UK Championship (snooker)
Encyclopedia
The UK Championship is a professional ranking
snooker
tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the World Championship
and is one of the Triple Crown events.
as the United Kingdom Professional Snooker Championship, an event open only to British residents and passport holders. Patsy Fagan
won, beating Doug Mountjoy
by 12 frames to 9, to win £2000. The following year the event moved to the Guild Hall, Preston, where it remained until 1998.
The rules were changed in 1984 when the tournament was granted ranking status
and all professionals were allowed to enter. Since then, it has carried more ranking points than any tournament other than the World Championship
.
The tournament has seen many memorable finals. In 1977 and 1979, it provided Patsy Fagan
and John Virgo
with, respectively, with their first and only major tournament wins. In 1980, it was Steve Davis
's first of his 73 professional tournament wins. In 1981, the final between Davis and Terry Griffiths
set the stage for four more final battles between Davis and Griffiths that were to dominate the rest of the season before their unexpected losses in the first round of the 1982 World Championship.
In 1983, Alex Higgins
beat Davis 16–15 after having trailed 7–0 at the end of the first session. In 1985, Willie Thorne
, then on the brink of emerging as a major force to be reckoned with in the game, led Davis 13–10 at the start of the evening session, only to miss a simple blue off its spot and lose 16–14. The victory regenerated Davis's confidence after his devastating World Championship loss; Thorne, on the other hand, never won another ranking title.
In 1988, Doug Mountjoy, widely viewed as just making up the numbers against the rising Stephen Hendry
, produced a stunning display of character and ability to win 16–12 and become the second-oldest ever winner of a ranking event; even more astonishingly, he was to win the Mercantile Credit Classic
the following month to become one of only four players ever to win two ranking tournaments in a row.
Stephen Hendry
's 1989 win prefigured his decade of dominance similar to the one prefigured by Davis's win in 1980; its significance was emphasised by the fact that the losing finalist was Davis himself. Hendry's 16–15 win the following year, over Davis again, spoke to his unique qualities of nerve. The Hendry/Ken Doherty
final of 1994 is considered by many players as one of Hendry's best performance, as he won 10–5 making 7 century breaks along the way, six of which were in the span of eight frames played. Doherty has appeared in two more memorable finals.
In 1993, Ronnie O'Sullivan
became the youngest-ever winner of the tournament (and any ranking tournament) aged just 17. Eight years later, in 2001, he delivered the final's best winning margin since it had become the best of 19 frames in the 1993 tournament, beating Ken Doherty 10–1. Three years later, in 2004, Stephen Maguire
repeated the feat against David Gray
. Doherty almost won the tournament in the 2002 final against Mark Williams
, but lost 9–10 in a dramatic deciding frame.
The 2005 tournament saw Davis, aged 48, reached his first ranking tournament final for almost two years and make his highest break in tournament play for 23 years. In a match that featured the widest age gap between finalists in professional tournament history, he lost 6–10 to the 18 year-old Ding Junhui
. The following year, Peter Ebdon
won the title and, in doing so, became the first and only man to have both won and lost a World and a UK Championship final to Stephen Hendry. The event offered £500,000 prize money, with the winner receiving £70,000.
In 2007, the tournament was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan for the fourth time, again with some ease, as he beat Stephen Maguire 10–2 in the final. The tournament was also notable for the longest televised frame (77 minutes) between Marco Fu
and Mark Selby
and Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum 147 break in the deciding frame of the semi-final.
The 2009 final saw the reigning world champion John Higgins lose to Ding Junhui, after he missed the brown and the chance to go 8–6 in front.
The 2010
final turned out to be another dramatic match, instantly described by many commentators as an all-time classic. At one point, John Higgins, playing in his first major tournament after the end of a six-month ban for his involvement in match-fixing discussions, was 5–9 down to Mark Williams. However, he managed to win the next two frames. At 7–9, Williams led by 29 points with only 27 on the table, leaving Higgins requiring a snooker to remain in the tournament. Higgins got the snooker and cleared the colours. Another frame won by Higgins took the match to the decider. Finally, with only brown, blue, pink and black left at the table, Higgins potted the brown into a top pocket by playing cross-double across the long axis of the table and then added a difficult long blue and equally difficult pink, thereby winning the frame and thus the tournament by 10–9. In the emotional post-match interview, he described his win as his finest hour and dedicated it to his terminally ill father.
The event will return to the Barbican Centre, York
in 2011
The tournament has had many different sponsors over the years, including Super Crystalate
, Coral, Tennents
, StormSeal, Royal Liver Assurance, Liverpool Victoria, PowerHouse
, Travis Perkins
, Maplin Electronics
, Pukka Pies
, 12BET.com, and is currently sponsored by williamhill.com
. It is one of the tournaments televised by the BBC
and it is held towards the end of each calendar year.
Snooker 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...
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 :...
tournament. It is the second biggest ranking tournament after the 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...
and is one of the Triple Crown events.
History
The UK Championship was first held in 1977 in Tower Circus, BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
as the United Kingdom Professional Snooker Championship, an event open only to British residents and passport holders. Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan is a retired Irish professional snooker player.A talented snooker player who won the first UK championship in 1977 , Fagan seemed destined for a long and successful professional career in the game, but he became affected by a reluctance, possibly psychological, to play shots with the...
won, beating Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life...
by 12 frames to 9, to win £2000. The following year the event moved to the Guild Hall, Preston, where it remained until 1998.
The rules were changed in 1984 when the tournament was granted ranking status
Snooker 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...
and all professionals were allowed to enter. Since then, it has carried more ranking points than any tournament other than the 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...
.
The tournament has seen many memorable finals. In 1977 and 1979, it provided Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan is a retired Irish professional snooker player.A talented snooker player who won the first UK championship in 1977 , Fagan seemed destined for a long and successful professional career in the game, but he became affected by a reluctance, possibly psychological, to play shots with the...
and John Virgo
John Virgo
John Virgo is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.- Career :...
with, respectively, with their first and only major tournament wins. In 1980, it was 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...
's first of his 73 professional tournament wins. In 1981, the final between Davis and 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...
set the stage for four more final battles between Davis and Griffiths that were to dominate the rest of the season before their unexpected losses in the first round of the 1982 World Championship.
In 1983, Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
beat Davis 16–15 after having trailed 7–0 at the end of the first session. In 1985, Willie Thorne
Willie Thorne
William Joseph "Willie" Thorne , is a former English professional snooker player and now a sports commentator.Thorne became national under-16 champion at both snooker and English billiards in 1970...
, then on the brink of emerging as a major force to be reckoned with in the game, led Davis 13–10 at the start of the evening session, only to miss a simple blue off its spot and lose 16–14. The victory regenerated Davis's confidence after his devastating World Championship loss; Thorne, on the other hand, never won another ranking title.
In 1988, Doug Mountjoy, widely viewed as just making up the numbers against the rising 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...
, produced a stunning display of character and ability to win 16–12 and become the second-oldest ever winner of a ranking event; even more astonishingly, he was to win the Mercantile Credit Classic
Classic (snooker)
The Classic was a professional snooker tournament, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. It was originally a non-ranking event, but became ranking in 1984. Steve Davis has won the event six times and was the last champion.-History:...
the following month to become one of only four players ever to win two ranking tournaments in a row.
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...
's 1989 win prefigured his decade of dominance similar to the one prefigured by Davis's win in 1980; its significance was emphasised by the fact that the losing finalist was Davis himself. Hendry's 16–15 win the following year, over Davis again, spoke to his unique qualities of nerve. The Hendry/Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
final of 1994 is considered by many players as one of Hendry's best performance, as he won 10–5 making 7 century breaks along the way, six of which were in the span of eight frames played. Doherty has appeared in two more memorable finals.
In 1993, 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...
became the youngest-ever winner of the tournament (and any ranking tournament) aged just 17. Eight years later, in 2001, he delivered the final's best winning margin since it had become the best of 19 frames in the 1993 tournament, beating Ken Doherty 10–1. Three years later, in 2004, 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...
repeated the feat against David Gray
David Gray
David Gray may refer to:*David Gray , Scottish poet*David Gray , English singer-songwriter*David Gray , Scottish footballer*David Gray , Scottish footballer...
. Doherty almost won the tournament in the 2002 final against Mark Williams
Mark Williams (snooker player)
Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
, but lost 9–10 in a dramatic deciding frame.
The 2005 tournament saw Davis, aged 48, reached his first ranking tournament final for almost two years and make his highest break in tournament play for 23 years. In a match that featured the widest age gap between finalists in professional tournament history, he lost 6–10 to the 18 year-old 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...
. The following year, 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:...
won the title and, in doing so, became the first and only man to have both won and lost a World and a UK Championship final to Stephen Hendry. The event offered £500,000 prize money, with the winner receiving £70,000.
In 2007, the tournament was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan for the fourth time, again with some ease, as he beat Stephen Maguire 10–2 in the final. The tournament was also notable for the longest televised frame (77 minutes) between 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 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...
and Ronnie O'Sullivan's maximum 147 break in the deciding frame of the semi-final.
The 2009 final saw the reigning world champion John Higgins lose to Ding Junhui, after he missed the brown and the chance to go 8–6 in front.
The 2010
2010 UK Championship (snooker)
The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16....
final turned out to be another dramatic match, instantly described by many commentators as an all-time classic. At one point, John Higgins, playing in his first major tournament after the end of a six-month ban for his involvement in match-fixing discussions, was 5–9 down to Mark Williams. However, he managed to win the next two frames. At 7–9, Williams led by 29 points with only 27 on the table, leaving Higgins requiring a snooker to remain in the tournament. Higgins got the snooker and cleared the colours. Another frame won by Higgins took the match to the decider. Finally, with only brown, blue, pink and black left at the table, Higgins potted the brown into a top pocket by playing cross-double across the long axis of the table and then added a difficult long blue and equally difficult pink, thereby winning the frame and thus the tournament by 10–9. In the emotional post-match interview, he described his win as his finest hour and dedicated it to his terminally ill father.
The event will return to the Barbican Centre, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 2011
2011 UK Championship (snooker)
-Final:-Qualifying:These matches were held between 5 and 9 November 2011 at the South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, England.-Preliminary round:Best of 11 frames- Round 1–4 :-Qualifying stages centuries:* 139 David Hogan* 134, 100 Sam Baird...
The tournament has had many different sponsors over the years, including Super Crystalate
Crystalate Manufacturing Company
Crystalate Manufacturing Company Ltd. was a British plastics and later electronic components manufacturing company that operated in one form or another from August 1901 through August 1990...
, Coral, Tennents
Wellpark Brewery
Wellpark Brewery is a brewery situated in Duke Street in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1740 on the bank of the Molendinar Burn by Hugh and Robert Tennent...
, StormSeal, Royal Liver Assurance, Liverpool Victoria, PowerHouse
Powerhouse (shop)
Powerhouse was a United Kingdom electrical goods retail chain which went into administration in 2003 and finally entered receivership in August 2006...
, Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins plc is a British builders merchant based in Northampton. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, Maplin Electronics
Maplin Electronics
Maplin Electronics is a retailer of electronic goods in the UK and Ireland. As of December 2010, there are 180 Maplin Electronics stores in the United Kingdom...
, Pukka Pies
Pukka Pies
Pukka Pies is a manufacturer of pies that is headquartered in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. A family company founded in 1963 by Trevor Storer, it is currently run by his sons Tim and Andrew. It employs 262 people at its factory in Syston, producing 180,000 pies and pasties per day...
, 12BET.com, and is currently sponsored by williamhill.com
William Hill (bookmaker)
William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. It is one of the tournaments televised by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and it is held towards the end of each calendar year.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Final score | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ranking | |||||
| 1977 |  Patsy FaganPatsy Fagan Patsy Fagan is a retired Irish professional snooker player.A talented snooker player who won the first UK championship in 1977 , Fagan seemed destined for a long and successful professional career in the game, but he became affected by a reluctance, possibly psychological, to play shots with the... |
 Doug MountjoyDoug Mountjoy Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life... |
12–9 | Blackpool | 1977/78 |
| 1978 | Doug Mountjoy Doug Mountjoy Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life... |
 David TaylorDavid Taylor (snooker player) David Taylor is a semi-retired English professional snooker player. He won the World and English Amateur Championships in 1968, before the success of those wins encouraged him to turn professional. Although an excellent player, Taylor never quite reached the very top of the game... |
15–9 | Preston | 1978/79 |
| 1979 | John Virgo John Virgo John Virgo is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.- Career :... |
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... |
14–13 | Preston | 1979/80 |
| 1980 | 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... |
 Alex HigginsAlex Higgins Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play... |
16–6 | Preston | 1980/81 |
| 1981 | 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... |
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... |
16–3 | Preston | 1981/82 |
| 1982 | 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... |
Alex Higgins Alex Higgins Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play... |
16–15 | Preston | 1982/83 |
| 1983 | Alex Higgins Alex Higgins Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play... |
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... |
16–15 | Preston | 1983/84 Snooker season 1983/1984 The snooker season 1983/1984 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1983 and 1984. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| Ranking | |||||
| 1984 | 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... |
Alex Higgins Alex Higgins Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play... |
16–8 | Preston | 1984/85 Snooker season 1984/1985 The snooker season 1984/1985 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1984 and 1985. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1985 | 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... |
Willie Thorne Willie Thorne William Joseph "Willie" Thorne , is a former English professional snooker player and now a sports commentator.Thorne became national under-16 champion at both snooker and English billiards in 1970... |
16–14 | Preston | 1985/86 Snooker season 1985/1986 The snooker season 1985/1986 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1985 and 1986. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1986 | 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... |
Neal Foulds Neal Foulds Neal Foulds is a former English professional snooker player and is now a commentator on the sport.-Career:Foulds quickly climbed the rankings after turning professional in 1983, reaching no. 3 within four years. He won his first ranking tournament in 1986, the BCE International, beating Cliff... |
16–7 | Preston | 1986/87 Snooker season 1986/1987 The snooker season 1986/1987 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1986 and 1987. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1987 | 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... |
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,... |
16–14 | Preston | 1987/88 Snooker season 1987/1988 The snooker season 1986/1987 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1986 and 1987. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1988 | Doug Mountjoy Doug Mountjoy Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life... |
 Stephen HendryStephen 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... |
16–12 | Preston | 1988/89 Snooker season 1988/1989 The snooker season 1988/1989 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1988 and 1989. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1989 | 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... |
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... |
16–12 | Preston | 1989/90 Snooker season 1989/1990 The snooker season 1989/1990 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1989 and 1990. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1990 | 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... |
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... |
16–15 | Preston | 1990/91 |
| 1991 | John Parrott John Parrott John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times... |
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,... |
16–13 | Preston | 1991/92 |
| 1992 | 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,... |
John Parrott John Parrott John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times... |
16–9 | Preston | 1992/93 Snooker season 1992/1993 The snooker season 1992/1993 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1992 and 1993. The following table outlines the results for ranking, minor-ranking and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1993 | 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... |
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... |
10–6 | Preston | 1993/94 Snooker season 1993/1994 The snooker season 1993/1994 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1993 and 1994. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1994 | 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... |
Ken Doherty Ken Doherty Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion... |
10–5 | Preston | 1994/95 Snooker season 1994/1995 The snooker season 1994/1995 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1994 and 1995. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1995 | 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... |
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:... |
10–3 | Preston | 1995/96 Snooker season 1995/1996 The snooker season 1995/1996 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1995 and 1996. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1996 | 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... |
John Higgins |
10–9 | Preston | 1996/97 Snooker season 1996/1997 The snooker season 1996/1997 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1996 and 1997. The following table outlines the results of the finals for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1997 | 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... |
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... |
10–6 | Preston | 1997/98 Snooker season 1997/1998 The snooker season 1997/1998 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1997 and 1998. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1998 | John Higgins |
Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005... |
10–6 | Bournemouth | 1998/99 Snooker season 1998/1999 The snooker season 1998/1999 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1998 and 1999. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 1999 | Mark Williams Mark Williams (snooker player) Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine... |
Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005... |
10–8 | Bournemouth | 1999/00 Snooker season 1999/2000 The snooker season 1999/2000 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 1999 and 2000. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:... |
| 2000 | John Higgins |
Mark Williams Mark Williams (snooker player) Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine... |
10–4 | Bournemouth | 2000/01 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 :... |
| 2001 | 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... |
Ken Doherty Ken Doherty Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion... |
10–1 | York | 2001/02 Snooker season 2001/2002 The snooker season 2001/2002 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2001 and 2002. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :... |
| 2002 | Mark Williams Mark Williams (snooker player) Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine... |
Ken Doherty Ken Doherty Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion... |
10–9 | York | 2002/03 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... |
| 2003 | Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005... |
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... |
10–8 | York | 2003/04 Snooker season 2003/2004 The snooker season 2003/2004 was a series of snooker tournaments played during the years 2003 and 2004. The following table outlines the results for ranking events and the invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :... |
| 2004 | 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... |
David Gray |
10–1 | York | 2004/05 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 :... |
| 2005 |  Ding JunhuiDing 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... |
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... |
10–6 | York | 2005/06 Snooker season 2005/2006 The snooker season 2005/06 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2005 and 2006. The following table outlines the results and dates for the ranking and major invitational events that took place.-Calendar:- Official rankings :... |
| 2006 | 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:... |
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... |
10–6 | York | 2006/07 Snooker season 2006/2007 The snooker season 2006/2007 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2006 and 2007. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.-Calendar:- Official rankings :... |
| 2007 | 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... |
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... |
10–2 | Telford | 2007/08 Snooker season 2007/2008 The Snooker Season 2007/2008 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2007 and 2008. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events... |
| 2008 | Shaun Murphy Shaun Murphy (snooker player) Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned... |
 Marco FuMarco 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... |
10–9 | Telford | 2008/09 |
| 2009 | 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... |
John Higgins |
10–8 | Telford | 2009/10 Snooker season 2009/2010 The snooker season 2009/10 was a series of snooker tournaments played during 2009 and 2010. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :- Official rankings :... |
| 2010 2010 UK Championship (snooker) The 2010 12BET.com UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 4–12 December 2010 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England.Ding Junhui was the defending champion, but he lost 8–9 against Mark Allen in the last 16.... |
John Higgins |
Mark Williams Mark Williams (snooker player) Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine... |
10–9 | Telford | 2010/11 Snooker season 2010/2011 The 2010/11 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2010 and 2011. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:... |