Introduction

Ashley Hugill turned professional for the first time at 22 years of age through 2017 Q School, beating former professionals Steven Hallworth and Simon Bedford along the way. In his first season, Hugill notched up nine wins including against Nigel Bond, Peter Lines and Ali Carter. His highlight was reaching the Last 16 of the 2017 Scottish Open, losing to eventual semi-finalist John Higgins. For his hard efforts, he climbed to his highest ranking of No. 82 in the world.

However, the Yorkshireman endured an extremely difficult second season. Hugill was relegated to the amateur ranks after picking up just two victories. He failed to qualify straight back to the professional tour through Q School.

But fear not, Hugill found other ways to bounce back onto the pro circuit! He participated in The Challenge Tour and won Event 4 in Bruges, Belgium and became the Event 6 finalist in Budapest, Hungary. Hugill had been second in its Order of Merit before he flew to Malta to play in the World Snooker Federation (WSF) Open. After topping his group, he reached beat a plethora of talent to reach the final. Hugill achieved his dream of becoming a professional again next season by beating 14-year-old Ukrainian Iulian Boiko 5-3 to win the WSF Open title.

We had a lovely chat earlier and our interview is underneath. Enjoy!

Interview – Ashley Hugill

Lifting The WSF Open

CoR: First off, congratulations on becoming the WSF Open Champion! How does it feel now?

Ashley Hugill: Thank you! It still feels strange to think I am a World Champion. I know it’s the World Amateur Championship but it’s still something. So many great players have won it before, it’s just great to get my name alongside theirs.

CoR: How did you celebrate after your victory?

Ashley Hugill: I went to a bar near the hotel and drank champagne out of the trophy with my family.

CoR: You came through some tense matches along the way – Iulian Boiko is something else!

Ashley Hugill: Iulian is the best 14 year-old I have ever seen. I hope he sticks at it, works hard and fulfils his potential.

CoR: What areas of your game did you improve this season and who helped you along the way?

Ashley Hugill: I mainly worked on the mental side of my game this season.

Controlling your mind is such an significant part of the game now. I’ve been working with a phycologist called Matt Andrews, and it really feels like he has now added the final piece of the puzzle to my game.

CoR: What do you think of the WSF Open as a whole?

Ashley Hugill: I thought it was a great tournament, as it’s nice to have another opportunity to play for a tour card half way through the season. The only criticism I have is that the first three knock-out rounds were BO5, I think BO7 would’ve been better.

Best Beginnings

CoR: Just to reign it all back, why did you want to become a snooker player?

Ashley Hugill: I used to watch snooker on TV with my dad when I was a kid. He inspired me to play – first pool and then snooker.

CoR: Who were your inspirations growing up when you were engaging snooker?

Ashley Hugill: I would say Shaun Murphy was my main inspiration. My first memory of snooker was watching him clinch the World Championship title in 2005. I always wanted him to win when I was younger!

CoR: If you weren’t a snooker player, what would you be?

Ashley Hugill: I would be working for Welldone Industrial Cleaners in York, which is my Dad’s business.

CoR: What was Q School like when you qualified back in 2017? Many players described Q School a nightmare!

Ashley Hugill: Q school is absolutely brutal. It’s really cut throat since that two-week period determines the next 12 months of your career. If you don’t play well that week, you suffer for a whole season.

I was fortunate when I got through in 2017 as I was playing really well that week. I don’t think any match will ever come close to the pressure I felt in the last match to get on the tour for the first time.

First Years As A Professional

CoR: Looking back on your first two-year stint, what did you learn as a professional snooker player?

Ashley Hugill: I learnt the standard I need to play at to make a living from the game. It’s one thing to get through Q School, it’s something completely different to establish yourself as a Top 64 player.

CoR: What were some of your memorable moments during those two years?

Ashley Hugill: Travelling to amazing cities around the world like in India and China. As far as snooker results go, I would say beating Ali Carter in the 2017 Scottish Open was my best result.

CoR: When you dropped off the tour, were you considering other options? Were you determined to get back as the professional again?

Ashley Hugill: I never once considered stopping playing, although I did worry if the results didn’t start to improve I might have no choice but to get a job. I always knew I was far too good to be amateur. But my results had not demonstrated that.

Looking To The Future

CoR: Recently, you’ve been offered a wildcard to enter the 2020 Snooker Shoot-Out and drawn against Jamie O’Neill in the first round. What do you think of that tournament as a whole?

Ashley Hugill: I love playing in the Shoot-Out! It’s an amazing atmosphere like no other tournament. I’ve won a couple of matches there in the past, so hopefully I can have a decent run.

CoR: You are guaranteed to play on the tour next year. What else are you preparing on doing until then?

Ashley Hugill: I’d like to get my hands on another trophy before I start as a professional again. I’m also hoping to get wildcards into some of the professional tournament left this season, and maybe the 6-reds in Thailand.

CoR: What trophies are you hoping to win before the professional season starts?

Ashley Hugill: There are three Challenge Tour events left this season –  I’d like to win one or two of them. Even though I am already on the tour, I still want to finish top of those rankings. 

Acknowledgments

Many thanks go to Ashley for taking his time out to be interviewed by me and to those who helped me organise it. I wish his the very best for the rest of the season.

I take no credit for the photos used in this interview. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association  (WPBSA) is the owner of some of the photographic material.

All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of content is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the author (Cluster of Reds Snooker Blog).