August 30th 2024.
Daniel Wells had a remarkable performance at the Xi'an Grand Prix last week, making it to the semi-finals and solidifying his goal to consistently compete in major snooker events. After spending some time in the amateur circuit, the 36-year-old returned to the professional tour and has been steadily climbing up the world rankings.
His impressive run in Xi'an, where he defeated top players like Ali Carter, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, and Barry Hawkins, was a major boost to his ranking, now placing him at number 53 in the world. However, his journey doesn't end there as he aims to beat established players on a more consistent basis.
Wells shared, "I've always believed in my ability to do well in this game. Something just clicked last week. I made a small technical adjustment during practice and it paid off. Although I didn't finish as strong as I would have liked, I'm taking all the positives from that week."
He also mentioned that in the past seasons, he has defeated top players but struggled to maintain the momentum in tournaments. However, his recent success has given him a boost of confidence and he is determined to continue working hard to reach the top of the rankings.
Wells is set to compete in the upcoming Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where the winner will take home a whopping £500,000. He will face either Duane Jones or Khalid Al Kamali in his first match on Saturday. The Welshman understands the potential of the top players in the game, having practiced and even lived with them in the past.
He shared, "I've spent years practicing with these guys. We even lived together for a while in Sheffield. I used to travel from Neath to Bristol just to practice with Judd when I was 17. It's incredible what he's achieved and I'm genuinely happy for him."
Wells also mentioned that he had the opportunity to live with Trump and fellow snooker player Jack Lisowski in Sheffield, where they trained at the English Institute of Sport. He fondly recalled those days and shared that they still keep in touch, with Trump being a good friend of his.
Reflecting on their time together, he said, "We had a good time living near Rotherham. It was me, Jack Lisowski, and Judd, practicing at the English Institute of Sport. I eventually moved back to Wales and took a different path, but I'm happy for them, living it up in Vegas and Dubai. You only live once, right?"
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