World Championship Qualifiers: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Kurt Maflin

The 2nd round of the World Championship qualifiers, starting tomorrow, will see big Norwegian Kurt Maflin begin his bid to reach the Crucible for the first time, taking on Daniel Wells. After a decent couple of years, I certainly think he has a fantastic chance of qualifying. Here though he is brutally honest about himself, what he's achieved and aims to achieve and has his opinions on some of the changes to the tour.

Thanks very much for agreeing to do this interview Kurt, firstly how would you evaluate your season so far as we head towards the World Championships?

I would say my season so far has been up and down, won some good matches and lost some bad ones. I don't feel like I have played well this season apart from a couple of matches.

In terms of your performances this season, you’ve consistently qualified for the venue, making 3 Last 16’ s in the International Championship, the Haikou World Open and the German Masters, is it pleasing for you that you’ve been more consistent this season?

Yes it is definitely pleasing but I need to be a lot more consistent, for me I will take it as a POSITIVE when I feel like I haven't played well this season really and I am ranked 34 I think from next season.

Your best ranking performance came in last season’s PTC Grand Finals where you reached the semi-finals, so how much of a disappointment was it not to qualify this season?

It was fairly disappointing, I really enjoyed it last year and was hoping to go two better this year + It’s a good chance to earn a few quid.

You’re up to 40 in the World rankings now (at the time of writing), so you’re very much an established pro. Do you think this reflects the hard work you’ve put in to the game?

Both yes and no i haven't really worked hard enough previous seasons excluding last season. I feel like sometimes ability has got me through.

The tour actually switches to a money list ahead of next season, where you are currently 33^rd (at the time of writing). Do you think this switch is for the benefit of the game and its players?

To be honest I don't really know time will tell.

You’ve never actually qualified to play in the final stages of the World Championship at The Crucible, so is this now a major goal of yours?

Yes it is a major goal. I think it’s every players dream as a youngster to play at the crucible and obviously win it.

You actually came relatively close to qualifying last season, losing 10-8 to Peter Ebdon in the final qualifying round. Did it hurt to come so close to playing at the Crucible, and are you confident that you can go one better this year?

Yeah it was painful losing 10-8 but I mean Ebdon is a great player and a very tough opponent, I had my chances and didn't take them earlier in the match. Yeah I'm confident I can go one better and hopefully kick on from there.

Despite this, is the World Championship still a very special event for you, and is it made even more special now by the fact that it’s longer format is not replicated anywhere on the snooker calendar?

Of course the Worlds has always been special for me and always will be, I haven't given much thought to it about being the only long distance format, It’s just a special tournament.

There have been a lot of changes recently to the tour, not least that all 128 players are in from the first round, but this is not so for the World Championships. Do you think that this is reward for the hard work of the players throughout the year, or that all players should start from an even playing field in the first round at The Crucible as well?

Yeah I think everyone should start in the same round if you’re going to have a money list, if its fair or not on the top boys I don't know, one thing that’s certainly not fair is I am in the top 48 and still have to play three matches and where the money list is concerned I start on 1000 pound where No. 32 starts on 8500 pound, for me that’s just idiotic. So after my little rant, money list if everyone starts in the first round if not leave the rankings as it is.

Do you ever think that, at times, your approach to the game is a little bit too aggressive or borderline reckless, because you know that you can score as heavily as you can, and you perhaps take on some shots which you shouldn’t do?

I really don't know how to answer that because I truly do believe I am going to pot every ball I go for and my % is pretty high on difficult or really tough shots but I suppose I could turn it down a notch or two.

Having never played in the World Championships at the Crucible, what is your favourite venue that you have played in?

I genuinely don't have one (yet anyway).

As the current Norwegian ambassador for snooker if you like, do you ever hear aspiring young players in Norway say that they look up to you, and do you ever feel any added pressure because of this?

Yes I have had fathers come up to me and tell me that their sons are great admirers of me and they would love to meet me and that I am their favourite player. Never feel any added pressure no.

Are there many up and coming plays in Norway, and what would say to any player now that’s thinking of going professional?

No, none that I have heard of yet, it’s just not big enough in Norway yet. I would say to any up and coming player that it’s very tough and demands all your attention, not to take it too lightly and stay focused and I am sure the rewards will come.

What has been your hardest ever defeat to take, and equally what in your mind has been your best ever victory?

Worst defeat would probably be losing to Ding 5-4 from 4-1 ahead in the china open 2010/2011 season live on Eurosport. Best victory apart from winning the world amateurs it would probably be beating Neil Robertson 4-3 from 3-0 down live on Eurosport.

Who are your favourite and least favourite players that you have ever played against and why?

My favourite players to play against are Jimmy White well because he's an absolute legend in the game good pal of mine and he's my hero and favourite player of all time. Graeme  Dott he is a great all round player and tough to beat we normally have a good game, least favourite players well I don't have any because that would just be showing weakness.

Finally, you’re 30 years old now, and your 31^st birthday isn’t far off, so what do you make of what you’ve achieved in the game so far, and what are your goals for the rest of your career?

I think personally I have under achieved massively, I have let myself down by not working hard enough on the table (and those around me), Goals: Be World Champion, win a few ranking events, make the top 16, make a few more 147´s and set up a life for my son and my retirement.

I'd like to say a big thanks to Kurt there for agreeing to do the interview, and for being so honest with a lot of his statements about both himself and the tour.

Stick around because before the World Championships gets under way at the Crucible I should have some more interviews to bring you from some of the World's top stars.