17.3.08

THE BARE FACTS ABOUT HICKS

Andy Hicks, the world no.41 from Tavistock, is one of the snooker circuit's most experienced professionals.

In my opinion, he's one of the best players never to have been ranked in the top 16.

Within a year in 1995-96, he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship, UK Championship and Wembley Masters.

He proved last week in an exhibition in Cornwall that he can still play a bit when he compiled two maximums and nine centuiry breaks in total during 16 frames at St. Blazey Football Club.

However, his green baize prowess was not recognised by a woman celebrating her 50th birthday, whom Andy met coming out of the toilets.

Perhaps a little tired and emotional she believed, seeing him in his smart waistcoat and bowtie, that Andy was a stripper.

When he insisted he was not, she refused to believe him and suggested he 'get them off' before fondling his posterior.

At least this was friendly, unlike the conclusion to his first round match with Quinten Hann at the Crucible in 2004, where the two players had to be seperated by referee Lawrie Annandale after some rumbling ill feeling spilled over.

Hann told Hicks: "You're short and bald and always will be and I'll fight you outside for £50,000 any time you like."

Andy declined.

Boxing and stripping, it seems, still rank a long way behind snooker for this Devonian left-hander.

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