The World Snooker Championship is the pinnacle event for all professionals and is the ultimate test of endurance, mettle and consistency. A very different challenge to the typical ranking event, the WSC throws a few more hurdles into the mix to make matters more difficult for the players involved. What exactly makes this prize event so difficult to compete in?

Length of the tournament

Typically, events on the calendar last for one week. And the player that goes on to win an event generally plays every day throughout the week. Now, players aren’t necessarily competing every day in the WSC however, the WSC does span the duration of 17 days. Being able to hold a high standard over the course of this event is no easy feat. Which is why you commonly hear the phrase “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” associated with the WSC.

Length of matches

You won’t be seeing any best-of-9 or 11’s in the World Championship. The final of almost every event on the circuit ends in a best-of-19 final. In the WSC, this is just the length of the opening Round 1 match. And has been the format for the three-to-four qualifying matches in prior years. As a player progresses through the tournament, the multi-session matches only get longer, culminating in a final where the victor will need to reach 18 frames before their opponent.

No easy route to final

While there can be easier halves in a WSC bracket, it’s rarely an easy journey to the mountaintop for the eventual champion. Compared to a normal event, a winner can sometimes get to the title without fierce opposition. Due to the factors above, the weaker players often get weeded out of the longer WSC event until you’re left with the experienced veterans who have been there so many times before.

Qualifying

Historically, qualifying has always been a rigorous process for those outside of the Top 16. Successful qualifiers would often have to go through upwards of thirty frames just to reach the mainstage event, which in itself is a tremendous accomplishment. The last player to have to go through qualifying and actually win the WSC was Shaun Murphy in 2005 – following the likes of Alex Higgins and Terry Griffiths before him.

One/Two-table setup

The main reason that most events can be wrapped up in one week is because of the number of tables available to play on. When this is the case, it can be difficult to watch your favourite player as only one or two tables are televised. In the World Championship (at the TV stage), there are only two tables to play on until you reach the semi-finals where it reduces to one. Throughout the tournament, all eyes will be on you which brings its own bag of pressure.

What do you think? What are the most challenging factors a player has to go through during the World Championship? And what separates it from the rest of the events on the tour?

Like this Short? Click here to read: The Trials of a World Snooker Champion

Have an idea for a Short post? Feel free to get in touch using the social media links below! Thanks for reading!