‘Have to make a deal’ – World Snooker Championship ace Chris Wakelin begs wife to ditch garden shed for gift off sponsor

CHRIS WAKELIN faces a big battle at home – to persuade his wife to agree to a free hot tub.

Where F1 drivers have commercial deals with top fashion firms and tennis stars have tie-ins with Rolex watches, snooker stars must look more local for their financial backers.

GettyWakelin is up against it at home despite his brilliant run on the table[/caption]

This has been the best season of Wakelin’s life, as he broke into the world’s top 20, made the International Championship final, appeared at the Masters for the first time and reached the Crucible quarter-finals.

His career-defining displays have meant huge exposure for his top sponsors, Hot Tubs of London, who are actually based in the Essex town of Maldon.

On their website, the company “specialise in swim spas, hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, chill tubs and decking”.

Given his improvements and additional TV appearances, Wakelin, 33, has been promised a super-duper hot tub at some point, regardless of how he does at the World Snooker Championship.

But his partner Lucy is not yet convinced given the lack of space in their garden.

Father-of-one Wakelin, who hails from Rugby, said: “Jamie, who owns Hot Tubs of London, has promised me a hot tub.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

“Unfortunately we have got a shed in the garden at the minute, which Lucy thinks is more important than a hot tub. But who knows?

“I think we’ll end up getting a hot tub in the garden at some point. We have got a great partnership. We’ll have to make a deal.

“I went down to see the showroom last year. The ones that Jamie sells are a bit different from normal hot tubs.

“Why are they so different? They are massive. I didn’t know hot tubs could come that big.

“But as much as I’d love to have a swimming pool in my back garden, I can’t swim.

“When I started running a couple of years ago, a friend of mine suggested I should do a triathlon. He gave me my bike to ride for a few weeks – but I fell off it.

“He then said: ‘What about swimming?’ I said: ‘I can’t swim, so all the best for that one.’ I won’t be doing any triathlons any time soon.”

Meanhile, Wakelin is taking on Chinese sensation Zhao Xintong in the quarter finals at the Crucible. He was trailing 6-2 after the opening session.

GettyZhao Xintong is looking in superb form[/caption]