CHRIS WAKELIN was once an Asda delivery driver.
Now, he’s vying for £175,000 in the International Championship final.
Wakelin, 32, will need to deliver the goods when he plays the winner of Ding Junhui and Xu Si in the final on Saturday.
The Brit edged past China’s Xiao Guodong with a 9-8 victory in a thrilling semi-final.
Wakelin looked to have bottled it when Xiao fought back from 6-3 down to level at 8-8 but held his nerve in the decider.
It’s the first time the Englishman has made it into the top 16 of the world rankings in his career and caps what has been a really fine season for him.
The Rugby man, who is expecting a baby with his partner, broke down in tears at the “hardest match of my life.”
He said: “It’s so hard to explain the feelings.
“You work your entire life at this game for moments like this.
“From 8-5 up, I had totally thrown it away. Xiao capitalised on me making ridiculously easy mistakes.
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“When it came to the decider, I said to myself: ‘It’s now or never. If your chance comes, just forget about what has happened in the last 3-4 frames.’
“I’m so relieved I have a day off on Saturday. I’m absolutely done in by this. That was the hardest match of my life for sure.”
After playing in snooker leagues since aged 11, Wakelin’s career came to a halt at the age of 17 when he had to start working full-time as ASDA delivery driver to support himself financially.
And snooker became a hobby after it was forced to take a back-seat.
In 2012, Wakelin decided to give the game another go.
But he soon had to face more difficulties as family issues resulted in a severe depression: “I could line up but I just couldn’t pot.
“I thought I would never play again. But thankfully with the help of my friends I managed to turn it around.”
He previously revealed how was still driving a van around Warwickshire in 2014 before freinds helped him get back competing on the table.
He added: “I loved that job and had amazing people around me. Asda gave me time off to practise.
“They had a fundraiser for me and it raised nearly £1,000 towards my tour expenses. I can’t thank them enough.”
And now Wakelin has reached the third ranking final of his career.
He won the Shoot Out in 2023 and was runner-up at the Northern Ireland Open 10 months later.
But he will earn at least £75,000 in prize money as runner up – which would be his career highest payday.
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season hen the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
Most World Titles (modern era)
