Carlo Blasi called the opportunity to play in front of the television cameras at the UK Open Pool Championship against celebrity entrant Andy Goldstein a “great experience”.
It was the first time that the 21-year-old from Watford had played on a television table at a tournament. Used to playing on the outside tables at broadcasted events, Carlo admitted that he felt nervous about “such a potential banana skin game” in front of the cameras.
The event, organised by Matchroom Sport, featured several celebrity entrants, including chairman Barry Hearn and Carlo’s opponent, Andy Goldstein, a well-known figure to listeners of sports radio station talkSPORT. Unlike other wildcard entrants, Goldstein is a regular pool player and is known to play to a good standard – mixed in with his comfortability in front of the camera, it had all the ingredients for what would have been an upset.
“Most of the time, when you are put on the TV table, you are playing one of the big players,” Carlo told Fen Regis Trophies. “I was playing a celebrity where I am, on paper, the favourite as I am more experienced on the pool table.
“It was such a potential banana skin game, because with the TV cameras and all the eyes, it was a big advantage for him as he is used to that…whereas for me, it was my first time in that setting.”
After falling 2-0 behind in a race to eight, Carlo managed to compose himself and claim a comeback win, advancing with an 8-5 win despite some nervy moments on the table.
“I was doing a lot of breathing techniques to keep myself calm,” Carlo explained. “Even though he won the first two racks, in nine-ball it is so easy to lose a rack, so I just had to keep calm about it.
“I managed to get the win in the end, which was quite important to me. It was just such a great experience.”
Striving for the Top
Taking up the game as a teenager in Watford, Carlo’s ambitions know no bounds – he wants to be the best and dreams of winning World Championships. His career was given a shot in the arm earlier this year as he became a World Nine-ball Tour (WNT) pro through Matchroom Pool.
“It’s a stepping stone,” Carlo said of becoming a WNT pro. “It is handy when trying to get people to support my journey, as well as getting spots in events.”
One of Carlo’s earliest memories of pool is of watching the Mosconi Cup, one of the sport’s showpiece Ryder Cup-styled events, where Europe and America compete against one another.
“Playing at the Mosconi Cup would be amazing,” said Carlo. “I was 17 years old watching the Mosconi Cup on my phone, and I said to myself, that’s what I really want to do.
“It is a dream to play in that arena, so I dedicated myself and started going to a club as much as I could afford to.”
Carlo got a job at Shots Watford, his local club, to finance his dream, and that allowed him to dedicate himself to the game.
“They were really nice at the club,” he said. “They let me practice, so I was practising pretty much every day.
“I was nowhere near the level to compete when I started at 17. I started entering tournaments at 18, Googling nine-ball tournaments.”
His first tournament win came in a regional amateur event hosted through Total9Ball (T9B), and that first taste of winning pool trophies has proven invaluable for Carlo, as he focuses on solidifying his place in the professional ranks.
“I felt like a winner,” he said of his first significant pool trophy. “It was just nice to win something. That was important for me, and it gave me a little taste of success.”
Carlo is supported by sponsors Bettor Faster and GV Jewellery to compete on tour, travelling around the world in pursuit of realising his dream of one day becoming a world champion.
By Aaron Gratton
