James Wattana
Encyclopedia
James Wattana is a Thai
professional snooker
player.
. Prior to Wattana becoming a professional, snooker had been dominated by British
(and to a lesser extent Irish
, Canadian
and Australia
n) players.
He was the eighth professional player to earn more than £
1 million in prize money, and with three maximums he is one of only four players to have scored more than two maximum breaks in competition. He scored his first one in 1991, which was then the fastest ever made; however, his break was bitter-sweet, as just afterwards he received the news that his father had been shot, and died from his wounds.
Wattana's success caught the imagination of the Thai public, and he became the most popular sportsman in his home country. He helped raise the profile of the game in the Far East
, and has been followed into the game by many players from Thailand, Hong Kong
and China
, the most successful ones being Marco Fu
and Ding Junhui
. He is a Commander Third Class of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
, only the second sportsman to get the country's most prestigious civilian honour.
He reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1993 and 1997, in the latter losing narrowly to Stephen Hendry
. Wattana has also compiled 140 competitive centuries during his career. After a strong 2004/2005
season he returned to the top 32 of the world rankings, despite being the first player since 1992 to lose a World Championship
match 10–0 — he did this in the final qualifying round against Allister Carter
. By 2007 he had earned career prize money of £1.75 million when continued poor form meant that he dropped off the main tour in 2008. He continued to play however and in 2008 he entered the World Amateur Championships in Wels
, Austria
where he lost to eventual champion Thepchaiya Un Nooh in last 16. He won the 2009 Asian Championships in Tangshan
, China
after beating Mei Xiwen
7–3 in the final.
His position on the current provisional rankings received a huge boost with a run to the venue stage of the China Open thanks to four straight qualifying victories.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player.
Career
Wattana won his first major tournament, the Camus Thailand Masters, in 1986, aged only 16. He turned professional in 1989, after winning the 1988 World Amateur Championship. His career peaked in the mid-1990s, when he twice won the Thailand Open and rose to number three in the world rankingsSnooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
. Prior to Wattana becoming a professional, snooker had been dominated by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(and to a lesser extent Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n) players.
He was the eighth professional player to earn more than £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million in prize money, and with three maximums he is one of only four players to have scored more than two maximum breaks in competition. He scored his first one in 1991, which was then the fastest ever made; however, his break was bitter-sweet, as just afterwards he received the news that his father had been shot, and died from his wounds.
Wattana's success caught the imagination of the Thai public, and he became the most popular sportsman in his home country. He helped raise the profile of the game in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, and has been followed into the game by many players from Thailand, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the most successful ones being Marco Fu
Marco Fu
Marco Fu Ka-chun , commonly known as Marco Fu, is a professional snooker player from Hong Kong. He currently resides in Happy Valley. He is best known for winning the 2007 Grand Prix, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final, and for being runner-up in the 2008 UK Championship...
and Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
. He is a Commander Third Class of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam for Thais, Royal Family, Government Employees, and Foreign Dignitaries for their outstanding services to the Kingdom of Thailand. The order originally had 7 classes...
, only the second sportsman to get the country's most prestigious civilian honour.
He reached the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1993 and 1997, in the latter losing narrowly to Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
. Wattana has also compiled 140 competitive centuries during his career. After a strong 2004/2005
Snooker season 2004/2005
The snooker season 2004/2005 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2004 and 2005. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
season he returned to the top 32 of the world rankings, despite being the first player since 1992 to lose a World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
match 10–0 — he did this in the final qualifying round against Allister Carter
Allister Carter
Allister "Ali" Carter is an English professional snooker player, who lives in Tiptree. He reached the final of the 2008 World Championship, his first major final. Although he lost heavily to Ronnie O'Sullivan, this run allowed him to reach the top 8 of the rankings for the first time...
. By 2007 he had earned career prize money of £1.75 million when continued poor form meant that he dropped off the main tour in 2008. He continued to play however and in 2008 he entered the World Amateur Championships in Wels
Wels
Wels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
where he lost to eventual champion Thepchaiya Un Nooh in last 16. He won the 2009 Asian Championships in Tangshan
Tangshan
"唐山"redirects here. For an alternative name of China, see Names of China#TangTangshan is a largely industrial prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has become known for the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and killed at least...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
after beating Mei Xiwen
Mei Xiwen
Mei Xiwen is a Chinese professional snooker player. He made his debut on the Main Tour in the 2009/2010 season, as the ACBS Asian nomination, but dropped off the tour after just one season.-References:* * *...
7–3 in the final.
His position on the current provisional rankings received a huge boost with a run to the venue stage of the China Open thanks to four straight qualifying victories.
Ranking finals: 10 (3 titles, 7 runner-up)
EWLINE
|
4–9 | ||||
| Winner | 6. | 1994 | Thailand Open Thailand Masters (snooker) The Thailand Masters was a professional snooker tournament. Previously known as Asian Open and Thailand Open, it was a ranking tournament from 1989/90 to 2001/02.... |
 |
9–7 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 1994 | British Open British Open The British Open is the Open Championship men's golf tournament.British Open may also refer to:* Women's British Open of golf* British Open Show Jumping Championships* British Open Squash Championships... |
|
4-9 |
| Winner | 3. | 1995 | Thailand Open Thailand Masters (snooker) The Thailand Masters was a professional snooker tournament. Previously known as Asian Open and Thailand Open, it was a ranking tournament from 1989/90 to 2001/02.... |
|
9–6 |
Non-ranking
- Thailand Masters – 1986
- Hong Kong Challenge – 1990
- Humo Masters – 1992
- World MatchplayWorld Matchplay (snooker)The World Matchplay professional non-ranking snooker tournament was established in 1952 as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship and last held in 1992.-History:...
– 1992