MORRIS AND McBAIN: OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

The World Open features 43 players – nearly half the circuit – all guaranteed a place in front of the TV cameras.

Two of these, David Morris and James McBain, have never played on television before.

Morris is widely recognised as a great talent in his native Republic of Ireland, where he won the national amateur title at every age level and was champion in the senior ranks three years running.

Davy has made quiet progress on the main tour, making it into the top 64 and steadily getting results but never before reaching a final venue.

The 21 year-old has appeared in the final qualifying round of a tournament five times, including in last season’s Betfred.com World Championship.

Fittingly, he grew up in a house in Kilkenny numbered 147. Ken Doherty has mentored him and he carries the hopes for the next generation of Irish snooker, just as Mark Allen does in the north.

“I can’t wait to play on TV. My parents will be over for it,” Morris told me after he qualified for Glasgow.

“It’s been tough. The standard is so high and you need a bit of luck and for things to go your way.

“I have no preference who I draw now. I fancy I can beat anyone over a best of five.”

McBain, five times Scottish national champion, lives ten minutes from the SECC, where the World Open will be staged.

He’s back on the pro circuit again this season after a couple of years in the amateur ranks. Like many players, the 32 year-old has found it difficult to keep his place with only a single season’s points – plus starter points – to rely on.

Financial rewards are non existent for the first two rounds of ranking events and McBain has pocketed less than £12,000 in his playing career.

He tells me he would like to draw Stephen Hendry, his long time idol, in the last 32 but disagrees with the seven times champion when it comes to the new ranking system.

“This is the right time to be a snooker player,” he said. “Last time I was on the tour I only had six ranking events to play in. This season I’ve already played in six or seven events and it’s only September.

“I feel like a proper player now. It also helps keep my game sharp and even if you have a bad result, you’re away again the next week so there’s no time really to stew over it.

“Barry Hearn’s arrival has benefited a lot of the players, particularly with the new ranking system. Players will be rewarded for their current form rather than having to wait two years.”

Ultimately, though, whatever ranking system is in place, the rewards will only come to players who excel on the table.

Morris and McBain have each won three matches to qualify. Good luck to them.

Appearing on TV for the first time is a milestone achievement for any player. Often it goes badly as nerves and inexperience on the big stage take their toll. Sometimes it can go well, as for Martin Clark, who beat Dennis Taylor 5-0 on his maiden appearance before the cameras at the 1987 International.

The nature of the World Open, with its shorter matches, makes it more likely that lower ranked players will do well, but at 2-2, just as at 4-4 or 8-8, a player needs to hold their nerve and experience tells us it’s the guys near the top of the list who do this with greater regularity.

Regardless, it’s fair to assume the Sky+ in the Morris and McBain households will be put through its paces next week.