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Dale’s Tales
Dominic Dale is all set for his Betfred.com World Snooker Championship qualifying match - but has found time for his worldsnooker.com column.

Hi everyone

I flew to the UK from Vienna yesterday morning then drove up to Sheffield for the qualifers. I've tried a few different ways of preparing for tournaments, and I find that if I come a few days early and go for a game with Ryan Day or Matthew Stevens, I actually end up practising less. On Tuesday I did seven and a half hours at my home club in Vienna and there's no way I would have been doing that much if I was in Wales. I don't have a Star table in Vienna, but I've got one of the old BCE Championship tables and the pockets are very similar, perhaps even fractionally tighter into the middle pockets. It's only a two hour flight so it's not that long a journey, and once I get to my hotel the night before the match, I'm really focussed and ready for it.

The games I've played at the Crucible are definitely among the highlights of my career. There's a fanstastic atmosphere there, even the first round matches are the equivalent of a semi or a final at any other tournament. From day one it's just a great event, and to walk on to the stage to play is a wonderful experience. If you haven't been as a fan before, I'd recommend it (tickets still available for certain sessions, click here for details).

I'm lucky enough to hold two records at the Crucible. In 1999, despite wearing a ridiculous white suit,(

) I scored 167 points in one frame in a match against Nigel Bond. I earned quite a few points in fouls and then made a century break. It's the highest number of points ever scored by a player in one frame in any ranking event. Then In 2000 I beat David Gray 13-1, which is a joint record margin of victory for a second round match. I went on to play Joe Swail in the quarter-finals and we both knew it was a good chance to go further. I should have been ahead after the first session but ended up 4-4, and in the end lost 13-9.

It's disappointing that I haven't got to the Crucible since 2004. I've had a few horror stories in the qualifiers, including 10-9 defeats. So I just want to get there this time. Otherwise I'll be at home watching on TV or possibly commentating for Eurosport.

I'm playing Rod Lawler today who is a very good player - I mentioned in my last column that he beat me in the China qualifiers, although I didn't have the best preparation for that match. Hopefully the result will be different today.

I'll be back here in two weeks, and with a bit of luck looking forward to the Crucible!

All the best,
Dominic

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