Rising snooker star Liam Pullen is using his memorable but frustrating Crucible debut as motivation for future success. The 20-year-old Yorkshireman qualified for the World Championship for the first time in 2026, winning four matches to earn his place on snooker's biggest stage.
A Debut to Remember, but Not Satisfying
Pullen faced number 13 seed Chris Wakelin in the first round at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. He fought back to level at 5-5, but ultimately lost 10-6, despite compiling his first Crucible century. 'Obviously I was gutted,' Pullen told Metro. 'I wanted to do damage at the Crucible, but it was a special experience because a lot of snooker players never play there.'
He added: 'I relished it, it was good fun, the walkouts were class. Really, really fun. It's just a shame about the result.' The match turned at 5-5, with Wakelin winning three frames in a row. 'At 5-5, I don't remember doing a lot wrong to go 8-5 down,' Pullen said. '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.'
Healthy Rivalry with Wakelin
Pullen and Wakelin share a good relationship, with the youngster having beaten the Scottish Open champion at the Welsh Open earlier in the season. '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 Long Wait and Unexpected Arena Size
The World Championship's length was a new challenge for Pullen. He qualified on April 14 but didn't play his first-round match until eight days later. 'I was quite nervous, actually,' he said. 'The tournament was 15 days for me and I was only in the first round at the Crucible!' The wait affected his appetite: '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.'
However, the Crucible's famously intimate atmosphere surprised him. 'Obviously, they changed the actual setup, didn't they?' Pullen noted, referring to new VIP seats. '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.'
Fuel for the Future
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 returned to practice reassured by his debut 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.'
He added: '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.' Pullen believes his improvement from the start of last season is evident. '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.'
