Matthew Stevens Blog

Professional Snooker Player Matthew Stevens


Matthew Stevens is still in all three events this season

Article about me on World Snooker – Source – http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0,,13165~2204252,00.html

Matthew Stevens has set his sights on a top eight position in the world rankings after moving into the last 16 of the PartyCasino.com Players Tour Championship Grand Final.

Stevens, a two-time World Championship finalist, started the campaign in 25th in the rankings but has enjoyed a fine season and continued his good form with a 4-2 victory against Gerard Greene in Dublin.

“Any victory is a good one these days,” said 33-year-old Stevens. “At 4-2 it wasn’t the best match in the world but I finished it off quite well in the last couple of frames.

“I do feel really confident at the moment and I’m still in the last three tournaments of the season so I’m going in the right direction.

“I’m provisionally back in the top 16 but hopefully I can not think about that and try to get higher up into the top eight and be back where I think I belong.

“At the moment I’m in the top 16 but have to finish off the season well and if you win matches then it takes care of itself.

“It’s been hard being outside the top 16 but fortunately I’ve won every first round match this year and have played at every venue so it’s like I’ve been in the top 16.

“I probably wasn’t practising enough or taking it too seriously but the standard is very good these days and it’s difficult.

“Winning breeds confidence as you can practise as much as you like but not get the results but at the moment I’m doing both – practising hard and winning matches.”

The first four frames were shared at the Helix in Dublin before breaks of 80 and 51 from Stevens saw him to victory and set up a clash with countryman Dominic Dale.

That match takes place on Thursday evening with Stevens hoping he can get some revenge on his friend.

“I’ve grown up with Dominic and he is a fantastic player,” said Stevens. “He’s won a couple of ranking events so it’s going to be a very tough game. He has beaten me twice recently in the PTCs so hopefully I can get revenge.

“I’ve come here to win the tournament, just like everyone else. It’s the top 24 players for a reason and they’ve all had good seasons so every match is a tough one.”


Published by Matthew, on March 17th, 2011 at 12:50 am. Filled under: General Snooker. Tags: , , | No Comments |

Stevens – Top 16 A Long Shot

source – http://www.worldsnooker.com/PTC6_news%28Stevens___Top_16_A_Long_Shot%29-2663.htm?tid=188

Matthew Stevens admits that his chance of earning a place among the world’s top 16 in time for the first seeding cut-off point is slim, but he’s still feeling positive about his start to the season.

Carmarthen’s Stevens is currently on his way to Belgium – sharing the drive from South Wales to Bruges with Ryan Day and Andrew Pagett – for the Euro Players Tour Championship event which started today and runs until Sunday.

Stevens is a former UK Championship and Masters winner, but his only hope of gaining automatic entry into those two events this season is to move up one place from his current world ranking of 17, with the seeding list to be updated on Sunday night.

If he wins the tournament and 16th-place Marco Fu loses in the first round to Patrick Wallace, Stevens will gain the 2,000 points he needs to usurp Hong Kong’s Fu by just 70 points.

“It’s not down to me because if Marco wins a match then I’ve got no chance,” said 33-year-old Stevens. “I’m going there to do my best, but I’ve not picked a cue up since Glasgow and I’ve been ill in bed for the last four days so I’m not expecting too much.”

Stevens has had a strong start to the campaign; he stands 19th on the PTC Order of Merit and has qualified for both ranking events so far. He reached the quarter-finals of the Roewe Shanghai Masters, suffering a cruel 5-4 defeat to eventual champion Ali Carter having led 4-1. He was hauled back to 4-4 then missed a tricky final black in the deciding frame. He was then edged out 3-2 in another final frame decider against Alan McManus in the last 32 of the 12BET.com World Open.

“I should have won the match against Carter 5-2, and even at 4-4 I could have nicked it. If I’d won that match I could have gone on to win the tournament,” said Stevens. “Against McManus I knew it was a big match in terms of my ranking position, and there’s enough pressure in best of fives anyway. It’s difficult not to think about ranking points and anyone who says they don’t is a liar. I looked like winning but got a kick when I was on a break in the last frame which cost me the match.

“I’ve played a lot of matches this season and I feel sharp,” added the 2000 and 2005 World finalist. “I’m gutted that it looks like I will miss out on the top 16 this time, especially if it means not going to the Masters as that’s such a great tournament.

“It will be difficult for me to get in there for the next cut-off point as well because I got to the final in Bahrain two years ago so I’ll lose those points. But the main thing is that I’m feeling good about my game and I’m in decent shape.”


Published by Matthew, on October 1st, 2010 at 4:28 pm. Filled under: General Snooker. | 1 Comment |

Today’s Match

I’m gutted I lost today.  I suppose I should have wrapped it up earlier, but things happen.  Gutted I missed the black in last frame although it was tough.  Never mind I look at it as a positive start to the official ranking events.  I can only look forward now, feeling positive that I had a good run and I know I’m playing well.  Looking forward to Glasgow now.  I’m playing well enough to have a run there.

Thanks guys for the support.  Let’s hope for a final in World Open.


Published by Matthew, on September 10th, 2010 at 7:07 pm. Filled under: General Snooker. | 4 Comments |

Quarter Finals of Shanghai Masters

I’m finally playing in the Quarters, well overdue. The conditions again weren’t great but I won that’s the main thing. I’m confident and cueing well, and enjoying playing. I felt relaxed and didn’t put pressure on myself today which eventually paid off.

Hope to do the same tomorrow. We’ll see what happens. I’m playing Ali Carter at 1.45 UK time and it should be on Eurosport UK, at least that what they said. Roll on tomorrow, should be another good game :)


Published by Matthew, on September 9th, 2010 at 8:02 pm. Filled under: General Snooker. | 4 Comments |

All the way from Shanghai

Glad to playing tomorrow, it’s been a long and hot couple of days waiting.   I’m playing  Shaun Murphy at 12.45 UK time.  Looking forward to playing, I’m cueing well and feeling confident so Should be a high quality match :)

Matt


Published by Matthew, on September 8th, 2010 at 7:54 pm. Filled under: General Snooker. | 2 Comments |

My first blog post

Hello everybody and welcome

So today is launch day for the site and also on this day I am in Germant at the EPTC1 in Furth.

I have done a short interview with TheSnookerForum.com which you can see here, when I return from Germany I will be doing a second part to this interview.

If you are on Facebook then you can follow my official page – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Matthew-Stevens/129302763782290

I am also on Twitter – http://twitter.com/MattStevens147

Regular visitors to the site will find that the blog will be the most updates part of the site, I will try to update it as much as I can when away at tournament but also keep it updated with what I am doing when not at them, I have requested that there be a off topic category so if I find something worth sharing on the internet I will pop it in there, it may be a interesting website or a funny video on youTube.

I would like to thank everybody who has supported me over the years it really is appreciated, with your ongoing support I hope that this season with be a great one.

Thankyou

Matt


Published by Matthew, on August 27th, 2010 at 11:37 am. Filled under: General Snooker. | 1 Comment |