CHRIS WAKELIN is looking forward to eating buns and sinking tons this week at snooker’s FA Cup.
Cheltenham racecourse will host the Unibet British Open as the snooker world returns to the UK after five weeks at three back-to-back events across China.
Chris Wakelin will compete in the British Open Credit: Getty
He is fueling up on cinnamon buns Credit: Getty
Wakelin, 34, plays Belgian Luca Brecel in round one on Monday evening as he chases a third WST title triumph.
Yet the chance to visit Cheltenham is made more exciting by the chance to taste a certain local delicacy.
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Wakelin told JattvibeSport: “Cheltenham itself is absolutely incredible as a place to go and visit.
“As a fan or as a player, the city itself is absolutely stunning.
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“One of my favourite things I’ve ever eaten was a cinnamon bun from a place called Moran’s Eating House in the middle of Cheltenham.
“It was honestly in the top three things I’ve ever eaten.
“Every time I go to Cheltenham that’s where I make a beeline for.
“If you aren’t there before 11am, then you can wave goodbye to those cinnamon buns as they sell, like they say, like hotcakes.
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“The venue for the snooker itself is incredible. It’s an amazing arena. It’s a lot bigger than it looks on the TV as well.
“I went to the races a few years ago now. I froze my a*** off watching the races.
“If you’re a racing man, it’s one of the best venues on the planet.
“It’s also growing in the snooker world as one of the most prestigious events and one of the most prestigious venues that we get to visit.
“I know, why don’t they just put the table in the middle of the racecourse?”
The Unibet British Open is the only pro event where the draw is done before each round – so nobody knows their exact path to the final.
Decent ties to focus on involve Shaun Murphy, the 2026 Crucible runner-up, against 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans.
Four-time world champion John Higgins battles Iranian Hossein Vafaei and Mark Williams is up against David Gilbert.
Wakelin, the world No.12, said: “The FA Cup-style format of the draw, I don’t think too many look at that too fondly.
“I suppose the guys that are in the bottom 64, for them it’s a bit of a free hit when the draw comes out.
“Rather than drawing someone in the top 64, they could draw anyone on tour.
“For the top 16 and top 32, it becomes a bit of a minefield.
“In every single round you could be playing former world champions, former world No.1s and current tournament winners.
“It does bring some interesting clashes for sure. It’s an interesting tournament.”
*The Unibet British Open – the FA Cup of snooker – runs between August 31 and September 6 in the Centaur Arena at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Unibet are the title partner of snooker’s British Open for the third consecutive year
