World Snooker Championship 1989
Encyclopedia
The 1989 Embassy
World Snooker Championship
took place at the Crucible Theatre
, Sheffield
between 15 April – 1 May 1989.
Steve Davis
won in the final 18–3 against John Parrott
. This was Davis' sixth and last world title.
Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
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...
took place 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...
between 15 April – 1 May 1989.
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...
won in the final 18–3 against 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...
. This was Davis' sixth and last world title.
Notable moments
- Steve DavisSteve DavisSteve 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...
won by the biggest margin ever at a World Snooker ChampionshipWorld Snooker ChampionshipThe 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...
when he beat John ParrottJohn ParrottJohn Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times...
18–3 in the final to win his 6th World title to equal Ray ReardonRay ReardonRay Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...
's since the competition was re-launched in 1969World Snooker Championship 1969The 1969 World Snooker Championship was the first championship in a knockout format since 1951, following years of single matches and challenge matches. The event was held at the Victoria Hall, London...
. It was also the second time in CrucibleCrucible TheatreThe 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....
history that the match ended with a when Davis won the remaining five after leading 13–3 on the Sunday night during the afternoon in just over an hour.
- Alex HigginsAlex HigginsAlexander 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...
fails to qualify for the championship for the first time in his career after he lost to Darren MorganDarren MorganDarren Morgan is a Welsh snooker player, who won the World Amateur Championship in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never...
8–10 in the final qualifying round, in which Morgan made his debut. By then only Cliff ThorburnCliff ThorburnClifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
and Dennis TaylorDennis TaylorDennis 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...
had played at every Crucible Championship since it started in 1977 and every major round in the World Championship since 1973.
- The opening day took place on the day of the Hillsborough DisasterHillsborough disasterThe Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
(which was during an FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest), which also happened in Sheffield. On the following day, a minute's silence took place during all sessions.
- Eddie CharltonEddie CharltonEdward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...
became the second oldest winner in the World Championship to Fred Davis in 1979 when he beat Cliff ThorburnCliff ThorburnClifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
10–9 in the first round.
- Stephen HendryStephen HendryStephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
became the first ScotScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
to make the semi-final since the days of Walter DonaldsonWalter Donaldson (snooker player)Walter Donaldson was a Scottish professional snooker player.He turned professional at age 16, in 1923. He contested many world championships, finally achieving victory in 1947 after Joe Davis had retired from the tournament, and again in 1950...
in the 1940s and '50s.
- There were nineteen in the 1989 World Snooker Championship. The highest break of the event was 141 made by Stephen HendryStephen HendryStephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
. The highest break of the qualifying stage was 143 made by Darren MorganDarren MorganDarren Morgan is a Welsh snooker player, who won the World Amateur Championship in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never...
Prize money
- Winner: £105,000
- Runner-up: £63,000
- Semi-finalist: £31,500
- Quarter-finalist: £15,750
- Last 16: £7,875
- Last 32: £4,430
- Last 48: £3,445
- Last 64: £1,805