Liam Davies has made a perfect start to the new snooker season, winning his first five matches, and the teenager’s results are no fluke after making significant changes from his first year on tour.
The 19-year-old had the same experience as most on their first season as a professional – a testing one.
There were standout moments, with a win over Barry Hawkins in the British Open the youngster’s favourite, but adapting to the elite level is tough for all newcomers.
Five victories on the spin is something new for the Welshman and – outside of the hours of practice – he puts it down to two big changes he has made.
‘I’ve actually changed loads,’ Davies told Metro. ‘I’ve started running with a few friends. At Christmas I’d put on a bit of weight and I signed up for the Merthyr Half Marathon. I couldn’t run to the end of the street at Christmas, but I’ve taken it quite seriously.
‘I’d done a 5K at the end of January. Then I’d done a 10K at the end of February. I’ve done the Merthyr Half Marathon in March and I’ve done the Swansea Half Marathon in June.’
On the impact improved fitness has on his game, he said: ‘It makes an unbelievable difference. Even just getting dressed before you play, I just feel much better in a suit, especially when the cameras are on you, you can feel quite self-conscious.
‘When you’re playing somebody like Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski they look immaculate the whole time and if you don’t feel quite right yourself, I think it can put you on the back foot straight away.
Davies also felt it was time for a new cue having already played with his previous one for eight years.
‘I changed my cue after the World Championship to a longer cue one because I had my old one since I was 11,’ he said. ‘It’s an inch-and-a-half longer, which doesn’t sound a lot, but it felt like a fishing rod when I first cued up. I’m happy with it now though.’
‘I was super nervous playing him, the first frame I couldn’t stop shaking!’
One of Davies’ five victories so far this campaign came against a man 44 years his senior in Jimmy White, with the teenager downing the veteran 4-2 in British Open qualifying.
You might think that White is from such a different era to the Welsh prospect that Davies would not have the adulation that other players feel for the Whirlwind. But you’d be wrong.
‘Oh, he’s definitely one of my heroes. I look up to Jimmy so much,’ said Davies. ‘I was super nervous playing him, the first frame I couldn’t stop shaking.
‘He’s got a massive aura, Jimmy’s a legend of the game and he’s someone I’d look up to massively. He’s definitely one of the ones I’ve been watching on YouTube all the time when I was younger and even now.
‘I’m quite friendly with Jimmy. He’s always been really nice to me. I played him in an exhibition when I was seven in Tredegar and every time I’ve seen him in a venue he’s always made an effort to come and speak to me and make me feel really welcome. I’ve done a few interviews with Eurosport with him and he was really, really nice to me. So, yeah, he’s definitely somebody that I idolise.’
It is actually little surprise that Davies has an affinity with older players as he seems to be a very calm, measured, mature presence on and off the table.
‘I think I’ve always been naturally like that,’ he said. ‘I’ve just always been a pretty calm character. I don’t think I try and do that. It’s just the way I am. I’m super calm.
‘I think it’s just the people that I’ve been practising with since I was 13 or 14 and you just learn from them. I don’t feel like I play like a 19-year-old’s game. I think I have a pretty all round game for my age.’
‘If you look closer there are a lot of young players coming through.’
One player he has been around since a young age is Mark Williams, with Davies and the three-time world champion sharing a coach in Lee Walker.
The 50-year-old legend of the game is still competing at such a level that he reached the World Championship final last season and Davies says that illustrates just how hard it is for young players to come through.
The old guard do not seem to be going anywhere, but while he says that makes it difficult for the youngsters to dislodge them, there are still plenty of good young talents in snooker.
‘Talking about someone like Mark, as young people we’ve got to beat someone like him to have a run at a tournament,’ he said. ‘People say there’s no youngsters coming through, but it’s obviously very tough to beat people like that to have any sort of run at tournament.
‘I think if you look closer there are a lot of young players coming through. Maybe not so much Wales now, but I think in the UK there are still a lot of young players and in Europe as well. Antoni Kowalski, [Artemijs] Zizins, Bulcsu [Revesz]. I think there’s like a lot of good young players coming through, but it’s just so tough on the tour.’
Davies’ three wins at the Championship League last week have secured his spot in the last 32 of the competition and keeps his hopes alive of a first ranking title.
It would be a huge step up for the teenager to lift the trophy, but he feels he has as good a chance as anyone.
‘I think everyone’s good enough to do it, it’s just on the day,’ he said. ‘I think if any of the boys on the tour play their best game, it’s good enough to beat anyone, so everyone’s in with a chance of winning every tournament.
‘You have just got to try your best and see what happens. I don’t really set targets. I just think if you try your best, there’s not really much more you can do.’
Davies is back in Championship League action in the second group stage on Monday July 21.