Behind Berlin Lines

You never hear a bad word spoken about Peter Lines by his fellow professionals.

Picture by Monique Limbos

The 43-year-old Leeds potter is one of the game's real a journeymen, but has the kind of professionalism everyone can take a lesson from.

He isn't usually one for stealing the headlines. Instead, he prefers to quietly about his business; playing the game he loves with a minimum of fuss.

Playing the supporting role on the circuit is his normal vocation but that just wasn't an option today as as caused the big upset on the opening day at the German Masters beating four-time world champion John Higgins 5-3.

Inside a packed and atmospheric Tempodrom venue in Berlin, these are the types of wins he will both remember and be remembered for. But funnily, he's got very recent history.

This is the second time inside a week that Lines has taken the prize scalp of Higgins, after beating him in the Shootout last weekend in Blackpool.

Peter's great likability always means he earns rich plaudits for his successes. His run to the quarter-finals of the UK Championship in 2009 was greeted with cheer by most. His determination and dedication is something worthy of commending.

The fantastic German fans understandably love snooker's star names.

But on a day when Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, Judd Trump, Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire, Ding Junhui, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens and Neil Robertson all began with a win, it was Lines who stole the show.

Well played Peter.