City potter Heathcote falls at first hurdle again
LEICESTER POTTER IS WHITEWASHED BY WAKELIN IN HIS OPENING MATCH AT THE UK CHAMPIONSHIP
LOUIS HEATHCOTE vowed to keep plugging away behind the scenes after being brushed aside 6-0 by Chris Wakelin in the opening round of the UK Championship, writes Peter White of Sportsbeat.
The Leicester potter has managed to progress past the first round of a tournament just once so far this season – at the Northern Ireland Open earlier this month – and his tough run continued in Milton Keynes, the temporary home of the first Triple Crown event on the calendar.
Wakelin set the tone for a one-sided contest with a break of 85 helping him take the first frame, and Heathcote believes falling short in the tightlycontested second swung all the momentum in his opponent’s favour.
But after holding his hands up and admitting the better man won on the night, the 23-year-old insisted he will use the disappointment as fuel to come back stronger in the remainder of the campaign. “It was tough out there, I didn’t feel that good from the first frame,” said Heathcote, the world No.70. “The second frame was huge – I was in control and I shouldn’t have lost that.
“I just let it slip away from me, I missed a few balls here and there, and I struggled with the pace of the table.
“But fair play to Chris, he played well and I hope he goes on to have a good run.
“But that happens sometimes. There’s no point taking it to heart because that won’t help me going forward.
“I’ve spoken before about being inconsistent, and that just means
I’ve got to work harder on the practice table.”
With his second appearance at the UK Championship having ended at the first hurdle, Heathcote is ready to put in the work ahead of his trip back to the Marshall Arena for the Scottish Open in December.
And while the tournaments continue to come thick and fast, he is confident he is not far away from showcasing his full potential and putting on a good run at the match table.
Heathcote added: “I know my game’s there, I know I can win matches and do well on tour, so I’ve got to dust myself off and get back on the practice table ahead of the next event.
“The last few weeks have been really busy – I’ve been up and down.
“I’ll get my head down, get back on the practice table ready for the Scottish and hopefully put this poor run right.”
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I know I can win matches and do well, so I’ve got to get back on the practice table
Louis Heathcote, right