TOP OF THE POTS

Published date14 April 2024
Publication titleSunday Sun
1950 JOE DAVIS: The Derbyshire player was the first world champion in 1927 and won all 15 world championships he entered. He retired unbeaten in 1946

1985 SNOOKER LOOPY TV: A British television audience of 18.5million tuned in to watch Dennis Taylor, right, beat Steve Davis, left, in the final, setting a viewing record for BBC2. It also set a post-midnight record for all channels as the match went on for 14 hours and 50 minutes - the longest ever recorded for a best-of-35-frames match.

1972

ALEX HIGGINS: Nicknamed Hurricane, due to the speed with which he played, Higgins became the then youngest world champion in 1972, aged 22, at his first attempt, beating John Spencer. He then won the title again 10 years later. A friend of famous hell-raising actor Oliver Reed, he played the 1989 British Open while hopping around the table with a broken ankle - the result of falling off his first-floor flat balcony during an argument with his girlfriend.

1982 1992

WHITEWASH: Seven-times world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan suffered one just this February - when Mark Selby beat him 6-0 in the Players Championship quarter-finals. But the only whitewash (when a player wins no frames in the match) in the World Championship came when 62-year-old Australian Eddie Charlton, above, was beaten 10-0 by defending champion John Parrott, left, in the first round.

THE CRUCIBLE: The Sheffield venue has staged snooker's most prestigious event since 1977 after it impressed promoter Mike Watterson's wife when she saw a play there. Promoters in Beijing have built a...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT