Snooker ace bemoans swapping Glasgow, York and Belfast for Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes and Milton Keynes
Chatteris potter Joe Perry said he resents the lack of travelling to tournaments due to the coronavirus pandemic and hopes to return to his favourite British venues sooner rather than later.
Perry slumped to a 4-1 defeat against world number 101, Allan Taylor, in his second round match at the Northern Ireland Open in Milton Keynes on Wednesday, November 18.
The Marshall Arena is being used for all ranking events behind closed doors this season, with visits to Belfast, York and Glasgow swapped with an empty Buckinghamshire venue.
World number 18 Perry believes Covid-19 is depriving snooker players of travelling to different cities, which can be a highlight in the calendar season.
“It’s sad to miss all the tournaments and normally on the tour this is a really good time for us,” Perry said.
“I’m getting a bit older now and not many things excite me when it comes to snooker anymore. But you’re looking for things to motivate you and this time of the year is normally really good.
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“Belfast is a great tournament and a great city. Then we go from there to York, which is always a buzz, then Glasgow, so we’re missing out.
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“But we’ve got to be so thankful that we’re actually working and playing snooker at all.”
Perry struck breaks of 59 and 52 against his opponent, but he could not withstand a gutsy display from Taylor who progressed to the next round.
The result continued a turbulent season for the 46-year-old who fell to early defeats at the European Masters and English Open earlier this year.
Next up is a clash against Alex Borg in the UK Championship on Monday, November 23, and Perry believes he’s peaking at the perfect time.
“I’ve put a few more hours in, it paid off and this is probably as good as I’ve played since we first came out of lockdown,” he said.
“It’s going to be difficult to tell myself it is the UK Championship and it’s going to seem like every other tournament we’ve played in the same few months.
“Hopefully it’s a turn in form and it will just get better from here. A few wins will bring me more confidence and that always helps you play better stuff.”
Watch the Northern Ireland Open live on Eurosport, Eurosport app, and stream on discovery+.
