Ali Carter's diet for coping with Crohn's provides recipe for Crucible success

Updated 30/04/2019 at 07:33 GMT

Ali Carter explains to Eurosport's Desmond Kane how a change in diet is helping keep his Crohn's Disease under control as he chases a first world snooker title.

Ali Carter is through to the World Championship quarter-finals.

Image credit: Eurosport

The latest episode of Get Carter at the Crucible ended up with Carter getting Zhou to the quarter-finals. Like most years in Sheffield, Ali Carter is proving a tough nut to crack in these parts.

Which should probably come as no surprise considering Carter has survived two bouts of cancer and battles Crohn’s Disease to remain a formidable snooker combatant.

Twenty-one-year-old Chinese potter Zhou Yeulong, the world number 35, certainly discovered that Carter is not a force to be messed with at the Crucible. Especially when you celebrate prematurely.

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After moving 9-7 clear on Sunday night, Zhou could be seen punching the air having recovered from trailing 7-6 to win three straight frames. It was an ill-advised move. He never won another frame.

“I played really well there over the last six frames, and am delighted to get through,” Carter told Eurosport.

“Of course, I noticed the fist pump. We all notice it, and believe me as a sportsman when someone gives it the fist you hate it.

Carter completes victory over Zhou Yuelong

“Don’t get me wrong, the competitiveness of it all is what we’re all after.

“When I won, I thought: ‘you can give it the fist pump at 9-7 up, I’ll give it the fist pump when I’ve turned you over at the end of the day'.

“He’s young, he inexperienced and maybe he’ll learn from that.

I once did it when I was 12-9 up against Judd Trump. I thought I had potted match ball. Before I know it, he’s got three or four snookers and 20 minutes later, I’m thinking Jesus Christ, I’m sweating it, but I ended up winning. I just thought: ‘never again’. When he’s shook your hands, and you’ve won the match you can give it the old fist pump.

Carter – who turned professional in 1996 and first played at this venue in 2003 - made 10 breaks over 50 to set up a meeting with Tyneside escape artist Gary Wilson, who produced arguably the shot of the tournament to wheel his way out of a snooker in a 10-9 win against Luca Brecel in the first round before rolling over three-times champion Mark Selby 13-10 in the last 16.

It means a qualifier is guaranteed to reach the semi-finals this year despite it being difficult to take Carter seriously as an outsider. He has serious pedigree here.

He eased through qualifying with wins over Paul Davison, Jimmy White and John Astley before accounting for Jack Lisowski and Zhou on his latest venture to the last eight, the sixth time he has reached this stage since 2007. And the second in succession.

The world number 19 Essex man is easily top-16 class having twice lost finals here to Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2008 and 2012. He also accounted for O'Sullivan 13-9 at this stage a year ago.

“It was a very tough match. He’s a great young player, he’s got a great future ahead of him,” said Carter.

“A lot of these young Chinese players don’t have a lot going on in their lives, they move over here and are very focused on snooker. Perhaps more than us boys.

“But I had to use my experience, and I did that.

“I’m delighted to still be here competing at the top level.”

Having to cope with Crohn’s Disease is as much of a part of Carter’s daily routine as potting snooker balls.

'The Captain' admits he is eating healthily as he bids to become world champion on the cusp of turning 40 with a passion for pizza having to be avoided.

“I’ve been struggling with my Crohn’s for so many years, but at the moment I’m in quite a good place with that,” said Carter. “I’ve adjusted my diet accordingly which can be difficult. We’ve all got our vices, and there is nothing better than going to a restaurant and eating what you want to eat.

“But I have to be very picky. When people are tucking into garlic breads, and all these pizzas, I’m thinking: ‘no stay away from that, and eat clean’.

“Basically I’m gluten free and dairy free, I don’t eat a lot of red meat, just fish and chicken, vegetables, salads, and new potatoes, stuff like that.

It will have a bad effect on me. My mate said it is like filling a bucket up. If you keep eating the bad stuff, the bucket overflows. But if you have something bad, and have a good day on the food then the bucket doesn’t get full. It goes back down again. That’s what I’m trying to do.

“It won’t affect my form, but it will affect how I feel in my tummy.”

He is priced at 10-1 to finally carry off the old pot, and can take inspiration from evergreen figures such as Stuart Bingham, Mark Williams and John Higgins excelling beyond their 40th birthday.

“That would be great, but one match at a time. I’m still in and I’m still punching.”

And quite clearly still fist pumping.

Desmond Kane at the Crucible Theatre