Iulian Boiko, the youngest ever professional snooker player, picked up his first win on tour at the Gibraltar Open on Thursday, beating veteran Fergal O’Brien 4-3.
The 15-year-old turned pro last year at just 14 after finishing runner-up at the WSF Open.
It has been an unusual time for the teenager to take on the professional game, with travel to and from Ukraine made tricky by the pandemic and all matches being played behind closed doors.
He has also been handed some tough draws, losing first round ties to the likes of Judd Trump and Stephen Maguire this season.
He was handed the archetypal tough match-player in the first round this week in O’Brien, but battled his way to victory with a high break of 54.
The teenager was unsurprisingly delighted with the win after setting up a second round clash with Mark Allen.
‘I’m absolutely over the moon,’ Boiko told WST. ‘I think my game wasn’t brilliant and Fergal also didn’t have a great day so it was a scrappy match, many mistakes but I’m really happy to be a winner in the end.
‘I was super nervous [on the final colours], I didn’t feel so much pressure ever in my life. I managed to pot a long blue and win the match.’
Boiko does not put down his struggle for results so far down to inexperience, but feels it is due to serious technical work he is doing on his game.
Even at such a young age he is looking to adapt his technique and he is glad to see his hard work pay off, putting in the hours at the Ding Junhui Academy in Sheffield, when he can travel in from Ukraine.
‘I’ve changed,’ Iulian explained. ‘The main reason I’ve lost so many games is I’m in the process of changing my technique and stance. I’ve completely changed my game. I’m happy to see the result of that. I’m really happy to win.
‘I’m unable to stay in England the whole year, I come down a few weeks before tournaments to play practice matches and learn form the best players. The academy is full of many, many great players.’
Ukraine is not a country with a rich snooker history by any means, but Boiko has already been playing the sport for 10 years after it caught his eye on TV as a child.
He hopes his attacking style and more success will help to grow the game in his home country, although he would sacrifice the style for success any day.
‘I started at the age of 5 or 6,’ he said. ‘Firstly I saw snooker on the TV, on Eurosport, I asked my dad to let me play and we went to a snooker club and I started practicing.
‘Since I started producing some nice performances and since I won the European Championships I think the popularity of snooker has increased and I hope that it will grow in the future.
‘I think naturally I’m a very attacking player, my main strength is my long shots, I’m just trying to get that as consistent as I can.
‘My main goal is to win, which style to do it, in attacking or defensive if the second priority.’
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