Allister Carter
Encyclopedia
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. Since then he has won two ranking events.
He first emerged in 1999, winning the WPBSA Association Young Player of the Year award after winning the Benson and Hedges Championship in 1999 – this earned him a wild card place in the Masters
. He also reached the semi-finals of the 1999 Grand Prix
. It was eight years before he reached another ranking semi-final, the 2007 Malta Cup
.
He was close to the elite top 16 for three successive seasons ranking as 17, 19, and 19 through 2003/04
, 2004/05
and 2005/06
, respectively, before reaching it in the 2006/07 season
and remaining there in 2008.
He reached the last 16 (second round) of the World Championship
in 2005
, after scoring the first 10–0 victory in the event since 1993 against 1993 semi-finalist James Wattana
in qualifying. At the 2007 World Championship
he beat Andy Hicks
in the first round, 10–4, before beating World No. 1 and seven-time champion Stephen Hendry
13–6 to reach his first World Championship quarter-final and guarantee a place in the Top-16. Carter now has a 5–4 record against Hendry; conversely, he has never beaten Ronnie O'Sullivan
in 11 attempts.
Carter has a reputation for 'choking', losing his nerve at critical moments in a match, such as being in front and allowing his opponent to stage a comeback. As an extreme example, in the first round of the 2007 UK Championship
, Carter led Barry Hawkins
8–3 before Hawkins won the next six frames to win 9–8. However, Ali got his own back on Hawkins during the 2008 World Championship
by beating him 10–9 in a 'controversial' finale. Hawkins had leveled the match to 9–9, when the players were pulled out of the arena to allow the evening matches to begin. They returned after one of the evening's two matches had been completed – on a table they had not previously played on. Hawkins felt this break interrupted his momentum, handing the match to Carter. He followed this by defeating two former champions in succession; provisional World Number 1 Shaun Murphy
13–4 in the second round and then 2002 winner Peter Ebdon
13–9 in the quarter-final. In the semi-final on 4 May 2008 he beat Joe Perry
17–15 to book a place against Ronnie O'Sullivan
in the final. Carter lost the final 18–8.
Carter scored his first 147 break on 29 April at the 2008 World Championship
, one day after Ronnie O'Sullivan had made one in the same tournament. This made Carter the sixth man to achieve this feat at the Crucible (the eighth made there, as O'Sullivan had previously achieved it three times), and the first to have done so without previously winning a tournament. It is the first time two 147s have been made in the same event.
Carter soon showed signs of carrying this form forward in subsequent events. He won his second non-ranking tournament, the Huangshan Cup in China, with a 5–3 win over the reigning Grand Prix
champion Marco Fu
. In the 2008/09 season Carter reached the semi-final stage on three separate occasions. He progressed to the semi-finals of the 2008/09 season's first ranking event, the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
before losing 5–6 to O'Sullivan having led 5–4. He reached the same stage of the Grand Prix, defeating veterans Steve Davis
and John Parrott
before losing to Ryan Day
, again 5–6 The third occasion was the UK Championship where wins over Peter Ebdon
and Mark Williams
were followed by a close 9–7 defeat to the man he was victorious against in the Huangshan Cup final in China, Marco Fu
.
After thirteen years as a professional, Carter defeated the likes of Jimmy White
, Graeme Dott
, Shaun Murphy, Anthony Hamilton
, and Joe Swail
to finally win his first ranking tournament – the 2009 Welsh Open.
Carter made a slow start to the 2009/2010 season
, losing 0–5 to Liang Wenbo
in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters and losing in the first round at the Grand Prix, before reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Championship. As the defending champion at the Welsh Open he progressed to the final but was beaten by John Higgins, the reigning world champion at the time. He finished the season strongly by reaching the semi-finals at the China Open and the World Championship, losing in the latter to eventual champion, Neil Robertson
, by 12–17. Of the six ranking tournaments that were staged during the 2009/2010 season, Carter's campaigns were ended by the eventual champion on four occasions, and on another by the runner-up. Carter finished the season by moving up to a career high position of 4th in the world rankings
.
Carter won the 2010 Shanghai Masters
. Carter had to recover from 1–4 down in the quarter-final to defeat Matthew Stevens
5–4, Stevens missing the final black off its spot in the deciding frame. He then won six frames in a row from 0–2 down to beat Mark Selby
6–2, and edged past qualifier Jamie Burnett
10–7 in the final. The following events were not very successful for Ali Carter,as he was eliminated in the last 32 of the World Open by Mark Williams 1–3,he suffered an early exit against the young talent Mark Joyce in the first round of the UK Championship by 6–9 and also lost his first round match of the 2011 Masters against Peter Ebdon by 5–6.
.
He practiced at Chelmsford's Rivermead Snooker Club before buying the club and being the new owner.
Carter also has a keen interest in flying. Although he views snooker as his career at the moment, he has a pilot license which he trained for during a break from the game.
His first child, a son named Max, was born at one minute past midnight on 1 October 2009, weighing in at 8 lbs 2oz.
| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–1)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (2–1)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 2008
| World Snooker Championship
|
| 8–18
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 2009
| Welsh Open
|
| 9–5
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2010
| Welsh Open
|
| 4–9
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 2.
| 2010
| Shanghai Masters
|
| 10–7
|}
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player, who lives in Tiptree
Tiptree
Tiptree is a village in the English county of Essex, situated south-east of Colchester and around north-east of London. Surrounding villages include Messing, Tolleshunt Knights, Layer Marney, Inworth, Birch, Great Braxted, Great Totham and Little Totham....
. He reached the final of the 2008 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2008
The 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.John Higgins was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 9–13 against Ryan Day....
, his first major final. Although he lost heavily to 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...
, this run allowed him to reach the top 8 of the rankings for the first time. Since then he has won two ranking events.
Career
Carter turned professional in 1996.He first emerged in 1999, winning the WPBSA Association Young Player of the Year award after winning the Benson and Hedges Championship in 1999 – this earned him a wild card place in the Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
. He also reached the semi-finals of the 1999 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
. It was eight years before he reached another ranking semi-final, the 2007 Malta Cup
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...
.
He was close to the elite top 16 for three successive seasons ranking as 17, 19, and 19 through 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 :...
, 2004/05
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 :...
and 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 :...
, respectively, before reaching it in the 2006/07 season
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 :...
and remaining there in 2008.
He reached the last 16 (second round) of 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...
in 2005
World Snooker Championship 2005
The 2005 Embassy World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2005 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England....
, after scoring the first 10–0 victory in the event since 1993 against 1993 semi-finalist James Wattana
James Wattana
James Wattana is a Thai professional snooker player.-Career:...
in qualifying. At the 2007 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2007
The 2007 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament began on 21 April and ran until 7 May 2007 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield....
he beat 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...
in the first round, 10–4, before beating World No. 1 and seven-time 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...
13–6 to reach his first World Championship quarter-final and guarantee a place in the Top-16. Carter now has a 5–4 record against Hendry; conversely, he has never beaten 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...
in 11 attempts.
Carter has a reputation for 'choking', losing his nerve at critical moments in a match, such as being in front and allowing his opponent to stage a comeback. As an extreme example, in the first round of the 2007 UK Championship
2007 UK Snooker Championship
The 2007 Maplin UK Championship professional ranking snooker tournament was held between 8 and 16 December 2007 at the Telford International Centre, Telford, England....
, Carter led 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...
8–3 before Hawkins won the next six frames to win 9–8. However, Ali got his own back on Hawkins during the 2008 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2008
The 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.John Higgins was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 9–13 against Ryan Day....
by beating him 10–9 in a 'controversial' finale. Hawkins had leveled the match to 9–9, when the players were pulled out of the arena to allow the evening matches to begin. They returned after one of the evening's two matches had been completed – on a table they had not previously played on. Hawkins felt this break interrupted his momentum, handing the match to Carter. He followed this by defeating two former champions in succession; provisional World Number 1 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...
13–4 in the second round and then 2002 winner 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:...
13–9 in the quarter-final. In the semi-final on 4 May 2008 he beat Joe Perry
Joe Perry (snooker player)
-External links:*...
17–15 to book a place against 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...
in the final. Carter lost the final 18–8.
Carter scored his first 147 break on 29 April at the 2008 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2008
The 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.John Higgins was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 9–13 against Ryan Day....
, one day after Ronnie O'Sullivan had made one in the same tournament. This made Carter the sixth man to achieve this feat at the Crucible (the eighth made there, as O'Sullivan had previously achieved it three times), and the first to have done so without previously winning a tournament. It is the first time two 147s have been made in the same event.
Carter soon showed signs of carrying this form forward in subsequent events. He won his second non-ranking tournament, the Huangshan Cup in China, with a 5–3 win over the reigning Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
champion 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...
. In the 2008/09 season Carter reached the semi-final stage on three separate occasions. He progressed to the semi-finals of the 2008/09 season's first ranking event, the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 31 August 2008 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast....
before losing 5–6 to O'Sullivan having led 5–4. He reached the same stage of the Grand Prix, defeating veterans 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...
and 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...
before losing to Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
, again 5–6 The third occasion was the UK Championship where wins over 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:...
and 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...
were followed by a close 9–7 defeat to the man he was victorious against in the Huangshan Cup final in China, 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...
.
After thirteen years as a professional, Carter defeated the likes of 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,...
, 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...
, Shaun Murphy, 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...
, and Joe Swail
Joe Swail
-External links:*...
to finally win his first ranking tournament – the 2009 Welsh Open.
Carter made a slow start to the 2009/2010 season
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 :...
, losing 0–5 to Liang Wenbo
Liang Wenbo
Liang Wenbo is a Chinese professional snooker player. He is left-handed and ranked as China's number 2 player, after Ding Junhui. Liang is based at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom.-Career:...
in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters and losing in the first round at the Grand Prix, before reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Championship. As the defending champion at the Welsh Open he progressed to the final but was beaten by John Higgins, the reigning world champion at the time. He finished the season strongly by reaching the semi-finals at the China Open and the World Championship, losing in the latter to eventual champion, Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
, by 12–17. Of the six ranking tournaments that were staged during the 2009/2010 season, Carter's campaigns were ended by the eventual champion on four occasions, and on another by the runner-up. Carter finished the season by moving up to a career high position of 4th in the world rankings
Snooker world rankings 2010/2011
Snooker world rankings 2010/2011: The professional world rankings for all the professional snooker players who qualified for the 2010/2011 season are listed below. The rankings worked as a two-year rolling list. The points for each tournament two years ago were removed, when the corresponding...
.
Carter won the 2010 Shanghai Masters
2010 Shanghai Masters
The 2010 Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 6–12 September 2010 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he has withdrawn due to personal reasons....
. Carter had to recover from 1–4 down in the quarter-final to defeat 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...
5–4, Stevens missing the final black off its spot in the deciding frame. He then won six frames in a row from 0–2 down to beat 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...
6–2, and edged past qualifier 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...
10–7 in the final. The following events were not very successful for Ali Carter,as he was eliminated in the last 32 of the World Open by Mark Williams 1–3,he suffered an early exit against the young talent Mark Joyce in the first round of the UK Championship by 6–9 and also lost his first round match of the 2011 Masters against Peter Ebdon by 5–6.
Personal life
In 2003 he was diagnosed with the auto immune disease Crohn's diseaseCrohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
.
He practiced at Chelmsford's Rivermead Snooker Club before buying the club and being the new owner.
Carter also has a keen interest in flying. Although he views snooker as his career at the moment, he has a pilot license which he trained for during a break from the game.
His first child, a son named Max, was born at one minute past midnight on 1 October 2009, weighing in at 8 lbs 2oz.
Ranking event finals: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)
{|| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–1)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (2–1)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 2008
| World Snooker 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...
|
| 8–18
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 2009
| Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
|
| 9–5
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2010
| Welsh Open
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
|
| 4–9
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 2.
| 2010
2010 Shanghai Masters
The 2010 Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 6–12 September 2010 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China.Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he has withdrawn due to personal reasons....
| Shanghai Masters
|
| 10–7
|}
Non-ranking wins
- Benson and Hedges ChampionshipBenson & Hedges Championship (snooker)The Benson & Hedges Championship was a professional snooker tournament, which ran from 1990 to 2002. Each season, the winner of the Benson & Hedges Championship was awarded a wildcard to play at the Benson & Hedges Masters....
– 1999 - Huangshan Cup – 2008