New 2022 Interview: Under-21’s Snooker Focus – Harry Wyatt

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CUESTARS does a fine job in promoting talent on the junior Under-21’s tour in the south of England.

There are a few talented players that are thriving on the tour and should they keep at it, with the right support and framework that’s going on at Cuestars, they could go far in the game.

HARRY WYATT is one such talent on the Under-21’s Cuestars who is a dedicated player who practices 6 hours in the week and ALL day Saturdays playing tournaments.

Dedicated to his sport: Harry Wyatt (photos courtesy of Chris Wyatt)

SnookerZone managed to catch up with Harry (through his dad, Chris Wyatt) who very kindly communicated Harry’s passion and dedication to the game at just 12-years-old.

Wyatt practices snooker at the Greenbaize Snooker Club in Bournemouth and is mentored by Bradley Cowdroy, whom SnookerZone interviewed a week or so ago.

He started getting hooked on snooker at the age of 8 when he had a small table, and then when his dad, Chris, took him to a Legends event and he got to meet the Legend 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty.

The youngster was then treated to time on the table with London Coach Gary Filtness, a regular on the World Seniors tour.

Harry’s Ambitions…

Since then, Wyatt has achieved a great deal on the Cuestars tour and has learned how to become a winner.

He said; “I won my first Cuestars tournament in November 2018 at Jesters Swindon. Still aged 8, it confirmed me as the youngest ever winner of a Cuestars competition. I was also very proud to win 5 of the 7 competitions held in the 2019/20 season when I won the bronze rankings.

Wyatt has, like many, a few ambitions, but short term he wants to win the National Under-14s Championship.

He added: “I would love to be the national under 14’s champion this year as It’s the last year I can enter. I made the semi final last year but I really want to go at least one better and get to final’s day. It will be so tough as there are some fantastic players in the south and the second phase of qualifying will be very difficult, but I will give it everything I have got.”

Cuestars Camaraderie among the Under-21’s…

There is a real camaraderie on the Cuestars tour and SnookerZone has seen firsthand the friendships being developed when the Under-21s came to Woking Snooker Centre in Surrey last year.

“My best mate at snooker is O’Shay Scott. He is a great player and we enjoy playing each other as well as having a laugh off the table. There are a group of us at Chandlers Ford that all get on really well and push each other on the table. We support one another and celebrate each others achievements.

It’s a great environment to play snooker. I am mentored by Bradley Cowdroy and we also get on very well. I have really improved my safety and match play since I started practicing with Bradley. I think Bradley was happier than I was when I won the Cuestars silver competition at Coulsdon a few weeks ago.”

However, Wyatt is disappointed that the English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards is to scrap certain events next season. We will wait with bated breath to see what they are replaced with – if anything.

I really enjoyed the EPSB regional tour events and I even got the chance to play on the national premier tour a few weeks ago as a top up at Waterlooville. I think it is such a shame that these events are being scrapped by the EPSB as one of my main goals was to get on the premier tour so I could play against the best U21’s in the country. With these gone and no national Under 16’s competition, I will have very few national competitions to enter.

Youngsters need as many tournaments as there is possible so that they can get match sharp.

Wyatt is dedicated to his sport, but outside of snooker, he loves cricket, and drama groups, but he realizes that if you want to do well at something, you have to put the work in if you want to become a professional at it.

He said: “You get out what you put in. If I practice hard, I improve and I play well. If I don’t practice, I don’t play well.

His favourite snooker player is Joe Perry. Funnily enough – a handful of lucky players, including Harry, got to practice with the Welsh Open Champion earlier this year as Perry was then appointed as the Cuestars Ambassador.

He said of the experience with Perry and the training: “It was amazing.”

Wyatt is pushing hard on his break-building and currently has a 69.

But he added: “69 is my highest match break. I have made a number of ’60s now and want to push on and make an 80 break.”

Finally, he says that he loves snooker rules the way they are, although, the miss rule at the junior level could be changed.

“I love snooker as it is. Maybe the miss rule for juniors could be looked at as I don’t like seeing loads of points being given away in fouls. Its not nice to win or lose a frame that way.”

With the right support and frameworks like Cuestars, youngsters such as Harry Wyatt have a real chance to go far in the game and develop to a high level.

Harry Wyatt is currently sponsored by PowerNaturally and A1 Rubbish Clearance.

SnookerZone would like to thank Chris Wyatt for allowing SnookerZone to ask Harry a few questions and gain an insight into the junior tour and we wish Harry well in his snooker career and future.

Keep practicing!