1996 UK Championship

1996 UK Championship

Tournament information
Dates	15 November – 1 December 1996 (1996-11-15 – 1996-12-01)
Venue	Preston Guild Hall
City	Preston
Country	England
Organisation	WPBSA
Format	Ranking event
Winner's share	£70,000
Highest break	Ken Doherty  (IRL)   Andy Hicks  (ENG) (141)
Final
Champion	Stephen Hendry  (SCO)
Runner-up	John Higgins  (SCO)
Score	10–9
← 1995 1997 →

The 1996 UK Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. The event started on 15 November 1996 and the televised stages were shown on BBC between 23 November and 1 December 1996.

Stephen Hendry won his third UK Championship in a row and fifth overall by defeating John Higgins 10–9 in the final. Hendry led 8–4, fell behind 8–9 after Higgins won 5 frames in a row, and then breaks of 82 and 77 in the last two frames was enough for Hendry to get the victory. ^[1] Ken Doherty made the highest break of the tournament with 141.

Tony Drago made the fastest century break in a ranking event with a time of 3 minutes 31 seconds. ^[2]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

• Winner £70,000
• Runner-up £37,000
• Semi-final: £18,500
• Highest break £5,000

Main draw

^{[3] [4]}

Top half

	Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames				Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames				Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames				Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames				Semi-finals Best of 17 frames
	Stephen Hendry	9
	Dominic Dale	6
					Stephen Hendry	9
					Robert Milkins	5
	Neal Foulds	3
	Robert Milkins	9
									Stephen Hendry	9
									Anthony Hamilton	1
	Dave Harold	6
	David Gray	9
					David Gray	8
					Anthony Hamilton	9
	Anthony Hamilton	9
	Quinten Hann	3
													Stephen Hendry	9
													Paul Hunter	5
	Willie Thorne	0
	Paul Hunter	9
					Paul Hunter	9
					James Wattana	5
	James Wattana	9
	Jon Birch	3
									Paul Hunter	9
									Terry Murphy	7
	Mick Price	9
	Eddie Manning	6
					Mick Price	6
					Terry Murphy	9
	Ronnie O'Sullivan	7
	Terry Murphy	9
																	Stephen Hendry	9
																	Alan McManus	1
	Alan McManus	9
	Ian Sargeant	6
					Alan McManus	9
					Gary Wilkinson	7
	Gary Wilkinson	9
	Brian Morgan	2
									Alan McManus	9
									Billy Snaddon	5
	Darren Morgan	6
	Billy Snaddon	9
					Billy Snaddon	9
					Rod Lawler	7
	Rod Lawler	9
	Darren Clarke	5
													Alan McManus	9
													John Parrott	8
	Dene O'Kane	8
	Joe Johnson	9
					Joe Johnson	9
					Tai Pichit	6
	Jimmy White	7
	Tai Pichit	9
									Joe Johnson	6
									John Parrott	9
	Martin Clark	9
	Tony Jones	6
					Martin Clark	8
					John Parrott	9
	John Parrott	9
	Noppadon Noppachorn	4

Bottom half

	Round 1 (Last 64) Best of 17 frames				Round 2 (Last 32) Best of 17 frames				Round 3 (Last 16) Best of 17 frames				Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames				Semi-finals Best of 17 frames
	Peter Ebdon	8
	Karl Broughton	9
					Karl Broughton	9
					Chris Small	6
	Chris Small	9
	David Roe	4
									Karl Broughton	8
									Alain Robidoux	9
	Alain Robidoux	9
	Jason Weston	7
					Alain Robidoux	9
					Stephen Lee	6
	Stephen Lee	9
	Jason Prince	3
													Alain Robidoux	3
													Ken Doherty	9
	Jason Ferguson	4
	Shokat Ali	9
					Shokat Ali	7
					Steve Davis	9
	Steve Davis	9
	Jamie Burnett	5
									Steve Davis	5
									Ken Doherty	9
	Dennis Taylor	9
	Peter Lines	5
					Dennis Taylor	4
					Ken Doherty	9
	Ken Doherty	9
	Nick Pearce	2
																	Ken Doherty	3
																	John Higgins	9
	Nigel Bond	9
	Paul Wykes	0
					Nigel Bond	9
					Joe Swail	6
	Joe Swail	9
	Mark King	8
									Nigel Bond	4
									Mark Williams	9
	Mark Williams	9
	Tony Chappel	3
					Mark Williams	9
					Yasin Merchant	3
	David Finbow	5
	Yasin Merchant	9
													Mark Williams	6
													John Higgins	9
	Andy Hicks	9
	Nick Terry	4
					Andy Hicks	5
					Tony Drago	9
	Tony Drago	9
	Alan Burnett	4
									Tony Drago	8
									John Higgins	9
	Steve James	6
	Marcus Campbell	9
					Marcus Campbell	5
					John Higgins	9
	John Higgins	9
	Steve Newbury	8

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Len Ganley The Guild Hall, Preston, England, 1 December 1996.
Stephen Hendry   Scotland	10–9	John Higgins   Scotland
First session: 32–72 (69), 78–32, 105–14 (74), 16–65 (64), 80–28, 108–8 (102), 115–14 (115), 36–70, 4–93 Second session:73–4 (73), 61–33, 108–0 (108), 59–66, 39–68, 32–96, 29–62 (54), 12–62, 82–0 (82), 77–0 (77)
115	Highest break	69
3	Century breaks	0
7	50+ breaks	3

Century breaks

• 141, 140 – Ken Doherty
• 141, 133, 122, 106, 106, 104 – Andy Hicks
• 140, 115, 108, 108, 104, 103, 102 – Stephen Hendry
• 138 – Darren Clarke
• 136, 118, 105, 100, 100 – Paul Hunter
• 135, 132, 109 – James Wattana
• 135, 109 – John Higgins
• 135, 106 – Jason Weston
• 132, 113 – Nigel Bond
• 131 – Shokat Ali
• 130 – Tony Chappel
• 130 – Steve Newbury
• 124, 119, 106, 104 – Mark Williams
• 122, 103 – Tony Drago
• 122, 102 – Marcus Campbell
• 116 – Karl Broughton
• 115 – Tai Pichit
• 111, 100 – Anthony Hamilton
• 110 – Peter Ebdon
• 110 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
• 109, 107 – David Gray
• 109, 101 – John Parrott
• 109 – Stephen Lee
• 108 – Jonathan Birch
• 105 – Joe Johnson
• 104 – Gary Wilkinson
• 102, 102, 100 – Terry Murphy
• 102 – Tony Jones
• 102 – Billy Snaddon
• 101 – Quinten Hann

References

1. Turner, Chris. "UK Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
2. Turner, Chris. "Various Snooker Records". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
3. "UK Championship 1996". Snooker.org. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
4. "UK Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.