Robin Hull reflects on his career, snooker ambitions and return to health

He is having a first crack at The 900 this week, an amateur competition not dissimilar to the Shoot Out, and Hull is looking forward to the challenge.

‘It’s a great boost for amateur snooker. It’s welcome,’ Hull told Metro.co.uk. ‘[900 organiser] Jason Francis is the sort of guy who aims really big, which is exactly what you need. Hopefully he can build on it.

‘The format is pretty killer, but it’ll make it exciting and hopefully a lot of people will follow it.

‘I’ve obviously played in the Shoot Out with some success. If I could change that win into a longer format tournament then yeah, sure. I suppose I’ve got a classical mindset, I enjoy the longer formats. But these are fun and exciting, I think they’re great.’

Hull won that Shoot Out when it was a non-ranking event and while it is a one-frame affair, the names he knocked off on his way to the title were impressive, including Mark Williams, Judd Trump, Ryan Day and Brecel.

On why he suits the format, and will be a threat in The 900, he said: ‘I think I don’t get rattled by the time, it doesn’t bother me one bit when it’s clicking away.

‘I’m nearly 50 years old. The shorter format is meant to rattle players, so if you don’t rattle that much then you can do well whether you’re fast or slow. 20 seconds a shot is enough to have a little think, as long as you don’t get rattled. It’s about making good decisions.’

The 49-year-old played in Q School this year as he tried to regain a two-year tour card, but says that he has no interest in a full-time return to professional status, just playing a few choice events.

‘There’s only one reason why I’d play Q School, to get on tour,’ he said. ‘I’m not looking for a job, as in to become a professional snooker player. I’m looking for an opportunity to play tournaments.

‘For me getting a two-year card to play on the main tour would mean playing 3-5 tournaments per year and getting bombed out after two years. I just want to play single tournaments.

‘It won’t be long till I’m playing snooker just for fun. I’m doing it now really, but I still play to a reasonable standard. I’m not so consistent, but I’d like to have the option to play in some tournaments.’

Hull came close to a return to tour, losing in an epic slog to Rory McLeod in the penultimate round, a match which lasted over four hours to finish 4-3 in McLeod’s favour.

‘I came out the match and was thinking maybe I don’t want to get a tour card,’ Hull laughed. ‘He’s a tough boy, disappointing obviously that my standard just wasn’t high enough that I couldn’t break out of that.

‘He dominated the pace of play and got me with that. I wasn’t on the form to break out of it and do something.

‘It’s mental, a game like that. It’s exactly how you would imagine it feeling, that’s exactly how it feels. “Just get me out of here!”

‘You feel like you play forever for absolutely nothing in a way that you generally don’t enjoy, so it’s not fun.’

Hull’s career hit a stumbling block when he was faced with significant health issues 20 years ago, just as he was making great progress in the game and had cracked the world’s top 32.

A string of problems which came from a serious ear infection set him back, this led to a brief retirement from the game in 2008, but thankfully he returned and is in good shape these days.

‘My health is good,’ he said. ‘It always feels like I’ve been the sick boy on tour, which isn’t really the case.

‘I had a period where I had ill health. but it hasn’t affected me that much after that, my health has been fine since. I’ve got a movement disorder in my neck, called dystonia, which doesn’t help playing snooker, I can’t practice as much as I’d like to, but otherwise my health is 10/10.

‘It was basically an ear infection at first, then I had issues with balance from that. I had a thyroid problem which came after it. I lost a lot of weight and people were thinking I’ve got one foot in the grave but that was never the case.

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