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My week at Wuxi's Snooker World Cup

Updated : 2019-07-12
By James Skinner (chinadaily.com.cn)

Fans at this year's event can watch players from all walks of life –– from 14-year-old Ben Mertens playing for Belgium, to Marks Williams, the world number three playing for Wales.

As the week starts to draw to a close, I witness a succession of teams knocked out in the run up to the final, including England, China A, Thailand and Wales. The stage is now set for the last match –– China B will play Scotland.

The night of the final feels so different. It looks different; sounds different. There are a few thousand people in the venue and the atmosphere is electric. Outside, desperate fans try to snap up tickets from touts at inflated prices.

I film some final pieces for my vlog before entering the venue, which is filled with the sounds of excited spectators waiting for the players to come out.

Of course, the crowd goes wild as the Chinese players Zhou Yuelong and Liang Wenbo walk out, but there is also an enthusiastic reception for Scotland's John Higgins and Stephen Maguire, with a large number of foreign fans dotted around the venue.

As the match gets underway, I mentally prepare myself for a long seven-frame game, but Higgins and Maguire win four frames in quick succession, making it impossible for the Chinese team to come back. And with that, it is over. It all feels too quick!

While the Scottish victors are honored by the organizers, I film a rather incoherent final piece for the vlog and speak to a couple of fans.

Being English, I never thought I'd be happy to watch Scotland win a world cup, but for me snooker doesn't have any country rivalries. It was great to see two normal looking blokes who I used to watch on TV having a laugh and playing a game that I find almost impossible, says Adam Rothwell, 33.

As I walk out into the night surrounded by crowds of fans, I realize I have actually learnt quite a bit over the past week. I can explain the rules; I know some of the top players' rankings, and I understand the game's terminology.

Overall, it's been a great experience and I've met some really interesting people –– I would definitely go again. Whether or not I will be picking up a snooker cue myself any time soon is another matter!

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