Snooker
Graeme Dott has revealed his off-table struggles have contributed to his worrying poor form.
The former world champion has slipped alarmingly down the rankings to world number 54 after a string of disappointing defeats last season.
Graeme Dott//Getty Images
And despite a promising start to this season’s campaign, Dott surprisingly quit the new Xi’an Grand Prix in China just AN HOUR before his last 32 match.
Illness was to blame for his sudden withdrawal, but the 2006 Crucible champion is expected to return to action today (Saturday) at the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters (30 August – 7 September) in Riyadh, with £500,000 on offer to the winner.
“I’ve had lots of stuff going on off the table which only close family and friends know about," Dott told SportsBoom.com.
“I know why my ranking has fallen down, but I don’t feel anywhere near finished yet.
Graeme Dott
“It’s (my problems) not something I really want to talk about, but my close family and friends know what I’ve been through and they understand why my form has suffered and my ranking has fallen as far as it has.
“I know I’m in a totally false position in the rankings, if I can play half decent this year I’ll be climbing up the rankings again.
“The one thing I know is that my ranking has not fallen that far from me playing snooker, it’s down to all the other things that I’ve been dealing with off the table.
“I remember playing Elliot Slessor in the UK Championship qualifiers last year and I hadn’t practised one single day since the World Championship.
“I was going from tournament to tournament and I hadn’t played.
“People obviously wonder why my ranking has fallen, but that’s one of the reasons.”
At 47, Dott knows his bests days are probably behind him, but the three-time World Championship finalist retains the hunger to win another major title.
The two-time ranking event winner has teamed up with renowned coach Chris Henry again in a bid to get back in the winner’s circle.
Henry has worked with a number of top players including seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and former world champion Shaun Murphy.
“I’m back working with Chris Henry this season – and I’ve had a decent start – so hopefully I can kick on and move up the rankings again,” admitted Dott.
“He’s the best coach, there’s no getting away from that. It’s nice to have him back in my corner again.
“It’s good to have someone on your side again if things are going bad.
“Mark Selby has obviously had a tough time with his wife Vicki (who had cancer), but my problem is a totally different problem to that.
“And, thankfully, I’m in a totally better head space to deal with it.
“It’s making me go back to practise table and put some work in.
“It's so hard to win these days. Look at John Higgins, he's an absolute legend of the game and won so much, but he's probably only starting to realise now how easy he made it look.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.