Ashley Carty Q&A

Ashley Carty is a former professional snooker player who won the latest English Amateur Tour event at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

The 30-year-old returned to the amateur ranks at the start of this season and is a former ranking event quarter-finalist and English 6-Red Championship winner.

We recently spoke to Ashley to find out more about his recent success in West Yorkshire and his return to the amateur game.

You won the recent English Amateur Tour event at the Northern Snooker Centre, losing just four frames in six matches, how did that feel?

I went into the tournament feeling very confident as I have hit a good bit of form recently. To win every game by a comfortable margin was very pleasing to me.

You also compiled the tournament high break of 143 – tell us about that break.

To be honest, I don’t remember much about the break! I remember that Craig (Steadman) played a good safety shot which forced me into going for a tough long red. I managed to pot it and then cleared the table nicely.

How do you find the Northern Snooker Centre as a venue?

I really like the Northern Snooker Centre! I have been going there since I was around 12 or 13 years old so I am very used to the surrounding there. It is definitely one of the biggest and best snooker clubs in the country.

How do you find the English Amateur Tour events overall?

I have found the English Amateur Tour events really good so far! The best-of-seven frame matches and the straight knockout format is perfect for those events.

You returned to the amateur ranks earlier this year after a spell on the World Snooker Tour – has the amateur circuit been different than you expected since your return and, if so, how?

The standard of snooker has definitely increased a lot in the last few years and the standard of the amateur game is probably as good as it has ever been. There are so many good players in these top amateur events and so it felt great to come out on top in Leeds.

How did you first get into snooker?

I was eight-years-old when I first got into snooker. I used to go to my local snooker club and play against my Dad and his friends. Shortly after, I got a six-foot table in my house and it just went from there!

Where do you practice now and how often do you play?

I mainly practice at Victoria’s Snooker Academy in Sheffield. I normally pay around five or six days a week so I still treat snooker as my full-time job currently.

What are your goals for the rest of this season and for the future?

My ultimate goal is to return to the professional ranks on the World Snooker Tour. Once there, I want to get into the top 64 as I only narrowly missed out on achieving this last season. It would be nice to keep up my recent form and win a few more tournaments.