When Switzerland produce sporting stars, they tend to do it in some style. Step forward Roger Federer – arguably the greatest tennis player of all time.
Right now we’re seeing the emergence of another potentially massive star in the form of Alexander Ursenbacher on the old green baize.
His performances this week at the English Open have been nothing short of incredible as he’s charged his way through to the semi-finals of a ranking event for the first time ever.
Earlier in the week, he saw off Anthony Hamilton, Gerrard Greene and Stuart Carrington. But it was once he hit the last 16 round that his performances really notched up a level.
He booked his place in his first ever quarter-final courtesy of a 4-1 demolition of Shaun Murphy where he hit breaks of 76, 82 and 123 after falling a frame behind.
He then beat Michael White 5-0 in double quick time in a display which really turned heads – and now the semi-finals await.
What has been particularly impressive about Ursenbacher this week is that it seems that the bigger the occasion, the bigger the performance. This is a sign that a player feels totally at ease with the pressure of big matches and if you couple this with his exceptional talent there’s no saying how far he can go.
Ursenbacher strikes the ball with such confidence and can afford to do so knowing he’s put in all the hard yards on the practice table. His run here at the English Open is a rich reward for exactly that.
He will line up in the semi-finals against Kyren Wilson in what is without doubt the biggest match of his life. In some ways, he has nothing to lose but in others he will be aware he has an opportunity he may not have expected which he will be desperate not to squander.
This semi-final Saturday will live long in the memory as it is a milestone moment in his career – can he go one step further and reach the final?
