Anxiety left Zack Thretti fearing the Snooker match and fearing his future

Zack Threat has returned to the road after attending Q School, but combating anxiety is as big a challenge as the ones he encounters in a professional circle.

The 30-year-old won his second event of the season, courtesy of defeating talented Belgian teenager Ben Mertens in the final round.

Players based in Basildon have admitted that the specter of a brutal tournament in Shefield looms after what happened to it two years ago.

“When I first came back, it was always in my head,” he said. “I have to start well, or I’ll have a hard time going back to Q school next year, I don’t want to go back there.” But this is only the beginning. “

The constant worries at school reflect the mental struggle Sally has to deal with when trying to deal with anxiety, which makes everything more difficult for him.

He was so affected by the emotional struggle of last season that he thought it was a waste of time and money and planned not to return to Q School when he left the tour.

“I didn’t want to get into it either, I thought I wasn’t in the right place at the end of last season,” he said. I have anxiety problems, I had a hard time playing.

“I saw the name crumble and thought it was a waste of money. You have [Michael] Copse, [Kurt] roll, [Andrew] Higginson, it’s terrible. Then come all the young people like Ben.

“I didn’t give myself a big chance and spent 10001000. But my mom and brother talked to me. Now I have a small club involved and I’m playing there and I’m a bit confused. I feel like some people are back to support.

The guarantor is in a position to realize that many players struggle to maintain their glorious snooker dreams, but struggle with the reality of competition with low ratings.

Regular frustration, lack of financial gains, and also anxiety issues made it difficult for Surety to see the bright side of life on tour.

“Obviously I want to be a pool player. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he said. But she was beginning to ask me if he was happy.

You just go to the tournament and expect to lose. He was cracked. I went to the Welsh Open last season but I couldn’t even look up.

“As a result, I left Turkey. I did not play in Gibraltar. I have to play in the World Cup because it is the World Cup. I missed there and when I left, I had the opportunity to play Q School. I thought not, but I think it was extended a day before the deadline and entered at the last minute.

“I just want to calm down. Just keep trying, keep playing and see where you go. Confident that I know what will happen if I get some results. One player. I’ve been doing it for the last two years and maybe I’ll come back here. [at Q School]..

Not only did the guarantor have to deal with anxiety, but the pressure of the tour got worse when he was at the table.

“I’ve been suffering from anxiety for years. Sometimes it’s hard for me to call,” he said. “Obviously snooker has always been a happy place in a way. But now I’m losing, my hands are shaking, I’m just another player. I can’t play or practice.”

“Just touring is a huge achievement, but if you go there every week, you lose. I feel like I’m just collecting numbers. Just sit back and think about it.”

But you lose and your friends tell you that you’re trash. And I’m like, “Well, I’m not, I worked hard to get here. I’ve got to pick myself up a little bit.”

“When I feel uncomfortable on tour, I feel like I’m trying to prove myself to my opponent. As a seasoned pro, I have to try and beat like any other person or player. I miss you. Ball and think, ‘Oh’ he He thinks I’m trash, as it’s called on TV.

Sometimes it was very terrible for a 30-year-old man to have difficulty getting up from his chair and not wanting to make a ball against his opponent to avoid the spotlight.

The joy has been taken out of snooker and his first job now that he’s back on tour is to catch it.

“I just have to start having fun,” he said. “Get ready for the tournament and start the joy of going out to the tournament. Don’t be afraid, I thought, ‘God, it’s going to happen, I don’t want to go.’

“So I have a chance, but when I behave like now, I’m afraid to do things and I’m afraid to sit down…

Last year I woke up and got to a place where I didn’t want to go to the bathroom. I was playing Ian Bin Tao and I sat down and thought, “Don’t miss this.”

“All lights are on you. I thought this was the place I always wanted.” “So I just said, ‘No, cut it, I just sit here.’ It’s wrong, no, but what can you do?

Zack has taken steps to control his anxiety and is relying on specialists to help him manage the problem, but this is far from a quick fix.

“I went to see someone late last year. A friend of mine came in and picked me a ball and said, ‘If you play as long as you can, you have a chance.’ So I just figured it out.” He just sold me a session and he told me, “You’re leaving.”

“It was good, it helped, but it really had nothing to do with pool. I want someone to tell me how to miss black and sit in a chair at 75 years old. I’m nervous. More and more, my hands are everywhere.” . , I’m pouring 2 liters of water in 7, it’s just a mess.

Remember that experiencing what Zack is experiencing is a hard way to make a living and Ronnie O’Sullivan said he didn’t encourage young people to get involved in sports because it’s so hard to get out of the elite of the game. It is easy.

The guarantor didn’t like hearing this feedback from the game’s top players, but given his condition, he can see what the rocket means.

“I know where it came from,” Thretti said. “Obviously it’s wrong to say that because he is him, but I understand what he says from my personal experience.

“I don’t like doing that either. I know I’m good at it, and if I get it right, I know I have a chance. It’s ridiculous.”

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