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What makes a champion under pressure?

Nerves of steel or so it seemed for the 2003 championship. Amazing accuracy and constant playing ability. Mark Williams wins and describes himself as a man without inner calm, yet he seemed to keep going under the pressure of Ken Doherty. Matching each other frame for frame until the last moment the final frame was won without a struggle.

The crowd was different in that they kept calm and quiet, so letting the competitors concentrate without audience distraction.

Mark was described as the one who takes risk or chances that others may not dare to do.

 

The 2002 Embassy World Snooker championship was won by Peter Ebdon.

Peter Ebdon missed potting a black - the shot would have won him the championship.

What happened next was crucial to the end game. The crowd became heated and noisy causing the controller to request very strongly for the audience to be quiet and behave, so that the players may continue in a sportsmanlike manner. The audience complied.

The final frame started with missed shots on both sides.

The game was open to winning by Stephen Hendry. He missed 3 chances to win.

Concentration is immensely difficult to sustain under the spot light of performance stress and pressure to win.

Peter Ebdon saved the day for himself.

His control was back after the audience calmed down, allowing a chance for the players to reduce emotional outburst and inner turmoil and get on with the game.