Meet the 14-year-old Moldovan star who just created history at Snooker Shoot Out…

It should come as no surprise that the purists of snooker do not find the Snooker Shoot Out particularly captivating.

Ultimately, this chaotic four-day green baize extravaganza can be best described as a crazy snooker lottery, including fast-paced 10-minute frames played before audiences more suited for darts.

John Higgins, Judd Trump, and Ronnie O’Sullivan have all declined to attend this unique occasion, which has players racing against the clock and an ecstatic audience yelling for players to pot the yellow.

And when Neil Robertson called the tournament’s ranking point system “absolutely nuts,” he summed up the event accurately.

Nonetheless, the chaotic competition at Leicester’s Morningside Arena continues to have a legitimate spot on the snooker schedule. The Shoot Out is set up for amazing surprises, provides kids with a unique opportunity to be exposed, and offers spectators a peek at potential future faces of the sport.

Take history-making Moldovan teenager Vladislav Gradinari as prime example. Gradinari, who celebrated his 14th birthday in October, has just become the youngest player to ever win a televised ranking event snooker match.

The nerveless youngster knocked out three-time women’s world champion Ng On Yee 40-1 with a series of stunning long pots in his one-frame cameo on Wednesday.

“My mum was making jokes that I felt more nervous doing interviews than I was at the table,” Gradinari tells Mirror Sport after his unforgettable win.

“I am really proud of myself. I felt natural and proud that I made the people in Moldova happy.

“[The tournament] gives many kids opportunities to play and TV table matches are very good experience. When we get older we’re going to be more experienced than the players at the top now who didn’t have the possibilities to play on the TV tables at such a young age.

“It gives me even more inspiration because I have seen how professionals live their lives and I want to be a professional as well. My dream is to get into the tour and then get to the top.”

There are only a handful of snooker tables in Moldova but Gradinari was gripped when watching the sport on TV with his mother and grandfather before picking up a cue for the first time aged seven. He idolises Mark Selby and Jack Lisowski and wants to combine the duo’s contrasting styles to become the complete player.

Gradinari’s proud parents moved to Leeds from their country of birth two years ago to help make their boy’s snooker dream a reality. His talent had become apparent when he was already making centuries at the age of 12.

By the time Gradinari reached 13 he was playing the hours of a full-time pro and had made dozens of ton-plus breaks. His highest break stands at 143 and he is now targeting his maiden 147 maximum.

And Gradinari’s talent is being nurtured at the impressive Northern Snooker Centre, where he gains invaluable experience playing alongside seasoned pros such as David Grace and Peter Lines, while being home-schooled.