Umut Dikme is targeting top spot in the UK/Europe Q Tour rankings, and with it a professional tour card, after his victory on home soil at Event Three in Germany.
Despite not entering Event One and only reaching the third round of Event Two, success in Heilbronn, culminating in a 5-1 win over Hamim Hussain in the final, lifted Dikme to third in the rankings. Bettered only by fellow event winners Liam Davies and Michael Holt respectively.
And now with four events remaining in snooker’s second tier this season, the 23-year-old has admitted his goals have shifted somewhat. Only the player sat top of the rankings after Event Seven in Leeds secures a two-year tour card automatically, with at least the next 16 highest ranked players advancing into the Global Q Tour Playoff.
Prior to his recent victory, the German youngster had never progressed further than the last 16 at a Q Tour event. We’ve caught up with Dikme to find out what changed in order for him to get his hands on the title…
Congratulations on the victory Umut, you must have been delighted with the win. How do you feel you played over the two days?
“I’m really happy to get my first win on the Q Tour, happy days! I wasn’t flying. I wasn’t on my A game, to be honest. But I played solid all weekend. It was really special playing on home soil. I didn’t expect it to be like that, because I’ve never experienced it really. Before on Q Tour there has never been a tournament in Germany like this one. But yeah, the locals supported me and the club was just half an hour away from my home. The goal was to get to the Sunday (final day) to get some ranking points and play it match by match, so everything else was a bonus.”
As it was on home soil, were you parents able to come and watch?
“My parents were watching the results, but they couldn’t make it. But they’ve been really happy. My father has always been very supportive of me, because he’s been a snooker player for 30 years. So he was just really happy and delighted that I won.”
When we spoke to you at Q School 2022, you had finished your apprenticeship with Mercedes and committed to playing snooker full time. Where are you at with your career 18 months on?
“The goal is still to get on the Tour and see what happens from there. I’m still a full time player. Last year, I was just based in Germany and just coming over for the tournaments but now I commute between Germany and London. So I play here in London and the Whetstone Snooker Club. And 100% my game has improved since going full-time. I can feel the difference. Much more practice, much more experience. The game was always there in practice, but you have to put it on the match table, handle the pressure and play more consistent.
“I’m still based in Germany but when the tournaments are held in the UK, I come two to three weeks before them to practise. And yeah, after the tournaments I go back to Germany. I practise with Hammad Miah, Anthony Hamilton and Alfie Burden, and they help me out a lot, it’s very good for me.”
Snooker in Mainland Europe is growing. Luca Brecel is World Champion, Julian Leclercq had a fantastic Shoot Out, Lukas Kleckers is on tour and Andres Petrov recently beat Mark Allen. Seeing them on the tour, how much does that inspire?
“It doesn’t inspire me a lot to be honest. I think everybody’s on their own path in a way. We’re all very far away from each other, it’s not like we’re all in the same city and same country. But I’m really happy for those players, because I’m happy for snooker to grow in Mainland Europe. It’s spread over three, four or five countries, so more players are coming through. I’m happy for them but I want to get there (on tour), 100%.”
UK/Europe Q Tour Event Four is coming up in Landywood, north of Wolverhampton next month, is the aim to go back-to-back?
“Yes, I mean the aim is now to get the number one spot on the rankings to get a tour card directly. But I’ll take it game by game, frame by frame, and we’ll see what happens.”
Finishing top of the Q Tour rankings is historically very tough. Martin O’Donnell was sixth before he won the final event last season and grabbed top spot from Ross Muir. How do you deal with that challenge mentally?
“I don’t look at it that way. The first goal for the season was to get into the playoffs. But, now I’m in a really good spot, so the aim has changed a bit. If I get there (to number one), I get there, if not, I’ll play the playoffs. But the goal is now to get to number one. Q Tour is always a good level of players. There’s so many ex-professionals, so many good young players coming through, so many older, experienced players. I think it’s a very good field of players for just one automatic spot.”
Event Four on this season’s Q Tour UK/Europe circuit takes place at the Landywood Snooker Club between November 10-12.
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