1998 UK Championship

1998 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship

Tournament information
Dates	16–29 November 1998 (1998-11-16 – 1998-11-29)
Venue	Bournemouth International Centre
City	Bournemouth
Country	England
Organisation	WPBSA
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£460,000
Winner's share	£75,000
Highest break	John Higgins  (SCO) (141)
Final
Champion	John Higgins  (SCO)
Runner-up	Matthew Stevens  (WAL)
Score	10–6
← 1997 1999 →

The 1998 UK Championship (officially the 1998 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, England. The event started on 16 November 1998 and the televised stages were shown on BBC between 21 and 29 November 1998. ^[1]

This was the first UK championship to be held in Bournemouth since the inaugural championship in 1977, after 20 years at Preston. ^[2] The Conference Centre has held snooker competitions before. It hosted the World Cup between 1985 and 1990, ^[3] the Mercantile Credit Classic in 1991 and 1992, ^[4] the International Open in 1994 and 1995, ^[5] and the Grand Prix in 1996 and 1997. ^[6]

Famously five time champion Stephen Hendry lost 9–0 in the first round to fellow scottish player Marcus Campbell.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was the defending champion, but he withdrew before the tournament. His doctor had told him to rest after suffering from physical and nervous exhaustion. ^[7]

John Higgins won this year's title by defeating Matthew Stevens 10–6 in the final to go with the World Championship crown he won earlier in the year. ^[8] This was Higgins' 10th ranking title.

Tournament summary

Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan was the number 1 seed with World Champion John Higgins seeded 2. The remaining places were allocated to players based on the world rankings.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below: ^{[9] [10]}

Winner: £75,000 Runner-up: £39,000 Semi-final: £19,750 Quarter-final: £10,080 Last 16: £5,525 Last 32: £3,450 Last 64: £2,950 Last 96: £1,460 Last 134: £235

Stage one highest break: £1,500 Stage two highest break: £5,000 Total: £460,000

Main draw

^{[9] [11] [12]}

	Last 64 Best of 17 frames					Last 32 Best of 17 frames					Last 16 Best of 17 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames					Semi-finals Best of 17 frames					Final Best of 19 frames
	1	Ronnie O'Sullivan	w/d
	70	John Read	w/o
						70	John Read	5
						40	Rod Lawler	9
	31	Jamie Burnett	4
	40	Rod Lawler	9
											40	Rod Lawler	5
											26	Matthew Stevens	9
	26	Matthew Stevens	9
	44	Bradley Jones	7
						26	Matthew Stevens	9
						9	Stephen Lee	6
	9	Stephen Lee	9
	79	Steve Judd	4
																26	Matthew Stevens	9
																78	Matthew Couch	5
	15	James Wattana	3
	78	Matthew Couch	9
						78	Matthew Couch	9
						377	Marco Fu	6
	17	Gary Wilkinson	4
	377	Marco Fu	9
											78	Matthew Couch	9
											193	Michael Holt	5
	30	Graeme Dott	9
	59	Gerard Greene	3
						30	Graeme Dott	1
						193	Michael Holt	9
	8	Alan McManus	7
	193	Michael Holt	9
																					26	Matthew Stevens	9
																					19	Dave Harold	7
	5	Mark Williams	9
	81	Jimmy Michie	3
						5	Mark Williams	9
						23	Dominic Dale	4
	23	Dominic Dale	9
	61	David Gray	4
											5	Mark Williams	4
											19	Dave Harold	9
	19	Dave Harold	9
	57	Dene O'Kane	6
						19	Dave Harold	9
						13	Nigel Bond	5
	13	Nigel Bond	9
	53	Peter Lines	6
																19	Dave Harold	9
																20	Fergal O'Brien	4
	11	Anthony Hamilton	9
	47	Tony Chappel	4
						11	Anthony Hamilton	8
						20	Fergal O'Brien	9
	20	Fergal O'Brien	9
	62	Paul Wykes	2
											20	Fergal O'Brien	9
											4	Ken Doherty	7
	28	Martin Clark	9
	74	Joe Perry	8
						28	Martin Clark	7
						4	Ken Doherty	9
	4	Ken Doherty	9
	94	John Lardner	0
																										26	Matthew Stevens	6
																										2	John Higgins	10
	3	Stephen Hendry	0
	73	Marcus Campbell	9
						73	Marcus Campbell	9
						45	Quinten Hann	5
	32	Billy Snaddon	3
	45	Quinten Hann	9
											73	Marcus Campbell	7
											14	Steve Davis	9
	21	Andy Hicks	9
	213	John Whitty	6
						21	Andy Hicks	2
						14	Steve Davis	9
	14	Steve Davis	9
	97	Graham Horne	4
																14	Steve Davis	4
																24	Paul Hunter	9
	16	Mark King	8
	36	Joe Swail	9
						36	Joe Swail	6
						24	Paul Hunter	9
	24	Paul Hunter	9
	50	Lee Walker	3
											24	Paul Hunter	9
											18	Jimmy White	2
	18	Jimmy White	9
	42	Jonathan Birch	7
						18	Jimmy White	9
						41	Paul Davies	4
	7	Peter Ebdon	4
	41	Paul Davies	9
																					24	Paul Hunter	4
																					2	John Higgins	9
	6	John Parrott	9
	38	Euan Henderson	8
						6	John Parrott	9
						37	Steve James	3
	22	Darren Morgan	7
	37	Steve James	9
											6	John Parrott	9
											75	Gary Ponting	6
	25	Chris Small	7
	150	Patrick Wallace	9
						150	Patrick Wallace	8
						75	Gary Ponting	9
	10	Tony Drago	8
	75	Gary Ponting	9
																6	John Parrott	6
																2	John Higgins	9
	12	Alain Robidoux	8
	89	Lee Richardson	9
						89	Lee Richardson	3
						29	Terry Murphy	9
	29	Terry Murphy	9
	34	Neal Foulds	3
											29	Terry Murphy	3
											2	John Higgins	9
	27	Brian Morgan	9
	63	Tony Jones	4
						27	Brian Morgan	4
						2	John Higgins	9
	2	John Higgins	9
	48	David Roe	1

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Alan Chamberlain. Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England, 29 November 1998.
Matthew Stevens (26)   Wales	6–10	John Higgins (2)   Scotland
Afternoon: 0–86, 36–62, 68–31 (52), 48–69, 91–0 (62), 11–68 (50), 105–10 (105), 61–60 (Higgins 60) Evening:72–22 (66), 36–87 (73), 0–84 (84), 6–70, 0–107 (107), 76–34, 23–81, 0–90 (90)
105	Highest break	107
1	Century breaks	1
4	50+ breaks	6

Century breaks

^{[9] [13]}

Televised stage centuries

141, 116, 107, 106, 101 – John Higgins 138, 128, 127, 109 – Gary Ponting 138 – Dominic Dale 136, 114 – Gerard Greene 135, 117, 105 – Matthew Stevens 130, 127 – Fergal O'Brien 126 – Jimmy White 118, 111, 104 – Andy Hicks 118 – Michael Holt

116 – Mark Williams 115, 105, 100 – Dave Harold 115 – Chris Small 114 – Patrick Wallace 113 – Anthony Hamilton 111 – Martin Clark 107, 105 – Euan Henderson 102 – Lee Richardson 102 – Peter Ebdon

Qualifying stage centuries

138 – Joe Grech 128 – Barry Pinches 125 – Gary Ponting 124 – Peter McCullagh 120 – Michael Holt 119 – Gerard Greene 119 – Keith E Boon 116 – Mehmet Husnu 114 – John Read 110 – Kristjan Helgason

110 – Leo Fernandez 109 – Phil Williams 107 – Alfie Burden 105 – Ali Carter 105 – John Giles 104, 101 – Lee Richardson 100 – Adrian Gunnell 100 – Euan Henderson 100 – David Roe

References

1. "UK Championship 1998 results, Snooker United Kingdom - FlashScore". www.flashscore.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
2. 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.
3. Turner, Chris. "World Cup, World Team Classic, Nations Cup". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
4. Turner, Chris. "Wilsons Classic, Lada Classic, Mercantile Credit Classic". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
5. Turner, Chris. "International Open, Goya Matchroom Trophy". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
6. Turner, Chris. "Professional Players Tournament, Grand Prix, LG Cup". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
7. "O'Sullivan pulls out `exhausted'". The Independent. 19 November 1998. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
8. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. pp. 46–47.
9. "Liverpool Victoria UK Championship 1998". Snooker.org. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
10. "1998 UK Championship Player Prize Money". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
11. "UK Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
12. "1998 UK Championship Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
13. "1998 Liverpool Victoria UK Championship". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 27 September 2023.