CANWORTHY WATER-based snooker star, Andy Hicks, won £8,000 last weekend after reaching the semi-finals of the Snooker Shoot Out in Watford.

Held at the Watford Coliseum, and broadcast throughout the weekend on ITV4, the 43-year-old Devonian beat Sydney Wilson, former two-time world champion Mark Williams, Zhang Yong, Michael Georgiou and Steven Hallworth before losing 73-0 to China’s Xiao Guodong in their one-frame match.

It was a return to the limelight for the Tavistock-born potter who in recent years has fallen away from snooker’s elite.

In the mid 90s, Hicks reached four major TV semi-finals including the 1994 World Grand Prix, the 1995 UK Championship and the 1996 Masters and the 1995 World Championships where he lost 16-11 to Nigel Bond.

Since then Hicks has struggled to live up to those heights.

Despite being currently without a professional tour card having just missed out at last year’s Q School, Hicks can still play in events when there isn’t a full field of 128, and is hopeful of securing a return to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in April, having not appeared at snookers showpiece event since 2007.

Hicks told the Post: “It was nice to be back in the limelight. Although it was a bit of a gimmicky tournament, it felt great to have a run on TV again.

“Hopefully this can now help me push on and have a great end to the year. I beat Luca Brecel (5-3) in the China Open qualifier a few weeks ago and I go out there in three weeks time, so hopefully I can do well in that and then I have the World Championship qualifiers in April.

“I haven’t qualified for the World Championships in a few years now. I know it’ll be tough, considering I have to win three best of 19 matches, but that’d be the icing on the cake for all the work I’ve put in over the last couple of years. I’m now back playing to a level which I feel I should be, and I’d like to thank Crackington Snooker Club for giving me the chance to use their fantastic facilities.”