Ben Woollaston was a late call-up to the World Grand Prix last month, so late that he barely made it to the tournament in Hong Kong in time.
Woollaston was next in line on the rankings for the 32-man event when Stephen Maguire pulled out due to a back problem on the eve of the tournament.
The 37-year-old was very keen to play, but faced a race against time to get from his home in Leicester to the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, a race he very nearly did not win.
‘That was a crazy story, to be honest. Stephen Maguire pulled out and I got a message at 7.15am on the Monday,’ Woollaston told the Talking Snooker podcast.
‘They asked if I could get there in time, I asked when the match was and they said 2pm tomorrow. With the time difference we’re already less than 24 hours away.
‘I’m at home. I looked at a flight and the only flight that got me there on time was 11am. I had to get there at 10am so I had 2hr 45mins to get from Leicester to Heathrow. I arrived at 9.57am so three minutes later and I didn’t even get the flight!
‘A few players said I must have been delighted to get the call, but I wasn’t until I actually checked in because I was panicking that there was no way I’d make it, but I just made it.’
Woollaston faced the tough task of taking on Masters champion Shaun Murphy after his late arrival and was only edged out 4-3, nearly pulling off an incredible result.
‘I arrived about 11am, three hours before playing,’ he said. ‘When I checked in they told me my cue probably wouldn’t make it but I wasn’t bothered. As long as I had my waistcoat I’ll borrow a cue to play.
‘So I was expecting to play really poorly. I did actually play quite well which surprised me, but when you don’t expect a lot you sometimes play quite well.
‘I didn’t sleep at all [during the flight]. My eyes were stinging when I arrived, but I didn’t feel too bad in the match.’
There was no time to enjoy the surroundings after the unexpected trip to Hong Kong as Woollaston had to jet straight home to look after his children who he had left with his mother.
Ben’s wife Tatiana was refereeing at the World Grand Prix so it was straight back on a plane after the 4-3 loss.
‘I was in Hong Kong for 22 hours and I flew for 26 hours!’ Woollaston said. ‘When I lost Tatiana said: “You better get back to the kids.”
‘She was there an extra two days so I thought maybe I could stay, but it wasn’t fair on my mum because I just left her within 15 minutes, just said “I’m off!” So I thought I better get back.’
The world number 44 heads to World Championship qualifying this month looking to return to the Crucible for the first time since his debut at the Sheffield theatre back in 2013.
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It is a long time for a player who has been a solid performer in the top 64 in the world since then and a record he is not delighted about.
‘I find it a bit embarrassing really,’ he said of his long stretch without World Championship qualification. ‘Some years I’ve only been one match away and I’ve never really been more than two matches away
‘If you told me in 2013 that I wouldn’t have qualified since. I’d have expected to have played there maybe half a dozen times to be honest.
‘I don’t know why that is. I can’t understand why I’ve not got there again. Hopefully this year.’
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