ever. There are a lot of very good players you don't see often because they are down the rankings. That's where I will start next season and I'll have to prove myself.
You have played on the TV table at big venues including the York Barbican and the Tempodrom. Is that kind of experience what really motivates you?
I grew up watching my idols on TV, in awe, thinking I would love to be part of it. But when I first turned pro I was scared of playing in those venues, I got stage fright. I still get a bit of that now, but I manage it better. When people come and watch you play, you feel pressure. But I want to put myself in those positions more often to get used to that environment.
How much have you learned from working for broadcasters and watching the big matches form the commentary box?
It has been really fascinating to watch the very top players, perhaps the top eight, and the way they go about matches - their body language through the ups and downs of a game, and how they deal with those situations. It's easier to see that in person in the arena, compared to watching on TV. Also - how good they are at getting over the winning post when they get into position.
Last year you commentated on the first Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, but how excited will you be to go there as a player for the first time?
It's great to see the tour expanding into regions we haven't played in before. As far as I'm concerned, the more tournaments and opportunities for the players and the more global snooker becomes, the better. Snooker is new to fans in Saudi and we have to grow the sport in that region. When we started going around Europe it was similar and now we get huge crowds in many places there.
Would getting into the top 32 of the one year list and qualifying for the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong be a target for you next season?
I would love to go to Hong Kong and if I am in top 32 at that stage I'll be doing something right. I recently travelled around South East Asia on my honeymoon and absolutely loved it. I enjoy seeing new places and snooker has given me that chance.
Finally, we are seeing a lot of success for Chinese players on the tour, capped by Zhao Xintong becoming World Champion. Why do you think that is?
The academies in Sheffield offer a great place for them to prepare for events. I first played snooker at the age of ten, my dad took me to the old World Snooker Academy which was at the English Institute of Sport at the time. I would practise there all hours. The players in those academies feed off each other and work hard every day. No matter how talented you are, there is no substitute for that.