O'Brien passes biggest test

The timing was perfect in every way but one. Fergal O'Brien's victory in the British Open final on Sunday night gave him a major trophy and a major cheque for the first time in his seven-year professional career.

It also provisionally lifted him to number 10 in the world rankings just before the World Championships. His celebrations on arriving home, however, will have to be kept to a minimum.

"It was great to have so many family and friends in Plymouth for the win and we had some night on Sunday," says O'Brien, "but the big one is just around the corner, so come Wednesday it's straight back down to practice."

There will, however, be time for a visit to his club, Raphael's, in Lucan village some time this morning, and there's plenty of people there waiting to fill the trophy with champagne. Time as well to put the £60,000 cheque in the bank. Then it's back to the table for some practice before heading to Sheffield on Friday for a first round encounter with Tony Drago on Saturday.

"I think the bonus of winning this should carry on for a while. I felt that big pressure for the first time and actually enjoyed it. It proves I can win at the highest level and it also means that when I get to the quarter or semi-finals, from now on I won't be backing-off."

Ranked 20th at the start of the season he is only the third Irishman after Patsy Fagan and Ken Doherty to claim the title and is now firmly established in the top professional ranks. His main achievement before this competition was reaching the quarter-final of the UK Open in Liverpool last November, but from the outset O'Brien had a hunch about his trip to Plymouth.

"You hear it said in soccer or whatever, but I really felt my name was on that trophy," he says. "It just seems that all the pieces were coming together this week in that I'd secured my place in the World qualifier shortly before in Telford and really was coming into form. The little things as well, like having opponents miss shots that could have sent me out."

The six-hour final was the biggest test of O'Brien's confidence as Anthony Hamilton, also looking for his first title, jumped to a two-frame lead with century breaks and was 4-3 ahead going into the interval. "It was a long week and with just that half hour break in the final I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I got this second wind from somewhere and when it reached level on seven frames then the crowd gave me a big lift and that probably got me through the last two.

"I was having different thoughts about what it means to win, but it will take a bit of time before it fully sinks in."

His grandfather, Danny Burke, passed away last February and O'Brien was also having special thoughts about his absence.

"This really is what snooker is all about, but I feel the combination of hard work and experience down through the years have made me a more mature player. And you know as well what they say in snooker, that the best time to win your second title is straight after the first."