2004 British Open (snooker)
Encyclopedia
The 2004 British Open was the 2004 edition of the British Open
snooker
tournament, held from 8 to 14 November 2004 at The Brighton Centre
, Brighton
, England. John Higgins won the tournament, defeating Stephen Maguire
nine to six in the all-Scottish final to lift his first ranking-event
title since the 2001 edition of this event. In the semi-finals, Higgins defeated Shaun Murphy
6–0 and Maguire defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan
6–1. The defending champion Stephen Hendry
lost in the quarter-finals. Higgins made the highest tournament with his two breaks of 144. The tournament, which has not been held since, was the second of eight WPBSA
ranking events in the 2004/2005 snooker season, following the Grand Prix
in October, which was won by O'Sullivan. It preceded the third ranking event of the season, the UK Championship.
The 2004 British Open was the second ranking event of the 2004/2005 snooker season, after the Grand Prix
in October, which was won by world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan
—the 2004 and two-time world champion
—who defeated Ian McCulloch
9–5 in the final. It preceded the UK Championship.
The defending champion was seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry
who defeated O'Sullivan 9–6 in last year's final. Hendry was still angry at his loss at the Grand Prix to McCulloch, explaining, "The way I felt at the Grand Prix was down to the fact that I know what I’m still capable of". The total prize fund was £200,000 and the host broadcaster was Eurosport
. O'Sullivan was considered the favourite, with his mentor Ray Reardon
saying "Ronnie is in the form of his life and looks very close to being unstoppable at the moment". Although few top players reached the final eight in the Grand Prix, O'Sullivan said he would not be surprised if they performed well in this tournament.
, Wales. The matches were best-of-9 until the semi-finals. Highly regarded 17-year-old Chinese player Ding Junhui
, in his professional first season, won his sixth consecutive match when he beat Robin Hull
5–2. The other successful qualifiers included the likes of Shaun Murphy
, Mark Selby
, Neil Robertson
, and Ryan Day
.
—who turned professional before Ding was born—outscoring Drago 463–73, for his first appearance in the last 32 of a ranking tournament. European Open
winner Stephen Maguire
defeated Australian Robertson 5–3, while world number 48 Murphy beat McCulloch 5–2. Michael Holt
, in his first season in the top 32, beat Dave Harold
5–2, and Mark King
defeated Selby by the same scoreline. Ali Carter
whitewashed Belgian's number one Bjorn Haneveer
5–0 in 76 minutes, while Barry Hawkins
prevailed 5–4 over Joe Perry
, despite the latter making the highest so far with a 133. John Parrott
made a century break
in his 5–3 victory over Jamie Burnett
, while Joe Jogia
won four consecutive frames to overcome Joe Swail
5–4.
5–1 to make the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. Ding called the win his most satisfying to date and White commended his opponent's performance, saying, "He’s dangerous and he’s improved a hell of a lot this year". Elsewhere, Maguire whitewashed UK champion
Matthew Stevens
5–0, outscoring him 427–68. O'Sullivan extended his unbeaten run to 12 matches when he defeated Parrott 5–2, in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes and which featured a lot of tactical, disjointed exchanges. He was not satisfied with his performance, however: "I was awful—if I keep playing like that they'll have to call the nuthouse to come and collect me". 1997 world champion Ken Doherty
, who was ranked seventh but had slipped to fifteenth in the provisional rankings, defeated Quinten Hann
5–1, after Hann had smashed the from his shot at 0–4 down, from which he fluked a red and made an 89 break. John Higgins, a three-time champion who first won in 1995, beat Drew Henry
5–1, and said he would withdraw from the tournament if his pregnant wife went into labour. Hendry beat Robert Milkins
5–1, and dismissed suggestions that the loss at the Grand Prix had inspired him to play better at this tournament. Murphy defeated world number four Paul Hunter
5–3 for his second last-16 appearance in a ranking event, and attributed the win to his happiness off the table; Murphy—a Christian since the age of 17—said, "My girlfriend Claire is a wonderful woman. We've become engaged and we're involved with a tremendous church in Rotherham". Two-time world champion and world number two Mark Williams
—who became a father in May and had slipped to eighth in the provisional rankings—claimed a 5–1 victory over Jogia in 89 minutes. In a hard-fought contest, Stephen Lee
defeated King 5–4. The other winners were Carter, Andy Hicks
, Anthony Hamilton
, Hawkins, Barry Pinches
, Holt, and Stuart Bingham
.
—and Higgins outscored Murphy 566–72. In the first three frames, Murphy managed to score a total of 10 points. In the fourth, Murphy broke down on a break of 50 before Higgins fluked a yellow, enabling him to make a 57 break. He then fortuitously snooked Murphy on the pink, which Higgins potted to make it 4–0. A 89 break extended Higgins' lead before the 144 break finished the match. Higgins attributed his performance to a shortening of his cue.
In the other semi-final, Maguire ended O'Sullivan's 14-match unbeaten run with a 6–1 victory to earn a place in the final against Higgins. Maguire made century breaks in the first two frames, becoming the first player to make five consecutive century breaks (including the three made in his previous match). Maguire won the third on the pink after O'Sullivan missed the yellow. O'Sullivan won the next with a break of 51, before Maguire made a break of 71 in each of the final two frames. After the match, O'Sullivan—who had won all three previous encounters against Maguire—said, "I’ve never seen anything like that on a snooker table before ... He's a great player, probably the best in the world at the moment", and even before the match, O'Sullivan had described Maguire as "of the young ones, definitely the best". The defeat meant that Reardon lost the £100 bet he placed at 150–1 that O'Sullivan would win all eight of the season's ranking events.
In the afternoon session, Maguire took the first frame, but Higgins won the next three, compiling a 100 break in the third. Breaks of 72, 55, and 76 allowed Maguire to regain the lead, before Higgins took the eighth after Maguire missed a straightforward red to leave it 4–4 at the end of the first session. In the evening session, Higgins took the ninth, before Maguire made two breaks over 50 in the 10th. Higgins then made two consecutive century breaks, including a 144 in the 11th, which equalled his own highest break. He continued his run with a break of 68 in the 13th, before Maguire pulled one back in the next. A 97 break gave Higgins the victory.
All tournament, Higgins had been anticipating the birth of his child and on 24 November, Higgins became a father for the second time when his wife gave birth to a son, Oliver, shortly after his loss at the UK Championship.
, Wales
.
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
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, held from 8 to 14 November 2004 at The Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre is a conference centre located in Brighton, England. The capacity of the main hall for conferences is 4,500 people and 5,100 for standing concerts.It also has smaller rooms for weddings, banquets etc....
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England. John Higgins won the tournament, defeating 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...
nine to six in the all-Scottish final to lift his first ranking-event
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...
title since the 2001 edition of this event. In the semi-finals, Higgins defeated 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...
6–0 and Maguire defeated 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...
6–1. The defending champion 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...
lost in the quarter-finals. Higgins made the highest tournament with his two breaks of 144. The tournament, which has not been held since, was the second of eight WPBSA
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, often abbreviated to the WPBSA, founded in 1968 and based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards...
ranking events in the 2004/2005 snooker season, following the Grand Prix
2004 Grand Prix (snooker)
The 2004 Totesport Grand Prix was the 2004 edition of the Grand Prix snooker tournament, held from 2 to 10 October 2004 at the Guild Hall, Preston, England. World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan won the tournament, defeating Ian McCulloch by nine frames to five in the final. In the semi-finals,...
in October, which was won by O'Sullivan. It preceded the third ranking event of the season, the UK Championship.
Review
2004 Grand Prix (snooker)
The 2004 Totesport Grand Prix was the 2004 edition of the Grand Prix snooker tournament, held from 2 to 10 October 2004 at the Guild Hall, Preston, England. World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan won the tournament, defeating Ian McCulloch by nine frames to five in the final. In the semi-finals,...
in October, which was won by world number one 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 2004 and two-time world champion
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...
—who defeated Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (snooker player)
-External links:**...
9–5 in the final. It preceded the UK Championship.
The defending champion was seven-time world champion 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...
who defeated O'Sullivan 9–6 in last year's final. Hendry was still angry at his loss at the Grand Prix to McCulloch, explaining, "The way I felt at the Grand Prix was down to the fact that I know what I’m still capable of". The total prize fund was £200,000 and the host broadcaster was Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
. O'Sullivan was considered the favourite, with his mentor Ray Reardon
Ray Reardon
Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...
saying "Ronnie is in the form of his life and looks very close to being unstoppable at the moment". Although few top players reached the final eight in the Grand Prix, O'Sullivan said he would not be surprised if they performed well in this tournament.
Qualifying
The qualifying rounds were played between players ranked lower than 32 for one of 16 places in the final stages, at Pontin's Snooker Centre, PrestatynPrestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, Wales. The matches were best-of-9 until the semi-finals. Highly regarded 17-year-old Chinese player 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...
, in his professional first season, won his sixth consecutive match when he beat Robin Hull
Robin Hull
Robin Hull is a Finnish professional snooker player. For some time he was the sole Nordic player on the game's main tour, although his accent reflects the fact that he was largely raised in London, and his father is English....
5–2. The other successful qualifiers included the likes of 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...
, 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...
, Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
, and Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
.
Round 1
The 16 first-round matches were between players ranked 17–32 and those who had made it through the qualifying stages. In this round, Ding took 63 minutes to whitewash 5–0 Malta's Tony DragoTony Drago
Tony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
—who turned professional before Ding was born—outscoring Drago 463–73, for his first appearance in the last 32 of a ranking tournament. European Open
Malta Cup
The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...
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...
defeated Australian Robertson 5–3, while world number 48 Murphy beat McCulloch 5–2. Michael Holt
Michael Holt (snooker player)
Michael Holt is a professional snooker player from Nottingham, England. , he has reached the quarter finals of three ranking tournaments – the 1999 UK Championship, the 2003 LG Cup, and the 2005 Grand Prix.-Career:...
, in his first season in the top 32, beat Dave Harold
Dave Harold
David 'Dave' Harold is an English professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter"...
5–2, and Mark King
Mark King (snooker player)
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.- Career :...
defeated Selby by the same scoreline. Ali 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...
whitewashed Belgian's number one Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer
Bjorn Haneveer is a Belgian professional snooker player. Haneveer also commentates on snooker matches for Dutch Eurosport.-Career:...
5–0 in 76 minutes, while Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
prevailed 5–4 over Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...
, despite the latter making the highest so far with a 133. 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...
made a century break
Century break
In snooker a century break refers to scoring 100 points or more within one at the table, without missing a shot. The player does this by potting and alternately. Scoring 100 points over the course of a whole frame is not a century, as it must be done during one turn at the table...
in his 5–3 victory over Jamie Burnett
Jamie Burnett
Jamie Burnett is a professional snooker player from Hamilton, Scotland.-Career:During the qualifying stages of the 2004 UK Championship, he achieved the impressive feat of becoming the first ever player to compile a break over 147 in a professional match, in which he made a break of 148 against...
, while Joe Jogia
Shailesh Jogia
Shailesh Jogia, commonly known as "Joe", is a British professional snooker player of Indian extraction, born in Leicester, England on 13 November 1975. He lives in the Hertfordshire town of Letchworth.he now lives back in leicester...
won four consecutive frames to overcome Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...
5–4.
Round 2
The winners of round 1 went through to face members of the top 16. Ding continued his run, defeating Jimmy WhiteJimmy 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,...
5–1 to make the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time. Ding called the win his most satisfying to date and White commended his opponent's performance, saying, "He’s dangerous and he’s improved a hell of a lot this year". Elsewhere, Maguire whitewashed UK champion
UK Championship (snooker)
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.-History:...
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...
5–0, outscoring him 427–68. O'Sullivan extended his unbeaten run to 12 matches when he defeated Parrott 5–2, in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes and which featured a lot of tactical, disjointed exchanges. He was not satisfied with his performance, however: "I was awful—if I keep playing like that they'll have to call the nuthouse to come and collect me". 1997 world champion 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...
, who was ranked seventh but had slipped to fifteenth in the provisional rankings, defeated 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...
5–1, after Hann had smashed the from his shot at 0–4 down, from which he fluked a red and made an 89 break. John Higgins, a three-time champion who first won in 1995, beat Drew Henry
Drew Henry
Drew Henry is a former Scottish professional snooker player, who spent five seasons in the top 32 in the rankings in his career, peaking at #18.-Career:...
5–1, and said he would withdraw from the tournament if his pregnant wife went into labour. Hendry beat Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...
5–1, and dismissed suggestions that the loss at the Grand Prix had inspired him to play better at this tournament. Murphy defeated world number four Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" because of his good looks and flamboyant style....
5–3 for his second last-16 appearance in a ranking event, and attributed the win to his happiness off the table; Murphy—a Christian since the age of 17—said, "My girlfriend Claire is a wonderful woman. We've become engaged and we're involved with a tremendous church in Rotherham". Two-time world champion and world number two 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...
—who became a father in May and had slipped to eighth in the provisional rankings—claimed a 5–1 victory over Jogia in 89 minutes. In a hard-fought contest, Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...
defeated King 5–4. The other winners were Carter, 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...
, Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (snooker player)
Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...
, Hawkins, Barry Pinches
Barry Pinches
-External links:**...
, Holt, and Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham
Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...
.
Round 3
In the last 16, O'Sullivan compiled two century breaks to whitewash Lee 5–0 for his 13th consecutive win and his 9th consecutive quarter-final. Regarding comments he made about his retirement after his previous match, O'Sullivan said, "There's no point quoting me because what I say from one day to the next will be different". Maguire made a of 140 in his 5–2 win over Ding, while Hamilton defeated Williams 5–3 for his fourth consecutive win over the world number two. Hendry, whose last tournament victory was this event last year, made four breaks over 60 in his 5–2 win over Carter to set up a match with Higgins, who made the highest break so far with a 141 in his 5–3 win over Pinches. Doherty became the fifth member of the top eight to lose when he was defeated 4–5 by Hicks, while Hawkins defeated Bingham 5–4 and Murphy beat Holt 5–3.Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals, O'Sullivan defeated Hicks 5–1 in a match in which Hicks made a few errors. After the match, O'Sullivan attributed his success to his mentor Reardon. Maguire made three consecutive century breaks from 2–0 up to whitewash Hamilton 5–0, setting up a semi-final clash with O'Sullivan. Maguire won the first two frames on the black, the second after trailing 0–74 and requiring two . Maguire said that he played brilliant, like in practice, and Hamilton said his opponent was a "proper talent". Higgins defeated Hendry 5–2 in a low-quality match in which Higgins won the first three frames with a high break of 30. Hendry won the next two with breaks of 66 and 58, but Higgins closed the match with breaks of 85 and 79. Higgins said he was willing to risk a possible fine by attending to his wife if she gave birth. Murphy beat fellow qualifier Hawkins 5–3 to reach his first ranking semi-final, with Higgins as the opponent.Semi-finals
In the semi-finals, now best-of-11, Higgins took 73 minutes to whitewash Murphy 6–0, scoring breaks of 58, 114, 57, 89, and completing the victory with a total clearance of 144, the highest break so far. The time of 73 minutes was only two minutes slower than the quickest best-of-11 match—the semi-finals of the 1993 International Open between Hendry and Dave HaroldDave Harold
David 'Dave' Harold is an English professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter"...
—and Higgins outscored Murphy 566–72. In the first three frames, Murphy managed to score a total of 10 points. In the fourth, Murphy broke down on a break of 50 before Higgins fluked a yellow, enabling him to make a 57 break. He then fortuitously snooked Murphy on the pink, which Higgins potted to make it 4–0. A 89 break extended Higgins' lead before the 144 break finished the match. Higgins attributed his performance to a shortening of his cue.
In the other semi-final, Maguire ended O'Sullivan's 14-match unbeaten run with a 6–1 victory to earn a place in the final against Higgins. Maguire made century breaks in the first two frames, becoming the first player to make five consecutive century breaks (including the three made in his previous match). Maguire won the third on the pink after O'Sullivan missed the yellow. O'Sullivan won the next with a break of 51, before Maguire made a break of 71 in each of the final two frames. After the match, O'Sullivan—who had won all three previous encounters against Maguire—said, "I’ve never seen anything like that on a snooker table before ... He's a great player, probably the best in the world at the moment", and even before the match, O'Sullivan had described Maguire as "of the young ones, definitely the best". The defeat meant that Reardon lost the £100 bet he placed at 150–1 that O'Sullivan would win all eight of the season's ranking events.
Final
In the all-Scottish best-of-17 final, Higgins defeated Maguire 9–6 for a record-equalling fourth title. Of the victory, Higgins said it was the most important of his career. He had not won a ranking title since his 2001 victory at this event and had lost his previous six finals. It was his 25th major title and his 16th ranking title, and it earned him £30,000 in prize money.In the afternoon session, Maguire took the first frame, but Higgins won the next three, compiling a 100 break in the third. Breaks of 72, 55, and 76 allowed Maguire to regain the lead, before Higgins took the eighth after Maguire missed a straightforward red to leave it 4–4 at the end of the first session. In the evening session, Higgins took the ninth, before Maguire made two breaks over 50 in the 10th. Higgins then made two consecutive century breaks, including a 144 in the 11th, which equalled his own highest break. He continued his run with a break of 68 in the 13th, before Maguire pulled one back in the next. A 97 break gave Higgins the victory.
All tournament, Higgins had been anticipating the birth of his child and on 24 November, Higgins became a father for the second time when his wife gave birth to a son, Oliver, shortly after his loss at the UK Championship.
Main draw
Final
| Final: Best of 17 frames. The Brighton Centre The Brighton Centre The Brighton Centre is a conference centre located in Brighton, England. The capacity of the main hall for conferences is 4,500 people and 5,100 for standing concerts.It also has smaller rooms for weddings, banquets etc.... , Brighton Brighton Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain... , England. 14 November 2004. |
||
| John Higgins (5) |
9–6 | 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... (24) |
| Afternoon: 39–81 (77), 61–26, 100–29 (100), 79–1, 0–72 (72), 17–95 (55), 20–91 (76), 72–19 (53) Evening: 64–10, 13–110 (56, 54), 144–0 (144), 107–0 (107), 74–50 (68), 1–93 (50), 104–0 (97) |
||
| 144 | Highest break | 77 |
| 3 | Century breaks | 0 |
| 6 | 50+ breaks | 7 |
Qualifying
Qualifying for the tournament took place between 2 and 4 November 2004 in the Pontin's Snooker Centre at PrestatynPrestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Qualifying stages centuries
- 141 Tom FordTom Ford (snooker player)-External links:*...
- 137 Dave HaroldDave HaroldDavid 'Dave' Harold is an English professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter"...
- 125 Liu Song
- 124 Stefan MazrocisStefan MazrocisStefan Mazrocis is an international standard Dutch amateur snooker player. He was born of Latvian/English parentage, spent his early snooker years of snooker in Leicester, England honing his snooker skills. He has recorded three maximum breaks in a single day...
- 117 Jamie BurnettJamie BurnettJamie Burnett is a professional snooker player from Hamilton, Scotland.-Career:During the qualifying stages of the 2004 UK Championship, he achieved the impressive feat of becoming the first ever player to compile a break over 147 in a professional match, in which he made a break of 148 against...
- 116 Craig ButlerCraig ButlerCraig Butler is a professional Canadian football defensive back in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was drafted 12th overall by the Riders in the 2011 CFL Draft and signed with the team on June 1, 2011. He played CIS football for the Western Ontario Mustangs.-...
- 113 Darren MorganDarren MorganDarren Morgan is a Welsh snooker player, who won the World Amateur Championship in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never...
- 109 Ryan DayRyan Day-External links:* * *...
- 108, 102 Ding JunhuiDing JunhuiDing 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...
- 108 Leo FernandezLeo FernandezLeo Fernandez is a current amateur and former professional snooker player born in Limerick, Ireland and living in London, England. He is currently competing on the Pontins International Tour , attempting to gain promotion to the Main Tour to regain professional status...
- 105 Shokat AliShokat AliShokat Ali is an English snooker player of Pakistani descent, who represents Pakistan in international tournaments. Ali turned professional in 1991, but his best performance in professional competition came ten years later in the 2001 Thailand Masters where he reached the quarter-fnals, beating...
- 103 Adrian GunnellAdrian GunnellAdrian Gunnell is an English professional snooker player from Telford. He has reached the last-16 in four world ranking events , but has yet to progress beyond that stage...
- 101 Bjorn HaneveerBjorn HaneveerBjorn Haneveer is a Belgian professional snooker player. Haneveer also commentates on snooker matches for Dutch Eurosport.-Career:...
Television stages centuries
- 144, 144, 141, 116, 114, 112, 107, 100 John Higgins
- 140, 134, 113, 104, 101, 100 Stephen MaguireStephen MaguireStephen 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...
- 134, 103 Andy HicksAndy HicksAndy 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...
- 133 Barry PinchesBarry Pinches-External links:**...
- 133 Joe PerryJoe Perry (snooker player)-External links:*...
- 129, 115 Stuart BinghamStuart BinghamStuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player. He was the 1996 English Amateur and World Amateur champion, but for many years was something of a journeyman professional. He had a run of strong results in late 2005, to earn him a top 32 world rankings place he has yet to lose...
- 129 Ken DohertyKen DohertyKen Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
- 127, 100 Ronnie O'SullivanRonnie O'SullivanRonald 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...
- 121 Michael HoltMichael Holt (snooker player)Michael Holt is a professional snooker player from Nottingham, England. , he has reached the quarter finals of three ranking tournaments – the 1999 UK Championship, the 2003 LG Cup, and the 2005 Grand Prix.-Career:...
- 115 Shaun MurphyShaun 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...
- 104, 103 Barry HawkinsBarry HawkinsBarry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
- 104 Ian McCullochIan McCulloch (snooker player)-External links:**...
- 104 Ding JunhuiDing JunhuiDing 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...
- 103 Mark WilliamsMark 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...
- 101 John ParrottJohn ParrottJohn 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...
- 100 Neil RobertsonNeil Robertson (snooker player)Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
- 100 Stephen HendryStephen HendryStephen 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...