Snooker sensation, 14, set to interrupt report and be a part of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Co
Michal Szubarczyk has been nominated for a two-year World Snooker Tour card after reaching the final of the European Snooker Championships in Bratislava this week
A 14-year-old Polish snooker prodigy is set to become the youngest player on the World Tour after being nominated for a two-year tour card.
Michal Szubarczyk could soon compete against snooker titans such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and John Higgins. The young star has been making a splash at the youth level of snooker, and his recent performances show that he likely has a bright future in the sport.
Szubarczyk dazzled at the recent ESBA European Championships, winning both the under-16 and under-18 titles with ease. He also reached the final of the men’s tournament, dropping only two frames in victories over Maksim Kostov, Daan Leyssen, Chris Peplow and Nicolas Mortreux.
The promising player defeated former professional Harvey Chandler in the semi-finals before eventually losing to Liam Highfield, who once ranked as high as 39th worldwide. It was a 5-0 drubbing, with Highfield starting with an opening break of 112.
He followed up with additional breaks of 70, 54 and 63 before another half-century break saw him secure the prestigious tournament, providing his opponent Szubarczyk with invaluable experience.
Prior to the match, Highfield had already secured a two-year WST card via the WPBSA Q Tour Global play-offs. As a result, the nomination was passed on to Szubarczyk as the runner-up.
If he accepts the nomination, he’ll make history as the youngest pro in snooker, potentially squaring off against legends like O’Sullivan, Trump, and world champion Kyren Wilson.
After his defeat in the final to Highfield, Szubarczyk told Polish TVP Sport: “I couldn’t sleep, but probably not because of emotions, but because I didn’t feel like sleeping. I was thinking about the main tour.
“I was imagining what I would do in the World Championship qualifiers. It doesn’t matter who I’m competing with, I just want to play with professionals.”
He added: “I stayed in the stands after my match. I watched what was happening. I didn’t talk to Liam, but that’s because I’m a bit shy. The lost final wasn’t a big disappointment for me. Before it came a wave of excitement.
“It made me focus a little less on the last match. I was too relaxed because we weren’t playing for a ticket to the main tour anymore, so I was very happy after the tournament.”
The young talent has been making waves for some time – it was only last year when at just 13, Szubarczyk took the IBSF under-21 World Championship title, becoming the youngest winner in history. He owned the table in the final, triumphing over 2023 runner-up Alexander Widau with a dominant 5-1 score.
