Stephen Lee appreciates Barry Hearn for improving snooker: 2012 China Open
England’s Stephen Lee, who won the 2012 Players Tour Championship (PTC) Grand Finals, successfully made his way into the semi-finals of the 2012 China Open snooker tournament against the Scotsman Stephen Maguire. The Englishman defeated the defending champion,
compatriot Judd Trump in the quarters by an easy score line of 5-3 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium arena.
After winning the quarter-final clash against Trump, Lee appreciated the World Snooker Chairman, Barry Hearn for has drastic steps to improve the game of snooker across the world. He believes that the snooker boss has really turned the game around which
has produced many opportunities for all potters to become champions of different major ranking snooker events.
Speaking to the World Snooker in his post match interview, Lee said about Hearn, “Barry Hearn has turned this game around, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity. I just been a bit lucky, I've found a bit of form at the right time and I've put a few tricky
players away that I've had problems with over the years.”
The 2012 China Open semi-finalist added, “It's a big mental barrier to put people like that away. I've enjoyed my snooker and because it's quick-fire at the moment, we go from one tournament to the next and it's been enjoyable.”
Hearn joined World Snooker in 2009 and since then he has introduced many new major ranking snooker tournaments in the calendar which has increased the opportunities for the players to play more and more snooker events and clinch as many snooker titles as
they can. With increasing the number of tournaments, not only the viewership of the game has increased but also many new faces have emerged as champions, which is quite positive. The fans are appreciating the competition and variety of players from around
the world.
Lee will now face the Scotsman, Stephen Maguire in the semis at the same venue. Maguire had some good luck at the baize against the Rocket, Ronnie O’Sullivan and clinched the quarter-final encounter after hitting a fluke shot in the left middle pocket. Lee
will be looking to put in a good performance against Maguire.
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