'I had a little lapse' – Ford reveals why he was forced to quit Championship League

Tom Ford has opened up on his ongoing mental health battle after quitting the Championship League last month during his first match of the season in his home city of Leicester.

The world No. 13 lost 3-1 to evergreen Norwich cueman Barry Pinches before opting to retire from Group 7 after admitting he “wasn’t ready to compete” at the Mattioli Arena.

“I had a little lapse at the Championship League. I wasn’t mentally ready to compete, and that is why I had to pull out after just one match, missing the last two games.

“It would have done a lot more damage to me playing those extra two games. I’ve spoken to my mental coach Sabrina, worked on a few things and I am ready to go now for the new season.

“Normally, I would have told myself to man up and play the two games. I think I have matured as a player.

“People may have thought it was silly to pull out, but they don’t understand what I was going through or what others go through at certain times. I just thought that I would be right to pull out for myself personally.”

“There is a lot of mental work in this game. I think it is the hardest sport for that,” said last season’s International Championship finalist.

“You can do everything right and still get beat. It can properly mess with your head. The people that are so confident have it naturally.

“That is why the work I’m doing on my mentality is so important.

“It is easy to say that people have to be more confident, but the key is how.”