Who is Stan Moody? British teenager out to emulate Luke Littler at World Snooker Championship
Stan Moody has made his World Snooker Championship debut, with the 19-year-old surging into a lead against Kyren Wilson.The Halifax teenager, currently ranked 44th globally, has become the first English player under 20 to appear at the tournament since Judd Trump made his bow back in 2007.Moody harbours no shortage of self-belief about his potential to transform snooker's profile, drawing parallels with darts sensation Luke Littler."I think it's quite fair," he said of the comparison to his fellow 19-year-old, who has become a two-time world champion.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"Snooker's a lot harder than darts, I'd say. There's not many young players coming through."The youngest player in this year's Crucible draw is adamant that snooker's reputation as a slow, elderly pursuit is undeserved."Hopefully. I think people think it's a boring game, an old man's game, but it's not - it can be fun," Moody said.His approach at the table reflects this philosophy, favouring aggressive, rapid play that he hopes will inspire the next generation."That's why I like to play more attacking, play fast, and encourage young players to do it and believe they can do it."The West Yorkshire native turned professional in 2023 following his WSF World Junior Championship triumph, and his style echoes Trump's famous declarations about "sexy snooker" during his memorable run to the 2011 final at Sheffield.Moody's path to Sheffield included qualifying victories over Robbie Williams and China's Jiang Jun, though the latter came in remarkable circumstances after he discharged himself from hospital while suffering from severe tonsillitis.The teenager first captured attention at the 2022 Snooker Shootout as a 15-year-old, defeating Lu Ning and earning praise from Jimmy White, who labelled him a "serious player".LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Nike forced to take down Boston Marathon sign as offended athletes accuse them of 'pace shaming'Matt Fitzpatrick makes feelings clear on hostile American crowd after RBC Heritage winSnooker chiefs respond after Barry Hawkins complaint at World ChampionshipThis season has seen Moody reach quarter-finals at both the Wuhan Open in August and the British Open a month later.His scalps during those runs included former world number one Ding Junhui in Wuhan, while he also defeated Wilson himself at the British Open and overcame John Higgins at the World Open earlier this year.Moody attributes his recent improvement to stepping away from the scrutiny of social media and the weight of external expectations."I stopped checking social media and the negative stuff and all the pressure and expectation," he explained after securing his place in the main draw."I relaxed a bit, started going for more shots in the way I wanted to play, and not thinking 'if I miss this what will other people think?' - playing and enjoying it and seeing what happens."When asked about comparisons to current world number one Trump, Moody remains measured."I don't know, we'll see," he said. "Judd's done a lot more than me in the game, he's a lot older."Hopefully I can beat some of his records, but I'm on my own journey, on my own path."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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