‘Shot of the tournament’ – Ryan Day shows off ‘absolutely unbelievable cue power’ on way to upset win at the Crucible
RYAN DAY produced the “shot of the tournament” on the way to a shock victory over Barry Hawkins.
The Welshman, 44, beat “The Hawk” 10-8 to potentially book a mouthwatering second round clash with Ronnie O’Sullivan at the World Snooker Championship.
Fifteenth-ranked Hawkins became the latest seed to fall, with eight of the top 16 having already been eliminated.
Day, ranked No18 in the world, produced some memorable moments of magic on his way to victory.
Most notably he conjured an amazing screw shot to pot the green and leave himself well positioned on the brown.
Fans were left in awe of his execution, with many taking to social media to heap praise on Day.
One wrote: “Shot of the tournament contender from Ryan Day.”
While a second gushed: “Have some of that. When he’s in full flow, there’s not many better.”
A third swooned: “Amazing screw back from Ryan Day.”
And a fourth commented: “That shot on the green….wow. Unbelievable cue power.”
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Another added: “Wow where did Ryan Day pull that shot from. Ridiculous.”
A fan at home tried to recreate Day’s amazing shot… but only ended up potting the white.
His attempt attracted the attention of 2010 world champion Neil Robertson, who offered a tip in response.
The Aussie, 42, wrote: “Don’t try and play the same screw backs that we have on the pro cloths. Unless you are using lighter balls or it’s a new cloth at your club it’s almost impossible to get the same reaction.”
Following his win over Hawkins, Day spoke of his delight at returning to winning ways at The Crucible.
He told the BBC: “Obviously delighted and it’s been a long time since I won a match here. Winning games here is not easy for every player.
“I was gone at 8-5 down and lost my way a bit. I’m 5-2 up, then 8-5 down, then five for me to finish.
“This crop of qualifiers looked on paper to be as strong as ever and with eight seeds going out it has been the case.”