CHRIS WAKELIN reckons his partner’s pregnancy has improved his potting, restored his motivation and changed his snooker life around.

On Sunday, the Rugby cueist will try to win the International Championship in Nanjing and bank the £175,000 top pot, which would represent his biggest payday.

This has been a breakthrough year for the former Shoot Out winner, 32, who is still waiting to record his first Crucible victory at world level.

Off the table, he and girlfriend Lucy have bought a new house and are expecting “Baby Wakelin’s arrival in February”.

They did a baby-reveal moment in September – they punctured a balloon and the pink tissues that came out indicated it would be a girl.

Certainly his performances in China, whatever happens in the final, will go some way towards paying for nappies.

Wakelin – who broke down in tears when he won his semi-final 9-8 over Xiao Guodong – has a day off before facing Ding Junhui over the best of 19 frames.

He said: “I just surround myself with amazingly positive and influential people who always support me and always have my back.

“I’m very blessed that Lucy came into my life. She’s incredible. She gives me so much confidence and belief and freedom to concentrate on snooker.

“We are expecting our first child. It’s the most incredible time of our lives, it’s hard to put into words how things are going right now.

“It feels like I’m living in a dream world right now.

“When we found out we were expecting, my mum said: ‘You’ve just bought your first house, you have a baby on the way. Is the pressure not going to be too much?’

“I said: ‘This is what I need. I need the motivation to push myself to the next level.’

“As much as there is a lot of pressure that comes with having a house and being an expectant father, now is the time to really drive home what I have worked for over the last 25 years of my life.

“Hopefully Sunday can be the start of a journey towards being a really top player on this tour.”

Not only has he secured a place in the UK Championship last 32 off the back of this run, which involved knocking out three former world champions.

If he wins on Sunday afternoon, then he will have to hot-foot it to Bolton to play Ali Carter in the first round of the Champion of Champions.

Wakelin added: “I’d love to say that Nanjing is a beautiful city and I have been able to experience all the sights it has to offer. But I haven’t left the hotel.

“Other than to come to the venue to play snooker. I plan to spend my day off in the hotel room. I need some rest after that semi-final.”