John Higgins
Encyclopedia
John Higgins MBE
(born 18 May 1975 in Wishaw
, North Lanarkshire
) is a Scottish professional snooker
player and the reigning World Champion
. With four world titles in all (1998, 2007, 2009, 2011
) he is fourth overall in the modern era, behind Stephen Hendry
(7), Steve Davis
(6) and Ray Reardon
(6). To date, he has won a total of 24 ranking titles and compiled over 400 competitive century break
s, including five maximum 147 breaks. Since the 1996/1997 season
he has never dropped below 6th in the world rankings
.
Turning professional in 1992, by the 1994/1995 season
he was the first teenager to win three ranking events in a season. In just his third season he had climbed to number 11 in the rankings. In the 1996 UK Championship he lost 10–9 in the final to the then six time World Champion Hendry. Two years later, after a then-tournament record 14 centuries, he won his first World Championship by beating defending champion Ken Doherty
18–12. The win saw him ranked World Number 1 for the first time, ending the eight year reign of Hendry. He added the UK Championship and the Masters the following season to become just the third player after Davis and Hendry to hold the Triple Crown of World, UK and Masters titles simultaneously.
In contrast to the prior dominance of Hendry or Davis, Higgins held the No.1 spot for just 2 years; it was not until 2007 that Higgins regained it from a briefly returning Hendry, with the interim period seeing it held twice each by Mark Williams
and Ronnie O'Sullivan
. The return to No.1 came after winning his second world title nine years after the first, beating Mark Selby
18–13. This was the longest gap since the ten years it took namesake Alex Higgins
(1972–1982). A third World Championship followed two years later with an 18–9 victory over Shaun Murphy
, meaning Higgins became the ninth player to win the title three or more times.
Having ended the 2009/2010 season
by regaining the No.1 for the third time in his career, Higgins was the target of tabloid newspaper sting resulting in a 6-month ban from snooker. An investigation found he had failed to report, and given the impression of agreeing with, their invitation to breach the sport's betting rules. Higgins bounced back upon his return midway through the following season
, winning a third UK Championship and regaining the No.1 spot for a fourth time. After the death of his father, Higgins won an emotional fourth World Championship title with an 18–15 win over Judd Trump
.
9–6 in the final of the Grand Prix
. The British
and International Open
titles followed in 1995, making him the first teenager to win three ranking events in a season (1994/95). In the UK Championship
final in 1996, he recovered from 4–8 down against Stephen Hendry
to lead 9–8, only to lose 9–10.
In 1998, Higgins won his first World Championship, beating Jason Ferguson
, Anthony Hamilton
, John Parrott
and Ronnie O'Sullivan, before overcoming defending champion Ken Doherty
18–12 in the final. In the process, he made a then-record of 14 centuries in a tournament (Stephen Hendry later eclipsed this milestone at the World Championship in 2002 with 16 centuries). His success meant he became World no. 1 for the first time in his career, bringing Stephen Hendry's eight-year tenure to an end.
, Higgins won the UK Championship and Masters
with 10–6 and 10–8 defeats of Matthew Stevens
and Ken Doherty, respectively, to become only the third player after Steve Davis
and Stephen Hendry to hold the World, UK and Masters titles simultaneously (Mark Williams
later joined this elite group). In addition, he is one of just five players to have claimed both the World and UK Championship in the same calendar year (1998); the others are Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott and Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Higgins remained as World no. 1 for two years, when Mark Williams replaced him at the top of the rankings at the close of the 1999/00 season
. Higgins and Williams met in the Grand Prix final in 1999, where Higgins came from 2–6 down to claim a 9–8 victory; the World Championship semi-final in 2000, where Higgins was defeated 15–17 after surrendering a 14–10 advantage in the final session; and the UK Championship final in 2000 – Higgins winning by a margin of 10–4 to earn his second UK title.
He reached the World Championship final in 2001, but lost 14–18 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. At the beginning of the 2001/02 season
, Higgins became the first player to win the opening three tournaments of a season: the Champions Cup
, Scottish Masters (both invitational events), and the British Open. Higgins then failed to win a major title until his fourth British Open triumph in 2004.
In the Grand Prix final in 2005, Higgins beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 9–2. In doing so, he became the first player to record four consecutive centuries in a ranking tournament, with breaks of 103, 104, 138 and 128 in frames 7 to 10. Higgins scored 494 points without reply, which was then a record (Ding Junhui
managed 495 points against Stephen Hendry in the Premier League in 2007). Higgins and O'Sullivan also contested the Masters finals in 2005 and 2006. Higgins was beaten 3–10 in 2005. In 2006, he lost the first three frames, but won the next five to establish a lead after the first session. O'Sullivan levelled in the evening, and the match went to a deciding frame. On a 60 break, O'Sullivan missed a red to a baulk pocket, and Higgins made a clearance of 64 to win 10–9 to claim the title for the second time.
In the World Championship in 2007, Higgins beat Michael Holt
, Fergal O'Brien
, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Stephen Maguire
en route to the final. His break of 122 in the 29th frame of his semi-final against Maguire, on recovering from a deficit of 10–14 in the final session to prevail 17–15, was the 1,000th century to be made at the Crucible Theatre
, Sheffield
since the World Championship was first staged there in 1977. In the final, Higgins held a 12–4 advantage over Mark Selby overnight, but Selby reduced his arrears to a single frame on day two. However, at 14–13, Higgins rediscovered his form to win four consecutive frames to clinch the match 18–13 to secure his second World title at 12:54 a.m., the latest finish to a World final (equalled when Neil Robertson
beat Graeme Dott
in 2010); and nine years after his first title – the longest time span between successes since Alex Higgins (1972, 1982), and the longest at The Crucible. He regained World no. 1 status.
As World Champion, Higgins reached the quarter-final stages in only the Welsh
and China Open
tournaments. He helped to establish, and actively promoted, the World Series of Snooker
– a tour intended to bring snooker to new venues outside the traditional United Kingdom
and recently developed Far East markets. He won the inaugural event in St. Helier, Jersey
, in June 2008, beating Mark Selby 6–3 in the final. Higgins also devised a new players’ union with his manager Pat Mooney, called The Snooker Players Association. He won the Grand Prix for the fourth time in 2008, beating Ryan Day
9–7 in the final in Glasgow
– his first ranking tournament win on home soil.
In the World Championship in 2009, Higgins beat Michael Holt 10–5 in round one. His second-round and quarter-final matches both went the full distance of 25 frames, with Higgins overcoming 10–12 and 11–12 deficits against Jamie Cope
and Mark Selby, respectively, to win 13–12. He established a 13–3 lead in the semi-final against Mark Allen
and progressed 17–13 – withstanding a comeback by the Northern Irishman. Higgins recorded an 18–9 victory over Shaun Murphy
in the final to become the ninth player to win the World title three or more times after Joe Davis
, Fred Davis, John Pulman
, John Spencer
, Ray Reardon
, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan. He joined Steve Davis, Hendry and O'Sullivan as the only players to have lifted the trophy three or more times at The Crucible. At two weeks before his 34th birthday, Higgins became the oldest player to triumph since Dennis Taylor
in 1985, who was 36 years of age.
In the 2009/10 season
, as reigning World Champion, he lost 5–6 on the black ball to Neil Robertson in the semi-final of the Grand Prix; and 8–10 to Ding Junhui in the final of the UK Championship, after surviving a comeback by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final when leading 8–2, to advance 9–8 the previous evening. he also defeated Neil Robertson 9–8 during the tournament He captured the Welsh Open title by defeating Allister Carter
9–4 in the final, and ended the season as World no. 1 despite an 11–13 loss to Steve Davis in round two of the World Championship.
(WPBSA) board member, were the subject of match-fixing allegations after being filmed in a controversial sting operation conducted by the News of the World
newspaper. An undercover News of the World team, led by Mazher Mahmood
, posing as promoters, met with Higgins and his manager on 30 April, in a hotel room in Kiev
, Ukraine
, under the pretence of organising a series of events linked to the World Series of Snooker
. The newspaper alleged that Higgins and Mooney had agreed to lose four frames in four separate tournaments in exchange for a €300,000 total payment, and further discussed the mechanics of how to fix a frame, which tournaments and opponents to choose, and how to transfer the money to Higgins. Higgins was immediately suspended from the game and Mooney resigned from his position on the WPBSA board. Higgins issued a statement on the same day denying he had ever been involved in match-fixing, and explained that he decided to "play along" out of fear for his safety, suspecting the involvement of the Russian Mafia
.
A full investigation was conducted into the allegations by David Douglas – a former Metropolitan Police detective chief superintendent, and head of the WPBSA's disciplinary committee. The independent tribunal that followed on 7–8 September, hosted by Sports Resolutions (UK) and chaired by Ian Mill QC, concurred that the WPBSA was right to conclude that Higgins had truthfully accounted for his words and actions and to withdraw the more serious charges of match-fixing, but found him guilty of 'giving the impression' he would breach betting rules, and of failing to report the approach made by the News of the World. Higgins received a six-month ban, backdated to the start of his suspension period, and was fined £75,000.
– European Players Tour Championship
(EPTC) event five in Hamm
, Germany
, and went on to win the tournament beating Shaun Murphy 4–2 in the final. His winning streak continued in the Prague Classic
(EPTC6) in Prague
, Czech Republic
, where he reached the final again, but lost 3–4 to Michael Holt.
In the UK Championship
, his first tournament on British soil since his return, he reached his third final in succession. He fought back from 2–7 and 5–9 down against Mark Williams, and from 7–9 after trailing 0–61, and needing a snooker to level the match. He made a 68 break in the decider, and sealed a 10–9 victory with a double on the brown. In securing his third UK title, Higgins became only the fourth player after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan, to win the second biggest ranking tournament in snooker three or more times. As a result of his progress in those three events, where he won 18 out of 19 matches, Higgins earned sufficient points to regain his position as World no. 1 under the new two-year rolling ranking system after having slipped to third by missing the start of the 2010/2011 season.
Higgins lost in the first round of the Masters
2–6 against Graeme Dott
and withdrew from the German Masters
after defeating Robert Milkins
5–3 in round one, to return home due to the deteriorating health of his father, who subsequently died after a long battle against cancer. A little over two weeks later, Higgins successfully defended his Welsh Open
title by beating Stephen Maguire 9–6 in the final – dedicating victory to his late father. Higgins won the Hainan Classic
, defeating Jamie Cope
in the final. Higgins reached the quarter-final of the China Open
, where he lost 2–5 against Shaun Murphy. Higgins' next tournament was the Scottish Professional Championship
, where he defeated Anthony McGill
6–1 in the final.
In the World Championship
, Higgins defeated Stephen Lee
10–5 in the first round, Rory McLeod
13–7 in the second round and Ronnie O'Sullivan
13–10 in the quarter-finals. On the way to a 17–14 victory over Mark Williams
in the semi-finals, Higgins was heckled by an audience member who shouted out, "How do you swallow that three hundred thousand, John? ... You're a disgrace to snooker." Higgins went on to defeat Judd Trump
18–15 in the final to win his fourth world title, which prompted Steve Davis to comment "I think John Higgins is the best snooker player I've ever seen in my life". Despite the victory, Higgins lost the world number one ranking to Mark Williams.
.
He was escorted off a plane for being drunk in 2006 after losing the Malta Cup final to Ken Doherty, but became teetotal
in preparation for the 2007 World Championship, which he went on to win
Higgins was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
In January 2010, Higgins appeared on the BBC
's Celebrity Mastermind
, answering questions on his specialist subject Dallas
.
In February 2010, Higgins and his wife Denise appeared on ITV
's Mr. and Mrs.
and reached the final after answering 9 questions correctly out of 9 to win £30,000. They donated the money to The Dalziel Centre – a day hospice for cancer patients, based at Strathclyde Hospital in Motherwell
, of which Higgins became a patron after they cared for his terminally ill father.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 18 May 1975 in Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
, North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
) is a Scottish 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 and the reigning 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...
. With four world titles in all (1998, 2007, 2009, 2011
2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
) he is fourth overall in the modern era, behind 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...
(7), 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...
(6) and 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...
(6). To date, he has won a total of 24 ranking titles and compiled over 400 competitive 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...
s, including five maximum 147 breaks. Since the 1996/1997 season
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:...
he has never dropped below 6th in the world rankings
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...
.
Turning professional in 1992, by the 1994/1995 season
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:...
he was the first teenager to win three ranking events in a season. In just his third season he had climbed to number 11 in the rankings. In the 1996 UK Championship he lost 10–9 in the final to the then six time World Champion Hendry. Two years later, after a then-tournament record 14 centuries, he won his first World Championship by beating defending 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...
18–12. The win saw him ranked World Number 1 for the first time, ending the eight year reign of Hendry. He added the UK Championship and the Masters the following season to become just the third player after Davis and Hendry to hold the Triple Crown of World, UK and Masters titles simultaneously.
In contrast to the prior dominance of Hendry or Davis, Higgins held the No.1 spot for just 2 years; it was not until 2007 that Higgins regained it from a briefly returning Hendry, with the interim period seeing it held twice each by 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...
and 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 return to No.1 came after winning his second world title nine years after the first, beating 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...
18–13. This was the longest gap since the ten years it took namesake 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...
(1972–1982). A third World Championship followed two years later with an 18–9 victory over 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...
, meaning Higgins became the ninth player to win the title three or more times.
Having ended 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 :...
by regaining the No.1 for the third time in his career, Higgins was the target of tabloid newspaper sting resulting in a 6-month ban from snooker. An investigation found he had failed to report, and given the impression of agreeing with, their invitation to breach the sport's betting rules. Higgins bounced back upon his return midway through the following season
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:...
, winning a third UK Championship and regaining the No.1 spot for a fourth time. After the death of his father, Higgins won an emotional fourth World Championship title with an 18–15 win over 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...
.
Early years
Higgins turned professional in 1992 and won his first tournament in 1994 when he defeated 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"...
9–6 in the final of the 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...
. The British
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....
and International Open
Players Championship (snooker)
The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...
titles followed in 1995, making him the first teenager to win three ranking events in a season (1994/95). In the UK Championship
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:...
final in 1996, he recovered from 4–8 down against 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...
to lead 9–8, only to lose 9–10.
In 1998, Higgins won his first World Championship, beating Jason Ferguson
Jason Ferguson (snooker player)
Jason Ferguson is a former professional snooker player. He reached the World Snooker Championship on three occasions, and was for four seasons ranked in the world's top 32 players, reaching a peak position of #28....
, 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...
, 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...
and Ronnie O'Sullivan, before overcoming defending 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...
18–12 in the final. In the process, he made a then-record of 14 centuries in a tournament (Stephen Hendry later eclipsed this milestone at the World Championship in 2002 with 16 centuries). His success meant he became World no. 1 for the first time in his career, bringing Stephen Hendry's eight-year tenure to an end.
After the first world title
During the 1998/99 seasonSnooker 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:...
, Higgins won the UK Championship and 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...
with 10–6 and 10–8 defeats of 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...
and Ken Doherty, respectively, to become only the third player after 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 Stephen Hendry to hold the World, UK and Masters titles simultaneously (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...
later joined this elite group). In addition, he is one of just five players to have claimed both the World and UK Championship in the same calendar year (1998); the others are Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott and Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Higgins remained as World no. 1 for two years, when Mark Williams replaced him at the top of the rankings at the close of the 1999/00 season
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:...
. Higgins and Williams met in the Grand Prix final in 1999, where Higgins came from 2–6 down to claim a 9–8 victory; the World Championship semi-final in 2000, where Higgins was defeated 15–17 after surrendering a 14–10 advantage in the final session; and the UK Championship final in 2000 – Higgins winning by a margin of 10–4 to earn his second UK title.
He reached the World Championship final in 2001, but lost 14–18 to Ronnie O'Sullivan. At the beginning of the 2001/02 season
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 :...
, Higgins became the first player to win the opening three tournaments of a season: the Champions Cup
Champions Cup (snooker)
The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...
, Scottish Masters (both invitational events), and the British Open. Higgins then failed to win a major title until his fourth British Open triumph in 2004.
In the Grand Prix final in 2005, Higgins beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 9–2. In doing so, he became the first player to record four consecutive centuries in a ranking tournament, with breaks of 103, 104, 138 and 128 in frames 7 to 10. Higgins scored 494 points without reply, which was then a record (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...
managed 495 points against Stephen Hendry in the Premier League in 2007). Higgins and O'Sullivan also contested the Masters finals in 2005 and 2006. Higgins was beaten 3–10 in 2005. In 2006, he lost the first three frames, but won the next five to establish a lead after the first session. O'Sullivan levelled in the evening, and the match went to a deciding frame. On a 60 break, O'Sullivan missed a red to a baulk pocket, and Higgins made a clearance of 64 to win 10–9 to claim the title for the second time.
Second and third world titles
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:...
, 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:...
, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
en route to the final. His break of 122 in the 29th frame of his semi-final against Maguire, on recovering from a deficit of 10–14 in the final session to prevail 17–15, was the 1,000th century to be made at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
since the World Championship was first staged there in 1977. In the final, Higgins held a 12–4 advantage over Mark Selby overnight, but Selby reduced his arrears to a single frame on day two. However, at 14–13, Higgins rediscovered his form to win four consecutive frames to clinch the match 18–13 to secure his second World title at 12:54 a.m., the latest finish to a World final (equalled when Neil Robertson
Neil Robertson (snooker player)
Neil Robertson is an Australian professional snooker player and the 2010 World Champion and World #4...
beat 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...
in 2010); and nine years after his first title – the longest time span between successes since Alex Higgins (1972, 1982), and the longest at The Crucible. He regained World no. 1 status.
As World Champion, Higgins reached the quarter-final stages in only the Welsh
Welsh Open (snooker)
The Welsh Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It replaced the Welsh Professional Championship, which started in 1980 and was only open to Welsh players.- History :...
and China Open
China Open (snooker)
The China Open is a professional snooker tournament. It is one of a number of ranking tournaments and began in 1997.-History:The first international snooker tournament in China was the China International in September 1997, a non-ranking tournament for the top 16 players and local players. The...
tournaments. He helped to establish, and actively promoted, the World Series of Snooker
World Series of Snooker
The Sportingbet.com World Series of Snooker was a series of invitational snooker tournaments set up as a complement to the WPBSA's tour Its first season was played in 2008/2009, consisting of four two-day tournaments in St...
– a tour intended to bring snooker to new venues outside the traditional United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and recently developed Far East markets. He won the inaugural event in St. Helier, Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, in June 2008, beating Mark Selby 6–3 in the final. Higgins also devised a new players’ union with his manager Pat Mooney, called The Snooker Players Association. He won the Grand Prix for the fourth time in 2008, beating Ryan Day
Ryan Day
-External links:* * *...
9–7 in the final in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
– his first ranking tournament win on home soil.
In the World Championship in 2009, Higgins beat Michael Holt 10–5 in round one. His second-round and quarter-final matches both went the full distance of 25 frames, with Higgins overcoming 10–12 and 11–12 deficits against Jamie Cope
Jamie Cope
-External links:***...
and Mark Selby, respectively, to win 13–12. He established a 13–3 lead in the semi-final against 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...
and progressed 17–13 – withstanding a comeback by the Northern Irishman. Higgins recorded an 18–9 victory over 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...
in the final to become the ninth player to win the World title three or more times after Joe Davis
Joe Davis
Joe Davis, OBE was a British professional player of snooker and English billiards....
, Fred Davis, John Pulman
John Pulman
John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....
, John Spencer
John Spencer (snooker player)
John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...
, 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...
, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan. He joined Steve Davis, Hendry and O'Sullivan as the only players to have lifted the trophy three or more times at The Crucible. At two weeks before his 34th birthday, Higgins became the oldest player to triumph since Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
in 1985, who was 36 years of age.
In the 2009/10 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 :...
, as reigning World Champion, he lost 5–6 on the black ball to Neil Robertson in the semi-final of the Grand Prix; and 8–10 to Ding Junhui in the final of the UK Championship, after surviving a comeback by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semi-final when leading 8–2, to advance 9–8 the previous evening. he also defeated Neil Robertson 9–8 during the tournament He captured the Welsh Open title by defeating Allister 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...
9–4 in the final, and ended the season as World no. 1 despite an 11–13 loss to Steve Davis in round two of the World Championship.
Suspension
On 2 May 2010, Higgins and his manager, Pat Mooney, a World Professional Billiards and Snooker AssociationWorld 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) board member, were the subject of match-fixing allegations after being filmed in a controversial sting operation conducted by the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
newspaper. An undercover News of the World team, led by Mazher Mahmood
Mazher Mahmood
Mazher Mahmood is an undercover reporter with The Sunday Times newspaper. He previously spent 20 years working for the defunct British tabloid newspaper News of the World. He has been dubbed as "Britain’s most notorious undercover reporter."...
, posing as promoters, met with Higgins and his manager on 30 April, in a hotel room in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, under the pretence of organising a series of events linked to the World Series of Snooker
World Series of Snooker
The Sportingbet.com World Series of Snooker was a series of invitational snooker tournaments set up as a complement to the WPBSA's tour Its first season was played in 2008/2009, consisting of four two-day tournaments in St...
. The newspaper alleged that Higgins and Mooney had agreed to lose four frames in four separate tournaments in exchange for a €300,000 total payment, and further discussed the mechanics of how to fix a frame, which tournaments and opponents to choose, and how to transfer the money to Higgins. Higgins was immediately suspended from the game and Mooney resigned from his position on the WPBSA board. Higgins issued a statement on the same day denying he had ever been involved in match-fixing, and explained that he decided to "play along" out of fear for his safety, suspecting the involvement of the Russian Mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
.
A full investigation was conducted into the allegations by David Douglas – a former Metropolitan Police detective chief superintendent, and head of the WPBSA's disciplinary committee. The independent tribunal that followed on 7–8 September, hosted by Sports Resolutions (UK) and chaired by Ian Mill QC, concurred that the WPBSA was right to conclude that Higgins had truthfully accounted for his words and actions and to withdraw the more serious charges of match-fixing, but found him guilty of 'giving the impression' he would breach betting rules, and of failing to report the approach made by the News of the World. Higgins received a six-month ban, backdated to the start of his suspension period, and was fined £75,000.
Return to snooker
Higgins returned to professional competition on 12 November 2010 in the Ruhr ChampionshipEuro Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 5
-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:-Section 5:-Section 6:-Section 7:-Section 8:-Finals:-External links:**...
– European Players Tour Championship
Players Tour Championship
The Players Tour Championship is a snooker series comprising 12 regular events and a Grand Final. Each event lasts for at least three days, with a qualifying event for amateurs should the event be oversubscribed...
(EPTC) event five in Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and went on to win the tournament beating Shaun Murphy 4–2 in the final. His winning streak continued in the Prague Classic
Euro Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 6
-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:-Section 5:-Section 6:-Section 7:-Section 8:-Finals:-Century breaks:* 147 Rory McLeod* 136, 117, 106 Ryan Day* 135, 116 Joe Perry* 132, 120, 100 Mark Allen* 132 Joe Jogia* 132 Mark Selby...
(EPTC6) in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, where he reached the final again, but lost 3–4 to Michael Holt.
In the UK Championship
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....
, his first tournament on British soil since his return, he reached his third final in succession. He fought back from 2–7 and 5–9 down against Mark Williams, and from 7–9 after trailing 0–61, and needing a snooker to level the match. He made a 68 break in the decider, and sealed a 10–9 victory with a double on the brown. In securing his third UK title, Higgins became only the fourth player after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan, to win the second biggest ranking tournament in snooker three or more times. As a result of his progress in those three events, where he won 18 out of 19 matches, Higgins earned sufficient points to regain his position as World no. 1 under the new two-year rolling ranking system after having slipped to third by missing the start of the 2010/2011 season.
Higgins lost in the first round of the Masters
2011 Masters (snooker)
The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament was held between 9–16 January 2011 at the Wembley Arena, London, England...
2–6 against 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...
and withdrew from the German Masters
2011 German Masters
The 2011 German Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 2–6 February at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany.The event was last held in 1998, but it was non-ranking...
after defeating Robert Milkins
Robert Milkins
- External links :* * * *...
5–3 in round one, to return home due to the deteriorating health of his father, who subsequently died after a long battle against cancer. A little over two weeks later, Higgins successfully defended his Welsh Open
2011 Welsh Open (snooker)
The 2011 Wyldecrest Park Homes Welsh Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 14–20 February 2011 in the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. This was the first time that the Welsh Open was sponsored by Wyldecrest Park Homes....
title by beating Stephen Maguire 9–6 in the final – dedicating victory to his late father. Higgins won the Hainan Classic
2011 Hainan Classic
- Charity exhibition match :-Century breaks:* 142 Jamie Cope* 141 Graeme Dott* 117, 113 Ding Junhui* 111, 109 John Higgins* 101 Neil Robertson* 101 Yu Delu-Notes:...
, defeating Jamie Cope
Jamie Cope
-External links:***...
in the final. Higgins reached the quarter-final of the China Open
2011 China Open (snooker)
The 2011 Bank of Beijing China Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 28 March and 3 April 2011 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium, Beijing, China....
, where he lost 2–5 against Shaun Murphy. Higgins' next tournament was the Scottish Professional Championship
2011 Scottish Professional Championship
The 2011 Scottish Professional Championship professional non-ranking snooker tournament took place between 11 and 14 April at the Lucky Break Snooker Club in Clydebank, Scotland. The tournament was last held in 1989, where John Rea defeated Murdo MacLeod 9–7 in the final.John Higgins won in the...
, where he defeated Anthony McGill
Anthony McGill (snooker player)
Anthony McGill is a Scottish professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2010, after finishing fourth in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings.-Amateur years:He was runner-up to Stuart Carrington in the 2006 Junior Pot Black....
6–1 in the final.
In the World Championship
2011 World Snooker Championship
The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season...
, Higgins 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...
10–5 in the first round, Rory McLeod
Rory McLeod (snooker player)
Rory McLeod is an English professional snooker player. After ten years on the Challenge Tour he reached the Main Tour professional ranks for the 2001/2002 season, paving the way for a solid journeyman career.-Career:...
13–7 in the second round and 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...
13–10 in the quarter-finals. On the way to a 17–14 victory over 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...
in the semi-finals, Higgins was heckled by an audience member who shouted out, "How do you swallow that three hundred thousand, John? ... You're a disgrace to snooker." Higgins went on to defeat 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...
18–15 in the final to win his fourth world title, which prompted Steve Davis to comment "I think John Higgins is the best snooker player I've ever seen in my life". Despite the victory, Higgins lost the world number one ranking to Mark Williams.
Personal life
Higgins married Denise in 2000; they have three children together: sons Pierce and Oliver, and daughter Claudia. He is a dedicated supporter of Celtic FC and frequently attends the team's matches. He enjoys playing poker. He also follows English club EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
He was escorted off a plane for being drunk in 2006 after losing the Malta Cup final to Ken Doherty, but became teetotal
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
in preparation for the 2007 World Championship, which he went on to win
Higgins was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
In January 2010, Higgins appeared on 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...
's Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master...
, answering questions on his specialist subject Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
.
In February 2010, Higgins and his wife Denise appeared on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. & Mrs. is a television show that originated in Canada in 1963, debuting in Britain shortly afterwards. The Canadian version was produced at CFTO-TV in Toronto and ran on the CTV network for 780 episodes, and was hosted by Roy Ward Dickson, who was also the show's creator...
and reached the final after answering 9 questions correctly out of 9 to win £30,000. They donated the money to The Dalziel Centre – a day hospice for cancer patients, based at Strathclyde Hospital in Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
, of which Higgins became a patron after they cared for his terminally ill father.
Performance and rankings timeline
| Tournament | 1992/ 1993 | 1993/ 1994 | 1994/ 1995 | 1995/ 1996 | 1996/ 1997 | 1997/ 1998 | 1998/ 1999 | 1999/ 2000 | 2000/ 2001 | 2001/ 2002 | 2002/ 2003 | 2003/ 2004 | 2004/ 2005 | 2005/ 2006 | 2006/ 2007 | 2007/ 2008 | 2008/ 2009 | 2009/ 2010 | 2010/ 2011 | UK Championship 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:... | A | A | A | SF | F | 2R | W | SF | W | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | 3R | SF | 1R | QF | F | W 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.... |
3 / 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
A | A | F | 1R | 1R | 1R | W | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | SF | F | W | 1R | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R 2011 Masters (snooker) The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters professional non-ranking snooker tournament was held between 9–16 January 2011 at the Wembley Arena, London, England... |
2 / 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| QR | QR | 1R | QF | QF | W | SF | SF | F | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | 1R | W | 2R | W | 2R | W 2011 World Snooker Championship The 2011 Betfred.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 74th edition of the event and was the last ranking event of the 2010/2011 snooker season... |
4 / 17 |
| Performance table legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| W | won the tournament | F | advanced to the final, tournament runner-up |
| SF | advanced to but not past the semifinals | QF | advanced to but not past the quarterfinals |
| #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament | QR | lost in qualifying rounds |
| A | did not participate in the tournament | ||
| Season | Ranking 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... |
||
| 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:... |
122 Snooker world rankings 1993/1994 Snooker world rankings 1993/1994: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 1993/1994 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
51 Snooker world rankings 1994/1995 These are the Snooker world rankings of 1994–1995: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1994–1995 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
11 Snooker world rankings 1995/1996 Snooker world rankings 1995/1996: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1995/1996 season are listed below.* Peter Francisco was banned for five years.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
2 Snooker world rankings 1996/1997 Snooker world rankings 1996/1997: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1996/1997 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
2 Snooker world rankings 1997/1998 Snooker world rankings 1997/1998: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1997/1998 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
1 Snooker world rankings 1998/1999 Snooker world rankings 1998/1999: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1998/1999 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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:... |
1 Snooker world rankings 1999/2000 Snooker world rankings 1999/2000: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1999/2000 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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 :... |
2 Snooker world rankings 2000/2001 Snooker world rankings 2000/2001: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2000/2001 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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 :... |
3 Snooker world rankings 2001/2002 Snooker world rankings 2001/2002: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2001/2002 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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... |
4 Snooker world rankings 2002/2003 Snooker world rankings 2002/2003: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2002/2003 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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 :... |
4 Snooker world rankings 2003/2004 Snooker world rankings 2003/2004: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2003/2004 season are listed below.-References:... |
||
| 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 :... |
5 Snooker world rankings 2004/2005 Snooker world rankings 2004/2005: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2004/2005 season are listed below. This was Chris Small's only top 16 season, and Paul Hunter's only appearance in the top 4.-References:... |
||
| 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 :... |
6 Snooker world rankings 2005/2006 Snooker world rankings 2005/2006: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2005/2006 season are listed below.-Note:... |
||
| 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 :... |
4 Snooker world rankings 2006/2007 Snooker world rankings 2006/2007: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2006/2007 season are listed below.-Notes:... |
||
| 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... |
1 Snooker world rankings 2007/2008 Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The professional world rankings for the top 75 snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below... |
||
| 2008/09 | 5 Snooker world rankings 2008/2009 Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The official world ranking points for the 96 professional snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 were used to determine the rankings for the season 2008/2009.- Ranking points :... |
||
| 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 :... |
4 Snooker world rankings 2009/2010 Snooker world ranking points 2008/2009: The official world ranking points for the 96 professional snooker players in the 2008/2009 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 were used to determine the ranking for the season 2009/2010.- Ranking points :... |
||
| 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:... |
1 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... |
||
| 2011/12 Snooker season 2011/2012 The 2011/12 snooker season is a series of snooker tournaments played during 2011 and 2012. The following table outlines the results and dates for all the ranking and major invitational events.- Calendar :-New professional players:... |
2 Snooker world rankings 2011/2012 Snooker world rankings 2011/2012: The professional world rankings for all the professional snooker players who qualified for the 2011/2012 season are listed below. The rankings work as a two-year rolling list. The points for each tournament two years ago will be removed, when the corresponding... |
||
Ranking event finals: 38 (24 titles, 14 runner-ups)
EWLINE
|
Non-ranking tournaments
- MastersMasters (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...
– 1999, 2006 - Scottish MastersScottish Masters (snooker)The Scottish Masters, often known by its sponsored names, the Lang's Scottish Masters or the Regal Scottish Masters, was a non-ranking professional snooker tournament held every year from 1981 until 2002, with the exception of 1988....
– 2001 - Irish MastersIrish Masters (snooker)The Irish Masters was a professional snooker tournament. It was founded in 1978, following on from the successful Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament .-History:...
– 2000, 2002 - Premier League Snooker – 1999
- Charity ChallengeChampions Cup (snooker)The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...
– 1998, 1999 - Champions CupChampions Cup (snooker)The Champions Cup was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in England that ran for eight seasons starting in the 1994/1995 season and was originally known as the Charity Challenge.-History:...
– 2001 - Euro-Asia Masters Challenge – 2007
- Scottish Open Championship – 2008
- Hainan Classic2011 Hainan Classic- Charity exhibition match :-Century breaks:* 142 Jamie Cope* 141 Graeme Dott* 117, 113 Ding Junhui* 111, 109 John Higgins* 101 Neil Robertson* 101 Yu Delu-Notes:...
– 2011 - Scottish Professional ChampionshipScottish Professional ChampionshipThe Scottish Professional Championship is a professional snooker tournament which is open only for Scottish players.-History:The tournament was first held in 1980. In 1981 six Scottish players turned professional, and the event was held as an eight-man knock-out tournament, with Ian Black defeating...
– 20112011 Scottish Professional ChampionshipThe 2011 Scottish Professional Championship professional non-ranking snooker tournament took place between 11 and 14 April at the Lucky Break Snooker Club in Clydebank, Scotland. The tournament was last held in 1989, where John Rea defeated Murdo MacLeod 9–7 in the final.John Higgins won in the...
Minor ranking tournaments
- Ruhr ChampionshipEuro Players Tour Championship 2010/2011 – Event 5-Section 2:-Section 3:-Section 4:-Section 5:-Section 6:-Section 7:-Section 8:-Finals:-External links:**...
– 2010
Pro-am tournaments
- World Series of Snooker – Tournament in Saint Helier – 2008
- World Series of Snooker – Tournament in Moscow – 2008
Team events
- World Cup (with Team Scotland) – 1996
- Nations CupNations Cup (snooker)The Nations Cup was an invitational snooker tournament created in 1999, and the second team tournament after the World Cup. The annual contests featured team of four players representing their country against other such teams.-History:...
(with Team Scotland) – 2001