Dat hij favoriet Jamie Jones versloeg in de finale van het Vienna Snooker Open, had voor Simon Bedford grotere betekenis dan slechts een toernooiwinst.
De 36-jarige Engelsman dacht de laatste drie jaar steeds weer na over stoppen met snooker. De plotselinge dood van vriend en coach Steve Prest in 2009 liet diepe sporen na.
Maar nu heeft Bedford weer plezier in het spel, zo vertelde hij me na afloop van die met 5-2 gewonnen finale tegen Jones. Hieronder het interview – in het Engels.
…Bedford heeft zijn liefde voor het snooker herontdekt…
Simon, congratulations on a great win. Jamie started so well in the final but you took over control. How did you manage to do so?
“Yeah, from 2-0 down, I just relaxed. I thought, I just go for it and it paid off. I managed to get that nothing-to-lose-attitude. Just went for my shots and they started to go in.”
Seemed like these shots that were going in really helped you grow in confidence?
“When you start potting long balls, you just get really confident. And the break building was good and I was really confident. I played really well in the semifinal (against Gerard Greene, EW) also.”
What do you take home with you after a couple of days at the Vienna Snooker Open?
“It’s really a nice place. Everyone has been fantastic and I can’t wait to come back. The club (Köö 7, EW) is better than my club in England. A really nice club and really nice people, can’t say anything wrong about it.”
How do you approach playing against amateurs and what do you take from these matches?
“I think you’ve got to approach them in the right manner. You’ve got to treat them as though they can play really good. Just play your own game. I think the playing level in Austria is definitely on the up. I played a tournament in Rankweil (3 Kings Open, EW), and I think the standard was better than that, so I think definitely in Vienna, it’s on the up.”
It’s surely nice to get a tournament win under your belt so early in the new season. What are your goals from here on?
“My goal is just to enjoy it. Simple as that. The last couple of seasons, I have not enjoyed it and felt like quitting. But now I am enjoying it and let’s see what happens.”
Not enjoying was obviously the result of your coach Steve Prest passing away…
“…yeah, that was a big loss to me. I was really playing well back then (in 2009, EW) and that set me back and took my love out of the game because we were like brothers. And when someone like him passed away, that was really hard for me. I am just starting to enjoy my snooker again. After Steve died, I had a terrible season and felt it was time to give up.”
Has that changed your attitude toward the game of snooker?
“Yeah, now I just want to play my game and enjoy it. That’s it.”
Thanks Simon, best of luck.
[picture Simon Bedford © 2012 Vienna Snooker Open]
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