Despite only winning
one major tournament during his professional career Willie Thorne is one of the
most famous snooker faces around.
His shiny bald head and chunky moustache
have been synonymous with the game for nearly 30 years.
He
took up the game aged 14 and won many tournaments as a junior. He reached the
final of the English Amateur Championship in 1975 and turned professional the
following year.
He
is said to hold the world record for the number of maximum breaks (190), although
nearly all of those have come on the practice table, but it has earnt him the
nickname 'Mr Maximum'.
After quitting the game as a professional Thorne
suffered from depression - he wasn't earning the same money and he missed competing
on the table.
Despite the game losing many of its characters, like Alex
Higgins and Bill Werbeniuk, Thorne believes that the World Championship at the
Crucible has not lost any of its atmosphere.
He
believes that this year's Championship could be the most unpredictable for years.
The main reason being that most of the top players have shown inconsistent form.
