Chris Wakelin has finally found his snooker nickname and it’s all thanks to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The 33-year-old faced the Rocket in the Saudi Arabia Masters semi-finals in August, a memorable clash highlighted by O’Sullivan’s two 147s in a 6–3 victory that also featured breaks of 142, 134, 70, 67, and 50. Despite O’Sullivan’s brilliance, Wakelin pushed him to 3–3, earning high praise from the snooker legend afterward.
“He’s a monster,” O’Sullivan said in Jeddah. “He’s going to win a ranking event. He’s rock solid, better than solid, actually. A superb competitor and player.”
Wakelin says the comment quickly stuck: “Ronnie called me a monster, and now all my friends do too. After 12 years on tour with no nickname, it looks like I finally have one.”
While reaching the Saudi semis was a highlight, Wakelin insists he wants more: “It’s nice hearing Ronnie say that, but it’s all talk until you actually win trophies. I don’t want that run to define my season.”
During the Saudi event, Wakelin claimed big wins over Barry Hawkins and world champion Zhao Xintong, gaining revenge for earlier defeats. “Zhao’s got that aura now – like Ronnie or Judd. When I play him, I put him on that pedestal,” Wakelin said.
However, his form dipped after Jeddah, with early exits at the English Open, British Open, and Xi’an Grand Prix. Still, the world No. 16 remains confident: “It hasn’t been great since Saudi, but there are still four tournaments left this year to turn things around.”
Wakelin began that turnaround with a 4–1 victory over Lan Yuhao in his Northern Ireland Open opener. Having reached the final in Belfast two years ago, he’s eager for another deep run.
“The Waterfront Hall is an incredible venue,” he said. “I was lucky to play the final there before – the atmosphere is electric. Even my 10am match this week had a great crowd. It shows how much the fans love these Home Nations events.”
Wakelin now faces Tom Ford in the last 32 as “The Monster” continues his hunt for a second career ranking title, following his 2023 Shoot Out triumph.
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