New professional Antoni Kowalski hates watching snooker and never feels pressure

06/01/2024 11:35 AM

There is a new face on the World Snooker Tour in the shape of Antoni Kowalski and it seems like the Pole is going to be an interesting addition to the professional ranks.

The 20-year-old beat the likes of former professionals James Cahill and Peng Yisong before downing Simon Blackwell 4-1 in his final match at Q School Event Two on Saturday, eaning himself a two-year tour card.

Kowalski has been knocking on the door for a while now, impressing over the last year on the amateur circuit as he won a Q Tour event and finished runner-up at the European Under-21 Championship.

It is certainly no surprise to the uber confident youngster that he has booked his spot on the professional tour, saying he has been expecting it for some time and claiming he is immune to pressure.

‘I’m super chuffed to bits,’ Kowalski told Metro shortly after his win over Blackwell. ‘I’m going to be honest with you, I never feel pressure. It’s just about concentration. I’m a different kind of man.

‘I’ve been ready for the tour for four years now, so to finally qualify is a big relief.’

On what has held him back from making the leap to professional status in recent years, he said: ‘Mostly consistency, concentrating all the way through the tournament.

‘Sometimes it just wasn’t my day, like in the European Under-21 final against Liam Davies. I was playing well, he was just better than me, it wasn’t my day. But today finally everything clicked in the right way. I’m super happy.

‘No one’s really seen me play my A game. I’m the only one who’s really seen that on the training table. If I can play like that I can beat anyone in a tournament. But I’ve not been playing like in the training room, obviously a tournament is a different thing.

‘But as I said I’m not feeling pressure, it’s more about concentration and being able to play consistently in tournaments. We’ll see where it goes.’

Kowalski grew up and still lives in the small city of Zielona Góra, picking up the game at six years old and inheriting his love for it from his father.

Asked who his snooker heroes were growing up, he had a typically unique answer.

‘That’s a tough question,’ he said. ‘It might sound weird but I hate watching snooker. Whenever I’m watching snooker and someone messes something up I have the feeling of “give me the cue I’ll show you how to do it!”‘

He does have favourites, though, saying: ‘I loved how Zhao Xintong was playing. His technique, the smoothness, just really natural.

‘My hero when I was six or seven years old was Shaun Murphy mostly because I met him then, the first professional I met, as well as Mark Selby. I also love John Higgins, I like how he plays, he’s just class. Also Judd Trump, just a great player.’

It’s rare Ronnie O’Sullivan doesn’t get a mention in such answers, but Kowalski is not a great fan of the Rocket.

‘I don’t know how to say it, but he’s pretty arrogant,’ said Kowalski of O’Sullivan. ‘No, he’s a good guy, genius on the table for sure, he’s one of the best players of all time, but he’s not one of my favourites, if I put it like that.’

Kowalski spends his time between his home city, Poznan, sometimes Warsaw and will now be in the UK a lot more, somewhere he is already a big fan of.

‘I would love to move to the UK, I love this country, I don’t know why, but it seems great,’ he said. ‘Most of the players are training here so it’s great to get up a few levels.

‘I was in Sheffield maybe five times, training for Q School. I loved being there training in academies with Chinese players and other guys from England, it was great.’

Kowalski’s attention will quickly turn to the new season, which starts this month, and he is aiming high.

‘Obviously I want to do some big things and make some big surprises in my first two years on tour,’ he said. ‘I’ll be ready.’

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