snooker.org: Grand Prix 1995 (original) (raw)

Skoda Grand Prix

Crowtree Centre, Sunderland, England (Oct 16-29, 1995) Ranking tournament (No.2 of 10)

First Round

(Losers �1,900)

Stephen Hendry SCO (1) bt Jon Birch (63) 5-0 Steve Davis (2) bt Lee Richardson (84) 5-2 Michael Duffy NIR (169) bt Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 5-2 Dave Finbow (47) bt John Parrott (4) 5-2 James Wattana THA (5) bt Mark King (52) 5-0 Alan McManus SCO (6) bt Chris Scanlon (86) 5-0 Jimmy White (7) bt Alex Borg MLT (174) 5-0 Darren Morgan WAL (8) bt Stephen O'Connor IRE (70) 5-4 Ken Doherty IRE (9) bt Matt Wilson (134) 5-0 Peter Ebdon (10) bt Steve Ventham (246) 5-2 John Higgins SCO (11) bt Mark Davis (59) 5-1 Nigel Bond (12) bt Mark J Williams WAL (39) 5-1 Matthew Stevens WAL (236) bt Dave Harold (13) 5-2 Tony Drago MLT (14) bt Doug Mountjoy WAL (36) 5-1 Steve Newbury WAL (60) bt Terry Griffiths WAL (15) 5-1 Fergal O'Brien IRE (38) bt David Roe (16) 5-2

Andy Hicks (17) bt Rod Lawler (40) 5-3 Dene O'Kane NZL (18) bt Leigh Griffin (187) 5-1 Joe Swail NIR (19) bt Jeff Cundy (114) 5-3 Alain Robidoux CAN (20) bt Karl Broughton (78) 5-2 Jason Prince NIR (55) bt Mick Price (21) 5-3 Martin Clark (22) bt Anthony Davies WAL (45) 5-4 Shokat Ali (87) bt Gary Wilkinson (23) 5-4 Mark Bennett WAL (42) bt Tony Knowles (24) 5-3 Willie Thorne (25) bt Silvino Francisco SAF (81) 5-3 Steve James (26) bt Quinten Hann AUS (-) 5-4 Andrew Cairns (101) bt Brian Morgan (27) 5-4 Neal Foulds (28) bt Mike Hallett (34) 5-4 Jason Ferguson (29) bt Stuart Reardon (131) 5-3 Mark Flowerdew (54) bt Dean Reynolds (30) 5-3 Anthony Hamilton (31) bt Sam Chong MAL (238) 5-3 Joe Johnson (56) bt Dennis Taylor NIR (32) 5-2

Players are English unless stated. 1995/96 World Ranking in brackets. ('-' = rookie)

Davis beat Lee Richardson 5-2 after taking part in a pool challenge match in Hong Kong last week. He said: "It meant three days less sleep and three days of partying, but I have come back here and played really well. So much for preparation." Davis made breaks of 102, 83, 71 and 51.

Tony Drago rattled in the highest break so far of 128 as he swept aside Doug Mountjoy 5-1.

Michael Duffy, who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan5-2 in the first round, is the only player on the circuit who uses a graphite cue.

Furious Mike Hallett blasted opponent Neal Foulds and referee John Williams after losing 5-4 in the opening round.

Hallett was unhappy about Williams awarding a free ball early in the deciding frame which Foulds eventually took with the help of a 35 break.

"I've put a complaint about John and Neal has totally lost my respect as a professional. Neal knows exactly what he has done. He tried it on and got the result he wanted," he fumed.

"There's no doubt in my mind it was a free ball and I've got a clear conscience on that," countered Foulds.

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Second Round

(Losers �2,600)

Hendry (1) bt Bennett (42) 5-2 S Davis (2) bt Ferguson (29) 5-4 Wattana (5) bt Thorne (25) 5-4 McManus (6) bt Cairns (101) 5-1 White (7) bt Clark (22) 5-3 D Morgan (8) bt Hamilton (31) 5-3 Doherty (9) bt Flowerdew (54) 5-3 Ebdon (10) bt Hicks (17) 5-2 J Higgins (11) bt Foulds (28) 5-1 Robidoux (20) bt Bond (12) 5-2 O'Kane (18) bt Drago (14) 5-4

Swail (19) bt Duffy (169) 5-1 James (26) bt Finbow (47) 5-0 O'Brien (38) bt Ali (87) 5-1 Prince (55) bt Newbury (60) 5-3 Stevens (236) bt Johnson (56) 5-1

Hendry and Bennett had to wait 90 minutes for their second round match. Hendry said: "I think it's scandalous and I'm sure Mark felt the same way. You get yourself psyched up then have to kick your heels. It's not only affecting the players it's cheating the public. Anyone with half a brain would have put the morning games on much earlier."

Unlucky Willie Thorne was leading James Wattana 4-1, but eventually lost the decider on the black. Wattana said: "It was such a good match, it's a pity there could only be one winner." Thorne made a 109 in the match.

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Third Round

(Losers �4,550)

Hendry (1) bt D Morgan (8) 5-0 S Davis (2) bt Stevens (236) 5-2 O'Brien (38) bt Wattana (5) 5-3 McManus (6) bt Doherty (9) 5-1 White (7) bt Prince (55) 5-0 Swail (19) bt Ebdon (10) 5-3 J Higgins (11) bt Robidoux (20) 5-4

James (26) bt O'Kane (18) 5-1

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Quarter-finals

(Losers �9,050)

Hendry (1) bt O'Brien (38) 5-3 James (26) bt S Davis (2) 5-3 McManus (6) bt Swail (19) 5-3 J Higgins (11) bt White (7) 5-2

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Semi-finals

(Losers �16,000)

Hendry (1) bt James (26) 9-5 (Hendry: 138, 102, 94, 74, 59; James: 78, 70)

James made his two best series in the two first frames. After ten frames the score was 5-5.

J Higgins (11) bt McManus (6) 9-7

John Higgins made a break of 131, the highest so far in the tournament, in beating Alan McManus 9-7. He will be hoping to take home the �5,000 high-break prize. The match took five-and-a-half hours to complete.

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Final

(Loser �32,000, winner �60,000)

Hendry (1) bt J Higgins (11) 9-5

76-47, 22-57, 79-34 (54), 43-66, 55-75 (55 Higgins), 64-0 (58), 66-3, 69-10 (60), 55-72, 98-20 (55), 63-56 (53 Hendry, 56 Higgins), 64-71 (51 Hendry), 100-8 (87), 117-0 (73)

The first match between the two Scots, Stephen Hendryand John Higgins, was a rather scrappy one.

"Stephen didn't play well," said Higgins. "But I was terrible."

Stephen Hendry became the first player to have won the Grand Prix four times by beating the defending champion. It was his second win this season, the first one being the Regal Masters. He has now won a stunning 56 major tournaments in his career. Hendry also won the high-break prize of �5,000 (and a Skoda) after his 138 against James in the semi-final.

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Centuries

Stephen Hendry wins the televised high break prize of �5,000 for his 138 and Sam Chong's 140 from earlier rounds takes home the �3,600 for the highest break in non-televised matches.

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Notes

The total purse for the tournament was �330.000.

John Higgins was the defending champion. He beat Dave Harold 9-6 in last year's final. Other returning champions were:Peter Ebdon (1993),Jimmy White (1986, 1992),Stephen Hendry (1987, 1990-91),Steve Davis (1985, 1988-89) and Dennis Taylor (1985).

A list of all the previous finals is available.

The World Snooker Archive was also covering this tournament.

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Credits

Thanks to Tore Skagestein and Jonas Ödman <[email protected]> for providing me with all this information.