5. Paul Hunter’s Masters Victory and ‘Plan B’ (2001)
We are all aware of Paul Hunter and what a phenomenal player he was. Most of us recognise Paul’s amazing comebacks in each of his three Masters finals to claim three titles. But the first comeback tops it off because it is the victory that brought Hunter into the public eye. Plan B is one of the main reasons why he garnered so much attention on top of his win. It turned a Masters final into a news story.
2001 Masters Final
Both Paul Hunter and Fergal O’Brien were first-time finalists in the Masters and both were searching for their first Triple Crown win. It ended up being one of the most thrilling finals in its history. O”Brien ended up being 6-2 ahead with his highest break of 80 at the end of the afternoon session. At that interval, Hunter and his then-girlfriend Lindsay Fell put ‘Plan B’ into action in a hotel room. And they weren’t playing chess.
Paul Hunter later said:
Afterwards, The Beckham on the Baize reeled out a 129, 101, 136 and 132 in six frames. Fergal forced a decided and Paul then slotted it home to win the match!
The Aftermath
The comeback was one of the core components that made this match so memorable. Plan B was the icing on the cake that made the tabloids happy for a few weeks. It also put Paul into an incredibly positive light – talented, humble, sporting, cheeky and handsome. So many things are memorable about that final!
4. “He’s Beginning To Annoy Me!” (1994)
This is probably one of the most tragic words ever uttered in the history of snooker. So much so that we know who stated it, who that refers to and lastly what the circumstances were. It’s rather memorable and heart-breaking.
The 1994 World Championship Final
Three-time champion Stephen Hendry has reached his fourth final despite playing the majority of the tournament with a fractured elbow. Jimmy White failed to win the World Championship in each of his five previous attempts. He reached the final on his fifth consecutive attempts and his fourth against Hendry. The match started off brightly for Hendry, who lead at 5-1 but White came back to lead 9-7. Since then, both players were separated by no more than two frames throughout this close-fought match. Eventually, it reached the decider. Jimmy White got the first chance and then this happened:
Hendry profited from White’s black ball miss off the spot and went to clinch his fourth title at the Crucible. It was a memorable moment because of how Hendry still managed to win the World Championship, despite a broken elbow. Despite this, the entire world was against him in the final, because everyone wanted Jimmy to finally break his duck.
It was equally memorable because of how Jimmy swallowed the loss. As the interviewer despondently says “Jimmy, what can I say, apart from ‘Happy Birthday?’ Jimmy grinned and said in reference to Hendry, “He’s beginning to annoy me!” He later mentioned that he was happy that his game is back in order and that he will be back next year.
Regrettably, he hasn’t been back ever since that final. The fact that he has carried on playing professional snooker to this very day is a testament to how much of the sportsman he is. Not many could come back from such a staggering loss as he did. It was admirable.
Jimmy Finally Wins at the Crucible
Though that’s not entirely true that I said that he hasn’t been back since. Now at the age of 57, Jimmy competed in the 2019 World Seniors Championship at the Crucible. He reached the final and played in the one-table set-up once again. He beat Welshman Darren Morgan 5-3. Though it is not THE World Championship, we can still go to bed knowing that Jimmy White won a World Championship at the greatest snooker arena at long last.
3. The Fastest Ever Maximum by the Rocket (1997)
Whenever someone talks about the ‘best’ maximum ever scored in snooker, you would receive a unanimous response. They would arguably say the greatest ever snooker player in the fastest ever time made ‘that’ 147.
This took place in the 1997 World Championship, in the first round match between the Rocket and Mick Price. 21-year-old O’Sullivan was leading 8-5 by that stage. It wasn’t famous for merely being the fastest. The time of 5 minutes and 8 seconds still stands today. It was the fluidity. It was the fact that he barely looked out of position at any point in the break. He didn’t look troubled. Every ball didn’t seem to touch the jaw. It is easy to forget that this one is O’Sullivan’s first maximum.
We can forgive that despite beating Mick Price, he lost in the second round to Darren Morgan 13-12. But that’s not the point. This maximum is the one everyone talks about. Considering nearly every record is being rewritten over the past few years, it’s astonishing that since 1997, this one hasn’t been broken yet. Will it ever be shattered? I honestly doubt it ever will.
2. Hurricane’s Emotional World Championship Win (1982)
I put Alex Higgins’s memorable 69 break against Jimmy White in a previous part of my countdown. Alex Higgins had many lows and controversies in his career. But they are arguably eclipsed by his best achievements. He remains one of the greatest characters and his personality lit up any room.
One of the main critiques of snooker was the players. Some argued that there is a lack of personalities in the sport. It is difficult to show emotion in snooker. The sport is so mentally charged and you don’t wish to provide that advantage to your opponent. But when emotion does come out, it is wonderful to see. More amazing to see from one of the sport’s memorable characters.
The 1982 Final
Alex Higgins met multi-champion Ray Reardon in the 1982 World Championship final. It was their second meeting in a World Championship final after Reardon defeated Higgins 27-16 in 1972. The Hurricane took the final three frames to win 18-15 to capture the title. The first time he won the World Championship was ten years prior when he beat John Spencer 37-32.
Higgins was incredibly emotional after his victory but the zenith was when he received the trophy. Crying and bubbling away, he waved to his wife Lynn and daughter Lauren to join him in the arena. The scenes of Higgins holding the trophy in one arm and Lauren in another is one of snooker’s iconic images. It burned into all of the minds of the spectators forever.
The image also emphasised how far Higgins had come that year. As neatly put, “he had started 1982 as a new father, a relatively new husband and a man at war with his alter ego.” He started the year in a nursing home, trying to detox and later faced a disciplinary hearing. But to witness his turnaround to win the World Championship as a family man, despite the flaws and misdemeanours is lovely to see. In fact, Barry Hearn remarked it is his favourite Crucible moment. Who could blame him?
1. The World Championship Black-Ball Final (1985)
I think most of you knew this was going to be No. 1. It was the epitome of a David vs. Goliath moment. At the time, Steve Davis won three World Championships in the previous four years. Davis won numerous ranking titles and at No. 1 in the world, already enjoyed years of dominance. On the other hand, No. 11 seed Dennis Taylor had just one ranking title to his name. He is nine years more senior than Davis. He reached the World Championship final once before in 1979, losing to Terry Griffiths.
The Final
Despite losing more frames than Taylor in the whole World Championship, Davis came into the final as the red-hot favourite. Initially, the final seemed to turn into an anticlimax – Davis romped ahead 8-0. However, Taylor got his first frame on the board after Davis missed a fine cut on the green. Taylor ended up winning six of the following seven frames, trailing just 7-9.
The rest of the final was tense. Davis was constantly gaining the lead, only for the Northern Irishman to catch up. Eventually, it all led up to the final frame at 17-17. Bear in mind that Taylor was never in the lead throughout.
The Black-Ball Finish
It was a battle of attrition. It doesn’t get any bigger than the final black in the final frame of the final of the biggest snooker tournament in the world. The final frame followed a series of safeties and near misses. 18.5 million viewers were engrossed by the spectacle, with commentators Jim Meadowcroft and Ted Lowe to keep everyone company.
We all know how that final frame panned out. Taylor missed the black at a reasonable distance and left a chance for Davis at the bottom left pocket. Incredibly, Davis overcut the black ball, sending the white around the table, leaving a more proper chance for Taylor. The faint and shocked “No?” from Ted Lowe when Davis missed is iconic. When Taylor potted the final black, match finished at 12:23 in the morning. The elated Dennis Taylor wagged his finger and was crowned World Champion, while Davis looked crestfallen.
The Legacy
This was snooker at its zenith. David had toppled Goliath at the most significant stage. In 2010, Channel 4 voted that black-ball final 9th in their 100 Greatest Sporting Moments. It was and still is the greatest snooker final of all time. Not by its quality but because of the drama and the tension. Taylor never reached a World final again but I doubt he would mind. Davis won three more World titles to assert his dominance again. Davis mentioned that the shot he regretted when the missed green earlier at 8-0 rather than that missed black. Its legacy will last for decades! Therefore, I think it is fit to be Snooker’s Most Memorable Moment.
This the the sixth and final part of my Snooker’s Most Memorable Moments Countdown. If you want to look at my previous articles of the countdown, please click on the links below. I hope you have enjoyed reading the countdown and any feedback will be appreciated.
Thank you for the support!
MEMORABLE MOMENTS COUNTDOWN: An Introduction
SNOOKER’S MEMORABLE MOMENTS COUNTDOWN: No. 30 – No. 26
SNOOKER’S MEMORABLE MOMENTS COUNTDOWN: No. 25 – No. 21
SNOOKER’S MEMORBLE MOMENTS COUNTDOWN: No. 20 – No. 16
Thanks for this series. Obviously, it’s a personal selection. I suspect most people would have your 6 & 7 in the top 5, although this may be a generational thing (I was born in 1972). I’m not sure how many paid any attention to the World Seniors’, and a common attitude after the 1994 final was “oh well business as usual…” as they turned off the TV!
I always like to have an eye to the future, and Ding’s 2005 China Open win inspired a generation of Chinese players – it changed the course of the game. Similarly, the China B World Cup win in 2015: I defy anyone to watch the last 5 minutes of that video and not feel it was special moment.
Haha! I’m a 90s person and your right it may be a generational thing!
This countdown was written over the past 4-5 months and already I might make one or two changes (e.g. Steve Davis’s win over John Higgins in the 2010 WC or Kirk Stevens’s 147 might be in there. At the same time, I didn’t want the countdown to be too Davis or Triple Crown-centric.
Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated! I’ll look at the China B World Cup win now!
This was a great trip down memory lane. I saw all of these matches at the time they were played and they were indeed phenomenal. What a time to be alive! Great article.
That’s grand – thank you very much!