Mark Williams' World Championship 2018 Run – Throwback

97.jpg

It had been over 6 years since he was able to win a ranking event, and he was tiptoeing around the idea of retirement. However, the 2017/18 season saw the resurgence of Mark Williams as he was able to win 3 ranking titles, including the World Championship, which he last claimed in 2003. His record at the WSC hadn’t been significant for a number of years, yet he was able to overcome fierce opposition in order to go the distance in 2018.

The first two rounds for Williams included relatively comfortable victories over long-time professionals Jimmy Robertson (10-5) and Robert Milkins (13-7). Williams then proceeded to the quarter-finals where he faced Ali Carter in what turned out to be another solid performance in which he maintained a lead throughout the course of the match.

Williams’ first real test came in the semi-finals where he competed against Crucible specialist, Barry Hawkins. Hawkins was in the middle of a great run of form as he was in his 5th semi-final in 6 years at the World Championship. This was evident as this was the only match in Williams’ WSC run where he was on the back-foot for most of it. Williams was behind throughout the entire match, losing the first three out of four sessions. Keeping at the heels of Hawkins, Williams was able to level the score-line at 15-15 then pull away with a couple of closely fought frames.

The final was set up between Williams and Higgins, creating the ‘oldest’ final since 1977. In the 26 years these two have been professional, they have only competed in Triple Crown finals twice (both at the UK), with Higgins coming out on top on both occasions. Williams was in his first world final in 15 years, while Higgins (unknowingly, at the time) was in the second of his three consecutive world final runs.

It was a classic final contested by two of the most successful modern players, which will be remembered by many for the lead that Williams was able to build and that Higgins was able to claw back. And also the post-final press conference. Williams developed a 10-7 overnight lead, then extended this to 15-10 the following day. However, Higgins showed his class as he reeled off the following five frames to level.

Williams inched himself closer to the winning line as he got to 17-15 and looked ready to win 18-15 until he missed the crucial pink ball in Frame 33 that would have spared him some grief in the following couple of frames. Higgins was able to reduce arrears to 17-16 but Williams held his composure to make a break of 69 and win his third world title, at the age of 43.

Many, including Williams, questioned where this performance came from; with most crediting Sight Right and others referring to his successful season prior to the Worlds. Whatever the reason, Williams contributed to a WSC to remember, including moments such as his incredible no-look snooker-escape-turned-pot against J. Robertson. While everyone was focusing on O’Sullivan, Selby and other favourites, Williams was able to fly under the radar and return to the top of the game.

72.jpg

Like this Short? Click here to read: Masters 2016 - Throwback

Have an idea for a Short post? Feel free to get in touch using the social media links below! Thanks for reading!

Does John Higgins Get Enough Credit?

96.jpg

Something that I’ve pondered is whether John Higgins gets the recognition that should be afforded to him, given his incredible accomplishments in the sport of snooker. He, along with a select few have achieved everything there is in the game yet sometimes it seems that he can still be overshadowed by the widely recognised ‘greatest of all time’ players.

Higgins is third on the all-time ranking event list (30), with only Hendry and O’Sullivan eclipsing him, while also being an established Triple Crown Champion. However, does it seem that on occasion his accomplishments go unnoticed by commentators and fans alike? Sometimes, it may seem that way considering Higgins’ playstyle which is much more well-rounded as opposed to the exciting, aggressively controlled style of O’Sullivan; which audiences tend to favour and gear towards. And considering the records held by O’Sullivan, along with the press and support that follows him, makes it easier for commentators to credit his achievements.

You could argue that Higgins receives the appropriate amount of credit given his Triple Crown tally. His total is enviable to other players as Higgins has accumulated 9 trophies in total. Although, when compared to Hendry and O’Sullivan, it’s only approximately half of what The Greatest Scotsman and Greatest Talent have achieved. Higgins’ Triple Crowns account for 30% of his total ranking events whereas, Hendry’s and O’Sullivan’s account for at least 50%.

However, this should be taken lightly, largely due to Higgins’ World Championship performance in the past three years. His overall ranking performances haven’t been what one would expect but Higgins turns it on where it counts at WSC. He’s been displaying World Championship form that could see him winning another title before O’Sullivan.

Commentators do regularly note Higgins’ successes, but often times it is in association with O’Sullivan and Williams. Over the past few years, the ‘Class of 92’ has been coined and referenced wherever possible. While this isn’t a terrible thing, they would do well in highlighting Higgins’ individual feats such as his winning the WSC at 22 or winning multiple ranking events as a teenager. Higgins has built a portfolio that can stand alone and doesn’t need to constantly be attached to others; where his skillset on the table can speak for itself.

This may make it sound that Higgins doesn’t receive any credit whatsoever, however this certainly isn’t the case. Particularly by his fellow competitors, Higgins is regarded as either the best all-rounder; or the greatest match-player the game has ever seen. This includes his Class of ’92 compatriot, O’Sullivan who regards only Higgins and perhaps Selby as two of snooker’s finest currently. Dennis Taylor mentioned in the Crucible’s 40th Anniversary special that if he had to choose between O’Sullivan and Higgins to sink a pot, he would rely on Higgins.

Does Higgins get enough credit? I reckon he does. Ignoring comparisons, Higgins is one of the most successful snooker players ever, and is the chief reason that players such as Williams and O’Sullivan were unable to win more events and further extend their trophy cabinets. He may get slightly over shadowed due to his competing in the same era as O’Sullivan nevertheless, Higgins has forged his place into the snooker hall of fame. And I guarantee that if you asked most players and fans their Top 5 of all time lists, Higgins would reside comfortably in the majority of them.

2.jpg

Like this Short? Click here to read: Brief history of The Crucible

Have an idea for a Short post? Feel free to get in touch using the social media links below! Thanks for reading!

Stephen Hendry vs. Jimmy White WSC 1994 – Instant Classic

95.jpg

A moment in history. A final never forgotten. A black ball that brought the snooker world to its knees. It has been 26 years since the Crucible Classic which gave us a memorable match and a momentous final frame. You can probably picture the events from memory already but for the sake of reminiscing through Instant Classics, whether you’re a fan of the result or not, this is definitely one of them.

The 3-time World Champion at the time, Stephen Hendry contested against recurring rival Jimmy White, in what was his sixth and last WSC final. Hendry has headlined many terrific classics and moments during his career (some of which will be re-hashed in the future), but the 1994 match will always live in memory with most as a (minimum) Top 3 contest.

It was a pretty close fought match throughout with Hendry winning 5-in-a-row and White winning 6-in-a-row during the opening session as White edged it 9-7. Hendry was always on White’s heels as he didn’t let him extend the lead. There was almost always a frame between them until Hendry reached towards the championship end as he led 16-14 and 17-16. This included a critical juncture where Hendry showed remarkable sportsmanship as he corrected referee John Williams on a free ball – a call which could have provided him a 17-15 lead. Nevertheless, White wasn’t about to let his closest chance at gold slip as he forced the decider.

This was White’s closest chance not only because of the score-line, but due to this being the year that Hendry had injured his elbow with a hairline fracture. This would make cushion or awkward bridging shots quite uncomfortable for him. Secondly, White had momentum in his favour as he forced the decider from 17-16 down. Additionally, Hendry was in first and missed.

The decider. Only the second time to happen at the Crucible. After Hendry left a red over the left corner pocket, faltering at 24, White had his shot. Already with 8 points, White was carefully manoeuvring his way amongst the reds. Normally when an opponent misses a pot, the other player comes to the table reinvigorated and somewhat relaxed that they have another chance. You could say that White was feeling the opposite at this point in the match. However, White was doing well – he got the reds to a point where there wasn’t a difficult ball on the table.

The black. On a break of 29, White had a seemingly standard black; which Dennis Taylor mentioned in commentary would probably have a 1 in 30 chance of missing. Whether it was a twitch, the pressure, a distraction or looking too far ahead came one of the most shocking moments in snooker history. This was noted by the very audible disbelief and gasps from the audience as this happened. This is because they all knew, including the commentators, what was going to happen next. And it did happen.

This isn’t to take away anything from what happened next, which is often overshadowed by the nature of the missed black. Hendry masterfully cleared the remainder of the table with a break of 58, demonstrating his middle pocket excellence as well as his nerves of steel. He had just claimed his fourth world title in five years.

Whether you and the live audience favoured the result or not, both players were gracious in victory and defeat, which made their rivalry enjoyable to watch. Out of all White’s final, this was certainly the one that got away. Little did White and the rest of us know, it would be the last time he graced the world final while Hendry continued to take the 90s by storm. It’s a final remembered by all, fans and players alike. And for those new to snooker and wanting recommendations of classic matches to watch, this is definitely an Instant Classic.

33.jpg

Like this Short? Click here to read: Ronnie O'Sullivan's 1000th Century - Instant Classic

Have an idea for a Short post? Feel free to get in touch using the social media links below! Thanks for reading!

Five Players Who Should Have Won The World Championship (80s/90s Edition)

94.jpg

Much like the Short post I previously wrote looking at five players that perhaps should have won a World Championship (scroll to the bottom to read that), this time I’m going to look at some of the individuals across the 1980s and 90s that got close on certain occasions but weren’t able to strike gold.

Just to clarify, this isn’t to retract from any of the successes that these players were able to achieve in the sport. It’s more to observe which players could have won big if it weren’t for the usual suspects in the 1980s and 90s. In the current era where competition is extremely high, making it challenging to predict a World Championship (or Triple Crown) victor, it can be quite informative to look at these previous decades and see what could have happened.

Doug Mountjoy

UK and Masters Winner, Welsh-native Doug Mountjoy only lacked the WSC to complete his Triple Crown. There was over a decade between his UK and Masters titles but he was close to the mountaintop in 1981 when he reached his only WSC final. Unfortunately for Mountjoy, he was up against a young Steve Davis who was in the infancy of his prosperous career. Mountjoy wasn’t able to reach the later stages of the Worlds following this defeat; only reaching one quarter-final in 1984.

Tony Knowles

Twice a ranking event winner, Tony Knowles had some considerable success at The Crucible during the first half of the 1980s despite not being able to go all the way. He reached the semi-finals on three occasions including 1985 and 86, where he would lose out to the eventual winners of the championship. Although, arguably his most notable accomplishment that is mentioned whenever you hear about Knowles is his hammering of defending champion Davis (10-1) in the first round of the 1982 WSC.

Neal Foulds

Former World No. 3, now commentator, Neal Foulds reached the semi-finals of the Masters on three occasions and the finals of the UK Championship once. His furthest voyage in the WSC came in 1987 where he was stopped by Joe Johnson. Foulds was able to reach the quarter-finals a few times but kept finding himself in sightlines of other champions. Given his deep Triple Crown ventures, it is unfortunate Foulds wasn’t able to etch his name in the trophies.

James Wattana

He’s still an active professional however, James Wattana’s acclaim is primarily associated with his performance in the 1990s. Before O’Sullivan entered, Wattana held the record for the fastest maximum break, at 7 minutes 9 seconds in 1991. Wattana reached The Crucible semi-finals twice, losing to rivals White and Hendry each time. He was able to scrap with the best of them as displayed by his £1 million+ prize winnings and was one of the driving forces in popularising snooker in the eastern hemisphere.

Matthew Stevens

I know this is on the borderline as to whether we can classify Matthew Stevens in this list, but he was reaching Triple Crown finals in the late 1990s and was a professional for years before that. Stevens is one of the players that could fairly hold a little resentment towards the Class of ’92 considering how many Triple Crowns they cost him. The easiest thing is for me to do is show you is Stevens’ record for his first 8 Crucible appearances from 1998-05: 1) quarter-final, 2) quarter-final, 3) final, 4) semi-final, 5) semi-final, 6) round 2 (ignore that), 7) semi-final and 8) final. A personal favourite of mine and I still hold out hope that he’ll complete the Triple Crown!


What do you think of my list? What other players across the 1980s and 90s do you think should be included?

30.jpg

Like this Short? Click here to read: Five Players who should have won the World Championship

Have an idea for a Short post? Feel free to get in touch using the social media links below! Thanks for reading!