Anthony Hamilton avoided becoming the answer to a quiz question with his 10-8 win over Steven Hallworth in World Championship qualifying, but feels ready to move on from his playing career despite the dramatic victory.
The 53-year-old is fighting to retain his professional status, needing wins in this event to do so and he got off to the perfect start, leading Hallworth 8-0 after the first session and looking very good.
On the resumption on Friday evening he took the first and it seemed like it would be an early night for the Sheriff’s loyal supporters watching back in Pottingham.
Not so. Pottingham soon appeared to be twinned with Shredsville and a remarkable few hours ensued during which Hallworth won eight frames on the spin.
Hamilton was fading, his eyesight troubles getting on top of him and pressure mounting. A combination of those issues saw him feather the cue ball twice during the session, with frustration setting in at the unforced errors.
With the sun shining all day in Sheffield it was red hot in the English Institute of Sport and the veteran was certainly feeling the heat as the man 24 years his junior held his toes to the fire.
‘At 9-8, 9-7, I’m coming to the end of my career anyway and I was like, you know what, I’m alright with it,’ Hamilton confessed after the game.
‘I’m gone. I can’t see anything. I’m at like 20 per cent. 40 seconds a shot and all that business. I don’t know why I’m still playing. It’s just what we do. I just didn’t want to lose.’
He was seriously struggling but the instincts of a man who has been professional since 1991 do not die easily and just as the match looked set for a decider, he was presented with an opportunity.
Hallworth had made a 58 in the 18th frame but a chance arose for the veteran and after hours of looking a shadow of himself, the old quality reappeared.
The Sheriff took one last stand and fired in a brilliant clearance of 69 to win the game, finally.
The spectre of becoming the first player to lost a best-of-19 from 9-0 ahead was looming for Hamilton and the prospect of being the answer to a pub quiz question was on his mind.
‘That was as hard as trying to get over the line in a ranking final,’ he said. ‘It’s a story that would follow you round for the rest of your life. If you lose from 9-0 you’re on quizzes and stuff. You don’t want that.
‘Fair play to him he played great. He didn’t chuck the toys out the pram and he made me go through that. Fair play to Steven. Top lad.’
While he got the win, it seemed to be an evening of realisation for Hamilton that he is ready to hang up his cue after this tournament.
Even if he drops off the pro tour this month, he was planning to try and bounce straight back at Q School, but that sounds less likely after that ordeal against Hallworth.
‘It’s about time I got on with the rest of my life. I’m f**king rubbish,’ he said.
‘I used to be at a good standard. Now I’m scratting around. Just retire for God’s sake. You’re 53. Stop bleating on. Get out of here.
‘I’ve not enjoyed one match since 2020. I haven’t played well once since 2020, with the eyes. I’ve won matches, but I haven’t played well once. I play well considering, but it’s no fun. It is better than work though.’
Hamilton had lens replacement surgery in 2019 which did not go to plan and everything has been very hard work since then.
‘I said to my mate at 8-0 that I’m not over the line here, my eyes are not good enough to think this is a done deal. I knew I could lose the match,’ he said.
‘That’s weird innit? That’s not a great position to be in. It’s after two or three hours they really go, they were rubbish at the start but they get worse. I lose perspective. I can’t see distance.’
So how does he keep going and keep chalking up wins?
‘I’ve got a lot of bottle and a lot of stubbornness and it goes a long way,’ he said. ‘I can’t pot a ball but I know the game and I’m professional. I can make players play bad.’
The Sheriff will look to lay down the law again in the next round, when he takes on Matt Selt to try and keep his career alive once more. Win or not, he may well turn in his badge at the end of that shift and ride off into the sunset. It would be a sad day in Pottingham if so.