Vladislav Gradinari Q&A

Vladislav Gradinari is a former English Under-18, Under-16 and Under-14 champion who won his second English Junior Tour title last month at the Woodside Snooker Centre in Dereham.

We recently caught up with the 17-year-old, who is also a former European Under-16 champion, to find out more about his recent success on the English Junior Tour and his goals for the future.

You won the recent English Junior Tour event at the Woodside Snooker Centre in Dereham – how did you find the event and how did it feel to win?

I won my first English Junior Tour event in the same club so I would say this club suits me! It is not too often that club tables suit me but this club seems like it is made for me because I’ve played three events there and won two. It is one of my favourites clubs to go to for the English Junior Tour – the club is very nice and you are well looked after by the staff.

The final against Oliver Sykes came down to the last ball – how did that feel?

I have a few matches in the past few months where I have had to clear up to the last ball to win so it is not unusual for me and it felt like something I have already been through. I had a chance to take the fourth frame and win 3-1 but I missed a long distance red so it felt nice to win the decider because I had that chance to finish the match earlier.

It is the second time you have won an English Junior Tour title – how did this one compare to the first back in 2023?

I have definitely increased my level of the game. I am a bit more grown up now and have a better shot choice.

I am very consistent in the English Junior Tour events. I lost in the final of the first event this season to Ethan Llewellyn so I also feel like I am close to winning it but it just didn’t happen for me in the final a few times. This time I just played as normal, I felt good and I won it!

How do you find the English Junior Tour events overall?

I think they are very nice for the junior players because you are playing against the best juniors in the country. For me, the format is quite short but that is necessary to finish the tournament in two days and overall the tournaments are great for helping junior players improve their game.

You are also a former English Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 winner, what are your targets for the rest of the season?

The main goal is to keep playing well because if I play well then the wins will come and I will go deep in tournaments, especially the junior events. Obviously, I would like to win the English Under-18 Championship back-to-back as this is the last year that I can compete in the championship and so it would be very nice to retain that title.

You reached the finals of the English Amateur Championship for the third year in a row earlier this season – how does that feel?

It feels very good to be in the latter stages of such a famous tournament in snooker history. I have only played in the English Amateur Championship three times and I have qualified for the last stage each time.

If I don’t qualify for the World Snooker Tour then hopefully that run will continue in the coming years. I am very consistent in my game because I practice a lot so it is nice when the consistency transfers over to the tournaments as well.

When did you first start playing snooker? Where and how often do you play currently?

I started playing snooker when I was seven-years-old. My grandparents were watching it on the TV and I just wanted to go to a club which is where I fell in love with snooker.

Now, I practice at Levels Snooker Club in Huddersfield who are also my sponsor. I have perfect conditions for practice there with a heated Star table which is reclothed three times a year. I play every single day except Sundays if there isn’t a tournament, otherwise I might have a day off on the Monday instead.

What are your overall goals for the future in the sport?

My main goal is simply to play well which is the main aim for every snooker player I think.

I really want to qualify for the World Snooker Tour as soon as possible because I can tell the standard is getting very strong and I would like to test my level of the game with the professionals. Obviously, everybody wants to become the world champion but the first thing is to turn professional and then stay in the top 64.