‘We back ourselves to win’

Martyn Desperques starts his competition next Monday, with Adam Shorto beginning the following week, as both multiple Island champions compete over a fast and furious format at Reading’s Crucible Club.

The format is based largely on the spectator-friendly Snooker Shoot-out and takes its name from its duration – each match is one frame lasting 900 seconds, or 15 minutes.

Both Guernsey players will be embracing the exposure offered by the SportyStuff TV coverage.

‘I can count on one hand the number of times I have been on TV in my career – probably two or three times historically since I was 18,’ Desperques said.

‘It’s exciting having friends and family and everyone else watching across the world.’

Shorto, whose travel has been funded by M J Construction, added: ‘We do not very often have the chance to compete on TV. It’s a fantastic opportunity for myself and Martyn to have the exposure.’

There are 96 players involved in total and Desperques’ group of 12 includes former world No. 36 Les Dodd and the familiar face of Gary Britton, while Shorto’s contains the 2020 Shootout champion, Michael Holt.

With a random draw determining Monday’s first quarter-finals, eight players will compete to go straight into the Wednesday finals day, with the four losers joined by four others to repeat the process on the Tuesday.

The final eight players will then play to be crowned the weekly champion on the Wednesday, where they will join the other weekly winners to battle for the overall title in November.

Already lying in wait is Jersey’s nine-time Channel Islands champion Aaron Canavan, who won week two, with Alfie Lee, Andrew Higginson and Andrew Norman also through.

Clearly, the opposition will be stiff, but both players expect that the format will play to their advantage.

‘In a one-frame shoot-out, anyone can beat anybody,’ Shorto said.

‘We would back ourselves to win a frame against anybody – we have to get in there with some confidence that the format will help us.’

Desperques added: ‘I’m quite a fast player, and I think the fast and furious shoot-out format suits me. I’m going in to win.

‘Adam’s a very good player, and we have both played at home international level, which definitely helps out.

‘We’re both looking forward to it and the opportunity to play in it – it’s pleasing to be invited.’

. SportyStuffTV is available on Sky 437, Freesat 250, Freeview 264 and online at sportystuff.tv