ISLANDER Aaron Canavan claimed a spectacular pro-am victory in his final tournament preparations for the Snooker Legends 900 final this evening.
Having recently made the quarter finals in the Snooker Legends World Doubles, the Caesarean enjoyed four breaks over 80, a 90 break and a 134 break in the space of eight frames to cruise to success.
His exceptional 134 came against Billy Castle, who is a member of the Crucible Sports & Social Club where the tournament was held.
He would go on to beat Castle 2-0, along with taking out Adrian Morrissey and Rodney Goggins by the same scoreline.
All his preparations suggest the 900 final has come at the right time, but Canavan feels it is much more than just ability that has led to his run of form.
‘I am mentally in a very good place at the moment,’ he said. ‘It is so important in a sport like snooker to have a quiet mind when you are out there and keep the noise at bay.
‘A lot of my work has been on that aspect at the Mechanics Club in Jersey.
‘The environment is quieter than most other snooker halls available and I think that has really helped focus me.
‘When you are trying to win at the highest level, your mentality is more important than raw ability.’
Canavan’s practice in the build up to tonight’s final has been meticulous, as he fights for the £10,000 winners cheque.
Speaking yesterday, he said: ‘I will be doing six hours of practice today, in blocks of three, while squeezing in a little sleep in the afternoon.
‘The quarter-finals begin at 10pm, so I will sleep in the afternoon on the day of the final, so doing the same the day prior will help set a routine.
‘I am feeling very good. A couple of mates of mine managed to put some money on me to win at 125/1 and I’m now at 8/1, so I will be doing everything I can to take home the prize.
‘The drive to practise and the enjoyment that comes along with playing snooker at a high level is back for me, which is the most important thing and should stand me in good stead.’
nThe Snooker Legends 900 finale gets under way at 10pm this evening on SportyStuff TV (Sky channel 437).
