Mark King (snooker player)
Encyclopedia
Mark King is an English professional snooker
player. He has not yet won a ranking tournament, but came close when he was a beaten finalist in the 1997 Regal Welsh Open
and the 2004 Irish Masters
.
final run lead to a top 32 place in the end of season rankings, and he continued to progress by reaching the top 16 a year later.
He remained in the top 16 the following season without reaching a ranking quarter-final, but dropped out a year later. He made an immediate return in 2000/2001
, climbing to a career-high of #11. A poor 2002/2003 season
ended with him dropping out of the top 16 again after defeat to Drew Henry 10–5 in the first round of the World Championship. In the post-match interview, King suggested that he had lost patience with the game and would quit because "I've got a wicked wife that I never see because I'm here playing this poxy game." King later retracted this statement and began the following season in the qualifiers.
After the 2004 World Championship
, King became involved in a tense battle with Quinten Hann
after his friend Andy Hicks
eliminated Hann in a controversial first-round clash. Hann had been making provocative gestures during the match and after Hicks took victory, the two players had an altercation, with an angry Hann squaring up to Hicks. Upset by Hann's behaviour, King challenged the Australian to a boxing match, for which King was later criticised, as Hann's behaviour had already put the game into disrepute. Nevertheless, the bout went ahead and Hann controversially won the fight on a points decision.
In December 2004, King beat Mark J Williams, Alan McManus and John Parrott on route to the semi-finals of the UK Championship, losing 9–4 to eventual winner Stephen Maguire
. At 8–3, a mobile phone went off in the crowd, prompting King to quip "if that's my missus, tell her I'll be home soon". In 2005, King beat Ronnie O'Sullivan
9–8 at the same event, having fought back from 5–3 down in a match which saw his opponent sitting with a wet towel draped over his head when King was at the table. King would eventually lose 9–6 in the last 16 to Joe Perry
, but made a career best 146 break at the 2006 Championships.
Defeat to Neil Robertson
(he was trailing 7–2 but only lost 10–9) in the qualifying for the World Championship
in 2005 cost him the chance of a top 16 return, but King qualified a year later, resiliently losing 10–6 to Stephen Maguire in the first round. In 2007, King went out to David Gilbert
in the qualifying round for the event.
In the 2008 World Championship
, King beat six-times runner-up Jimmy White
to qualify, then shocked the previous year's runner-up Mark Selby
10–8, having trailed 5–3 overnight. After potting the match ball, King showed his delight by shouting "Get in". He lost to Peter Ebdon
in the last 16, but his top-16 place was secure and he would start the 08/09 campaign ranked 15th.
King has reached the last 16 of the World Championship
six times, in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 2008 and 2009 but never progressed beyond this stage.
A consistent 2008/2009 season saw King retain his top 16 spot.
At the 2009 Grand Prix
King needed three snookers in the deciding frame against Ricky Walden
to claim a 5–4 victory. He managed to get them and won by potting the final black. In the next round he lost to Robert Milkins
.
At the 2010 China Open
King defeated Thai qualifier James Wattana 5–4 in the first round after trailing 2–4. He then won his second match 5–3 against Chinese player Tian Pengfei to reach his first Quarter final since the 2007 Malta Cup. A double triumph for King, the win will almost certainly guarantee his Top 16 place for the 2010/11 season.
At the 2010 World championship, King lost his first round match against former 6 times World Champion Steve Davis
by 9–10. In the deciding frame, Davis lead 55–37, with only 13 points available. King's attempts at getting the snooker he needed to win ended with him fluking the pink in the pocket.
King made an impressive start to the new season when he reached the Quarter Final of the 2010 Shanghai Masters
. King was too strong for qualifier Joe Delaney in the first round, winning 5–3. The same scoreline saw him overcome Peter Ebdon in the next round but King was then beaten comfortably by Mark Selby 5–1. However his lack of form in the following ranking events made him fall out of the top 16 after the 2011 Welsh Open
.
At the 2011 Masters
, King beat defending champion Mark Selby 6–4 to reach his first quarter-final at the event since 1999. After the match, King suggested that his comeback from 0–2 down was prompted by his opponent's celebration to winning the second frame on the black, when he "put his cue up and it gave me the hump a bit" King then lost in the quarter-finals 1–6 against Jamie Cope
..
Since dropping out of the Top 16 King qualified for the second ranking tournament of the new season, the 2011 Shanghai Masters
. At the event, King reached the semi-final, his first since the 2005 Welsh Open, before being whitewashed 0–6 by Mark Selby. King's run meant he jumped to 22nd in the new rolling ranking system.
King has proven his credentials in certain matches, but his extremely defensive mentality has been cited as a hindrance to his game. On 26 April 2009, he and Stephen Maguire
shared the longest frame in Crucible
history at one hour, fourteen minutes and fifty-eight seconds during their second round World Championship match.
While his temperament was also regarded as a weakness, coach Terry Griffiths
has helped King improve this side of his game in recent years. King is one of the most colourful characters on the circuit and enjoys battling it out on the table when behind or out of form. He was one of only three players, along with Marco Fu
and John Higgins, to have a winning head to head record with Ronnie O'Sullivan
. The pair currently share their meetings 6–6 after O'Sullivan beat King at the 2010 World Open.
In the 1997 Grand Prix
, King scored just 11 points in a 0–5 last 16 defeat to John Higgins, a record low in a televised match.
| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (0–2)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 1997
| Welsh Open
|
| 2–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2004
| Irish Masters
|
| 7–10
|}
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. He has not yet won a ranking tournament, but came close when he was a beaten finalist in the 1997 Regal Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
and the 2004 Irish Masters
Irish Masters (snooker)
The Irish Masters was a professional snooker tournament. It was founded in 1978, following on from the successful Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament .-History:...
.
Career
King turned professional in 1991 and advanced steadily through the rankings, reaching the top 48 by 1996. His 1997 Welsh OpenWelsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
final run lead to a top 32 place in the end of season rankings, and he continued to progress by reaching the top 16 a year later.
He remained in the top 16 the following season without reaching a ranking quarter-final, but dropped out a year later. He made an immediate return in 2000/2001
Snooker season 2000/2001
The snooker season 2000/2001 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2000 and 2001. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :...
, climbing to a career-high of #11. A poor 2002/2003 season
Snooker season 2002/2003
The snooker season 2002/2003 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2002 and 2003. This was the final season to have tobacco sponsored events to a legal ban apart from Embassy which would continue to sponsor the World Championship for another two years...
ended with him dropping out of the top 16 again after defeat to Drew Henry 10–5 in the first round of the World Championship. In the post-match interview, King suggested that he had lost patience with the game and would quit because "I've got a wicked wife that I never see because I'm here playing this poxy game." King later retracted this statement and began the following season in the qualifiers.
After the 2004 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2004
The 2004 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place between 17 April and 3 May 2004 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.Mark Williams was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 11–13 against Joe Perry....
, King became involved in a tense battle with Quinten Hann
Quinten Hann
Quinten Hann is an Australian former professional snooker player who now plays professional pool. He was the 1999 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion and 1994 world under 21 champion. His highest break is 143...
after his friend Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks
Andy Hicks is an English professional snooker player currently from Cornwall. Hicks, nicknamed "The Cream of Devon", has been a World Snooker Championship semi-finalist and was ranked within the worlds top 32 for many seasons but has never broken into the top 16.-Career:Although a professional...
eliminated Hann in a controversial first-round clash. Hann had been making provocative gestures during the match and after Hicks took victory, the two players had an altercation, with an angry Hann squaring up to Hicks. Upset by Hann's behaviour, King challenged the Australian to a boxing match, for which King was later criticised, as Hann's behaviour had already put the game into disrepute. Nevertheless, the bout went ahead and Hann controversially won the fight on a points decision.
In December 2004, King beat Mark J Williams, Alan McManus and John Parrott on route to the semi-finals of the UK Championship, losing 9–4 to eventual winner Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
. At 8–3, a mobile phone went off in the crowd, prompting King to quip "if that's my missus, tell her I'll be home soon". In 2005, King beat Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
9–8 at the same event, having fought back from 5–3 down in a match which saw his opponent sitting with a wet towel draped over his head when King was at the table. King would eventually lose 9–6 in the last 16 to Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...
, but made a career best 146 break at the 2006 Championships.
Defeat to Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
(he was trailing 7–2 but only lost 10–9) in the qualifying for the World Championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
in 2005 cost him the chance of a top 16 return, but King qualified a year later, resiliently losing 10–6 to Stephen Maguire in the first round. In 2007, King went out to David Gilbert
David Gilbert (snooker player)
David Gilbert is an English professional snooker player. Gilbert is a former World Snooker Young Player of Distinction. Gilbert practices in Tamworth, Staffordshire at 'Tamworth Cue Sports Leisure Club'.-Career:...
in the qualifying round for the event.
In the 2008 World Championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
, King beat six-times runner-up Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
to qualify, then shocked the previous year's runner-up Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...
10–8, having trailed 5–3 overnight. After potting the match ball, King showed his delight by shouting "Get in". He lost to Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
in the last 16, but his top-16 place was secure and he would start the 08/09 campaign ranked 15th.
King has reached the last 16 of the World Championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
six times, in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 2008 and 2009 but never progressed beyond this stage.
A consistent 2008/2009 season saw King retain his top 16 spot.
At the 2009 Grand Prix
Grand Prix 2009 (snooker)
The 2009 Grand Prix professional ranking tournament took place between 3–11 October 2009 at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland.Neil Robertson won in the final 9–4 against Ding Junhui.-Prize fund:Winner: £75,000Runner-Up: £35,000...
King needed three snookers in the deciding frame against Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...
to claim a 5–4 victory. He managed to get them and won by potting the final black. In the next round he lost to Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...
.
At the 2010 China Open
China Open 2010 (snooker)
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches took place between 2 and 5 February 2010 at the Pontin's Centre, Prestatyn, Wales.-Qualifying stages centuries:* 134, 105 Matthew Selt* 134 David Gray* 132, 100 Robert Milkins* 132 Jimmy Robertson* 122 Tony Drago...
King defeated Thai qualifier James Wattana 5–4 in the first round after trailing 2–4. He then won his second match 5–3 against Chinese player Tian Pengfei to reach his first Quarter final since the 2007 Malta Cup. A double triumph for King, the win will almost certainly guarantee his Top 16 place for the 2010/11 season.
At the 2010 World championship, King lost his first round match against former 6 times World Champion Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
by 9–10. In the deciding frame, Davis lead 55–37, with only 13 points available. King's attempts at getting the snooker he needed to win ended with him fluking the pink in the pocket.
King made an impressive start to the new season when he reached the Quarter Final of the 2010 Shanghai Masters
2010 Shanghai Masters
The 2010 Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 6–12 September 2010 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he has withdrawn due to personal reasons....
. King was too strong for qualifier Joe Delaney in the first round, winning 5–3. The same scoreline saw him overcome Peter Ebdon in the next round but King was then beaten comfortably by Mark Selby 5–1. However his lack of form in the following ranking events made him fall out of the top 16 after the 2011 Welsh Open
2011 Welsh Open (snooker)
The 2011 Wyldecrest Park Homes Welsh Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 14–20 February 2011 in the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. This was the first time that the Welsh Open was sponsored by Wyldecrest Park Homes....
.
At the 2011 Masters
2011 Masters (snooker)
The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament was held between 9–16 January 2011 at the Wembley Arena, London, England...
, King beat defending champion Mark Selby 6–4 to reach his first quarter-final at the event since 1999. After the match, King suggested that his comeback from 0–2 down was prompted by his opponent's celebration to winning the second frame on the black, when he "put his cue up and it gave me the hump a bit" King then lost in the quarter-finals 1–6 against Jamie Cope
Jamie Cope
-External links:***...
..
Since dropping out of the Top 16 King qualified for the second ranking tournament of the new season, the 2011 Shanghai Masters
2011 Shanghai Masters
The 2011 Bank of Communication Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 5–11 September 2011 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...
. At the event, King reached the semi-final, his first since the 2005 Welsh Open, before being whitewashed 0–6 by Mark Selby. King's run meant he jumped to 22nd in the new rolling ranking system.
Playing style and record
King is among the most fluent players in the balls when in full fettle and combines this with a solid tactical brain. He may have won a tournament if it was not for a major weakness: his occasional tendency to lose control of the cue ball when looking comfortable during a break, forcing him to play a safety shot.King has proven his credentials in certain matches, but his extremely defensive mentality has been cited as a hindrance to his game. On 26 April 2009, he and Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
shared the longest frame in Crucible
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
history at one hour, fourteen minutes and fifty-eight seconds during their second round World Championship match.
While his temperament was also regarded as a weakness, coach Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
has helped King improve this side of his game in recent years. King is one of the most colourful characters on the circuit and enjoys battling it out on the table when behind or out of form. He was one of only three players, along with 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 John Higgins, to have a winning head to head record with Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
. The pair currently share their meetings 6–6 after O'Sullivan beat King at the 2010 World Open.
In the 1997 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
, King scored just 11 points in a 0–5 last 16 defeat to John Higgins, a record low in a televised match.
Personal life
He is married with two children. His mother was jailed for life in 2003 for murdering her cousin.Ranking event finals: 2 (2 runner-ups)
{|| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (0–2)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 1997
| Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
|
| 2–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2004
| Irish Masters
|
| 7–10
|}