Rising snooker star Liam Pullen has described his Crucible debut as a special but annoying experience that has only fueled his determination to return and achieve more. The 20-year-old Yorkshireman won four qualifying matches to earn his place on snooker's most iconic stage at the 2026 World Snooker Championship.
A Hard-Fought Journey to the Crucible
Pullen's path to the Crucible was anything but easy. He defeated two tournament winners from the previous season during qualifying, showcasing his potential and resilience. In his first-round match at the famous Sheffield theatre, he faced number 13 seed Chris Wakelin. Despite leveling at 5-5, Pullen eventually lost 10-6, but not before compiling his first Crucible century.
Mixed Emotions on Debut
Reflecting on the experience, Pullen told Metro: 'Obviously I was gutted. I wanted to do damage at the Crucible, but it was a special experience because a lot of snooker players never play there. I relished it, it was good fun, the walkouts were class. Really, really fun. It's just a shame about the result, but obviously you can't control when you're going to win.'
He added: 'At 5-5, I don't remember doing a lot wrong to go 8-5 down, to be honest. A couple of the media people said, "oh, do you think experience showed?" I don't think it did, to be honest. I think it's just the way the match panned out. It was a bit annoying really. I was sat in my chair just a bit annoyed because I didn't feel like I did a lot wrong at that stage. I had the ton to go 9-6, but it was too little too late, really.'
A Respectful Rivalry with Wakelin
Pullen and Wakelin share a good relationship, with the youngster having beaten the Scottish Open champion at the Welsh Open just months earlier. 'We're easy going. There'll never be anything sour,' Pullen said. 'I beat him in the Welsh Open. I remember shaking hands with him and I said, "oh, sorry, mate." Later that night, he said, "don't say sorry. I wouldn't have been."'
The Unique Challenge of the World Championship
The sheer scale of the World Championship differs from any other tournament. Pullen qualified on April 14 but did not play his first-round match until eight days later. 'I was quite nervous, actually,' he admitted. 'I think the Worlds is just so long, especially starting from qualifying round one. The tournament was 15 days for me and I was only in the first round at the Crucible!'
The wait also affected his eating habits. 'I'm like a TARDIS for food, I do eat a lot, but during the World Championship I really struggled to eat what I normally can. That was weird for me. I've never had that before in any competition that I've played. But it was more like healthy nerves, though, the whole time was so enjoyable. Special. Yeah, just special really. That's the word.'
Surprised by the Crucible's Size
One of the biggest surprises for Pullen was the size of the Crucible arena. Known for being tight and cramped, he found it more spacious than expected due to recent changes. 'Obviously, they changed the actual setup, didn't they?' he said of the new VIP seats at the black cushion end. 'I've talked to other players who said before when the commentary box was literally right there, apparently it felt really small. But to be honest, it felt a bit spacious, not as tight as people make out. I didn't really have any problems with it.'
Using the Experience as Fuel
After a short summer break, Pullen spent part of his £20,000 prize money on a road bike and focused on fitness through cycling and running. He has since returned to practice, reassured by his debut that his career is on the right track but hungry for more. 'It's like fuel, isn't it? It's fuel in the tank,' he said. 'It's just what you want to be doing for the rest of your career and your life.'
'I think it's maybe comforting to know that you can do that sort of thing. Getting to the Crucible is a big achievement, but obviously that's not what I want to do. I want to go better places than that. It's a box ticked that everyone wants to tick on the journey. At the start of last season results were harder to come by, but I know now I can do it. I think I've improved quite a lot from the start to the end of last season. Obviously I'm still young in snooker terms, but I've just got to keep on improving. That's the target.'
