2006 Northern Ireland Trophy
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy was the 2006 edition of the Northern Ireland Trophy
snooker
tournament, held from 13 to 20 August 2006, at the Waterfront Hall
, Belfast
, Northern Ireland. Ding Junhui
defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan
by nine to six (9–6) in the final to lift his third ranking title
whilst still a teenager. In the semi-finals Ding defeated Stephen Lee
6–1 and O'Sullivan beat Dominic Dale
6–0. O'Sullivan made the highest with his 140. The defending champion, Matthew Stevens
, lost in round 3. The tournament, consisting of the top 32 and 16 qualifiers, was the first of seven WPBSA
ranking events in the 2006/2007 season, preceding the Grand Prix.
was first staged in 2005 at the Waterfront Hall
, Belfast
, Northern Ireland, as a non-ranking tournament featuring the top 16 and four wildcards, generally Irish. In the following year, it was granted ranking status and took the form of a regular tournament.
The 2006 tournament was the first of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
(WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season, preceding the Grand Prix, and the first event since last season's World Championship won by Graeme Dott
, who defeated Peter Ebdon
18–14 in the final. The defending champion was Matthew Stevens
, who defeated Stephen Hendry
9–7 in the previous year's final. Going into the tournament, Joe Swail
, provisionally ranked number 13, said he was targeting a place in the top 16; and Dott, the World Champion, said interest in his results would increase, and that he felt capable of winning more tournaments. Shaun Murphy
, the 2005 World Champion, said the pressure would be off him in the 2006/2007 season.
, Wales. The matches were best-of-9 frames until the semi-finals. Successful qualifiers in this round included Northern Irish player Mark Allen
, who defeated Tom Ford
5–3, and said the Waterfront—where he made his professional debut last year—was the best venue he had played at. Gerard Greene
defeated Judd Trump
5–2, and Dominic Dale
beat Dermot McGlinchey
5–1. Jimmy White
, who had slipped from 8th to 35th in the rankings, lost 3–5 to Jimmy Michie
, and said he was "match-shy" rather than nervous. Irish players Joe Delaney and Fergal O'Brien
lost to Rod Lawler
and Paul Davies
respectively, both 3–5.
won the seventh frame after Tony Drago
missed a pink, eventually winning the match 5–4. Jamie Burnett
made breaks of 117, 77, and 55 in defeating David Gray 5–2. Allen lost 1–5 to Ryan Day
, a match in which Day made breaks of 79, 73, 56, and 91, after which Day said, "as soon as I started knocking in some breaks they went a bit quiet", in reference to the crowd. Michael Holt
lost 2–5 to Mike Dunn, a player ranked 34 places below him. James Wattana
defeated Michie 5–4 in a match that lasted over three hours. Michie was 1–3 down but went on to lead 4–3 and 30–0 points before he missed a straightforward pot, eventually losing the frame. Michie had the first chance in the next but also lost that frame. Tian Pengfei
, on his 19th birthday, made breaks of 50, 62, and 115 in defeating Andy Hicks
.
"Day defeats Allen at Waterfront Hall". RTÉ Sport
. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
Dee, John. "Wattana off to a good start". The Nation
. p. 32. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"北爱尔兰杯“太空人”气势逼人 傅家俊首场落败" (Google Translate). My Billiards Online (via Sohu
). 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"北爱杯台球赛：格林射落“海盗”乔-斯维尔". (Google Translate). My Billiards Online (via Sohu
). 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Super Stuart set to take on Rocket". Lancashire Evening Post
. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
. 15 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Hendry goes through in NI Trophy". BBC Sport
. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Marshall, Alan. "I won't make it easy for my mate". Daily Record
. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Dott digs deep". Irish Examiner
. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Greene sinks Davis in Belfast". breakingnews.i.e. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Dott battles back for Dale date". RTÉ Sport
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
Yates, Phil. "SNOOKER: Doherty on cue against Wattana". Irish Independent
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Junhui takes title in Belfast". RTÉ Sport
. 20 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Ding at the treble". Sporting Life
(UK). Retrieved 14 October 2010.
Northern Ireland Trophy
- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
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 13 to 20 August 2006, at the Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland. 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...
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...
by nine to six (9–6) in the final to lift his third ranking title
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...
whilst still a teenager. In the semi-finals Ding defeated 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...
6–1 and O'Sullivan beat Dominic Dale
Dominic Dale
-External links:**...
6–0. O'Sullivan made the highest with his 140. The defending champion, 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...
, lost in round 3. The tournament, consisting of the top 32 and 16 qualifiers, was the first of seven 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 2006/2007 season, preceding the Grand Prix.
Review
The Northern Ireland TrophyNorthern Ireland Trophy
- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
was first staged in 2005 at the Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland, as a non-ranking tournament featuring the top 16 and four wildcards, generally Irish. In the following year, it was granted ranking status and took the form of a regular tournament.
The 2006 tournament was the first of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
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...
(WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season, preceding the Grand Prix, and the first event since last season's World Championship won by Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...
, who defeated 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:...
18–14 in the final. The defending champion was 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...
, who defeated 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...
9–7 in the previous year's final. Going into the tournament, Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...
, provisionally ranked number 13, said he was targeting a place in the top 16; and Dott, the World Champion, said interest in his results would increase, and that he felt capable of winning more tournaments. 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...
, the 2005 World Champion, said the pressure would be off him in the 2006/2007 season.
Qualifying
The qualifying stages took place between players ranked from 33 to 48 and those lower 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 frames until the semi-finals. Successful qualifiers in this round included Northern Irish player Mark Allen
Mark Allen (snooker player)
Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...
, who defeated Tom Ford
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle "Tom" Ford is an American fashion designer and film director. He gained international fame for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of the Tom Ford label before directing the Oscar-nominated film A Single Man.-Early life :Tom Ford was born August 27, 1961 in...
5–3, and said the Waterfront—where he made his professional debut last year—was the best venue he had played at. Gerard Greene
Gerard Greene
Gerard Greene is a left-handed Northern Irish professional snooker player, who has represented Northern Ireland in international events , as his parents are from Belfast. He lives in Rainham in Kent...
defeated Judd Trump
Judd Trump
Judd Trump is an English professional snooker player from Bristol. He enjoyed considerable success in youth tournaments before turning professional in 2005. On 3 April 2011, Trump won his first ranking title, beating Mark Selby 10–8 in the final of the China Open...
5–2, and Dominic Dale
Dominic Dale
-External links:**...
beat Dermot McGlinchey
Dermot McGlinchey
Dermot McGlinchey is a professional snooker player from Northern Ireland. He has qualified for the 2010/2011 professional Main Tour by topping the Northern Ireland rankings.-References:**...
5–1. 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,...
, who had slipped from 8th to 35th in the rankings, lost 3–5 to Jimmy Michie
Jimmy Michie
-External links:***...
, and said he was "match-shy" rather than nervous. Irish players Joe Delaney and Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien is an Irish professional snooker player. He has won one ranking title and reached two other major finals, and spent three seasons as a top 16 player.-Career:...
lost to Rod Lawler
Rod Lawler
Rod Lawler is an English professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1990. His best run in a ranking tournament was in 1996, when he reached the final of the International Open, beating World Champion Stephen Hendry 5–3 in the second round, but his run ended in the final where he lost...
and Paul Davies
Paul Davies
Paul Charles William Davies, AM is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science...
respectively, both 3–5.
Round 1
In round 1 the 16 qualifiers went through to face players ranked 17–32. Swail lost 1–5 to Greene, who said the crowd was on his opponent's side. Tied at 3–3 Mark SelbyMark 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...
won the seventh frame after Tony Drago
Tony 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...
missed a pink, eventually winning the match 5–4. 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...
made breaks of 117, 77, and 55 in defeating David Gray 5–2. Allen lost 1–5 to Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
, a match in which Day made breaks of 79, 73, 56, and 91, after which Day said, "as soon as I started knocking in some breaks they went a bit quiet", in reference to the crowd. 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:...
lost 2–5 to Mike Dunn, a player ranked 34 places below him. James Wattana
James Wattana
James Wattana is a Thai professional snooker player.-Career:...
defeated Michie 5–4 in a match that lasted over three hours. Michie was 1–3 down but went on to lead 4–3 and 30–0 points before he missed a straightforward pot, eventually losing the frame. Michie had the first chance in the next but also lost that frame. Tian Pengfei
Tian Pengfei
Tian Pengfei is a professional snooker player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:Tian first competed on the main tour in the 2006/2007 season, dropping off the tour in the following season....
, on his 19th birthday, made breaks of 50, 62, and 115 in defeating 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...
.
"Day defeats Allen at Waterfront Hall". RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport is a cross platform, integrated business division of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, responsible for the provision of sport coverage on RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Television, and RTÉ.ie....
. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
Dee, John. "Wattana off to a good start". The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
. p. 32. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"北爱尔兰杯“太空人”气势逼人 傅家俊首场落败" (Google Translate). My Billiards Online (via Sohu
Sohu
Sohu.com, Inc. is a search engine company headquartered in the Sohu.com Internet Plaza in Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. This company and its subsidiaries offer advertising, a search engine, on-line multiplayer gaming and other services. For the fiscal year ended December...
). 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"北爱杯台球赛：格林射落“海盗”乔-斯维尔". (Google Translate). My Billiards Online (via Sohu
Sohu
Sohu.com, Inc. is a search engine company headquartered in the Sohu.com Internet Plaza in Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. This company and its subsidiaries offer advertising, a search engine, on-line multiplayer gaming and other services. For the fiscal year ended December...
). 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Super Stuart set to take on Rocket". Lancashire Evening Post
Lancashire Evening Post
The Lancashire Evening Post is a daily newspaper based in Fulwood, a suburb of the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. According to the British Library, its first edition was published on 18 October 1886...
. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
Round 2
"Ebdon beaten by Dale in Belfast". BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. 15 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Hendry goes through in NI Trophy". BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Marshall, Alan. "I won't make it easy for my mate". Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Dott digs deep". Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner
The Irish Examiner, formerly The Cork Examiner and then The Examiner, is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country...
. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Greene sinks Davis in Belfast". breakingnews.i.e. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
Round 3
"Ding puts out Higgins in Belfast". BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
"Dott battles back for Dale date". RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport is a cross platform, integrated business division of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, responsible for the provision of sport coverage on RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Television, and RTÉ.ie....
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
Yates, Phil. "SNOOKER: Doherty on cue against Wattana". Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
Quarter-finals
"Speedy O'Sullivan into last four". BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Semi-finals
"O'Sullivan storms to record win ". BBC SportBBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Final
In the best-of-17 final Ding defeated O'Sullivan to lift his third ranking title whilst still a teenager."Junhui takes title in Belfast". RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport
RTÉ Sport is a cross platform, integrated business division of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann, responsible for the provision of sport coverage on RTÉ Radio, RTÉ Television, and RTÉ.ie....
. 20 August 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
"Ding at the treble". Sporting Life
Sporting Life (newspaper)
The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of horse racing. Latterly it has continued as a multi-sports website....
(UK). Retrieved 14 October 2010.
Prize money
- Winner – £30,000
- Final – £15,000
- Semi-final – £7,500
- Quarter-final – £5,600
- Round 3 – £4,000
- Round 2 – £2,500
- Round 1 – £1,625
- Final qualifying round – £1,100
Main draw
Sources
- Draw. Sporting LifeSporting Life (newspaper)The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of horse racing. Latterly it has continued as a multi-sports website....
(UK). Retrieved 14 October 2010. - "Northern Ireland Trophy 2006". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 8 October 2010.
- "2006 Northern Ireland Trophy Results Grid". snookerdatabase.co.uk (Snooker Database). Retrieved 14 October 2010.
- "Northern Ireland Trophy". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk (Chris Turner's Snooker Archive). Retrieved 8 October 2010.
- "World Rankings 2006/2007". snooker.org (WWW Snooker). Retrieved 8 October 2010.