2006 Malta Cup

2006 Malta Cup

Tournament information
Dates	30 January – 5 February 2006 (2006-01-30 – 2006-02-05)
Venue	Hilton Conference Center
City	Portomaso
Country	Malta
Organisation	WPBSA
Format	Ranking event
Total prize fund	£118,500
Winner's share	£18,000
Highest break	Stephen Hendry  (SCO) (142)
Final
Champion	Ken Doherty  (IRL)
Runner-up	John Higgins  (SCO)
Score	9–8
← 2005 2007 →

The 2006 Malta Cup was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 30 January and 5 February 2006 at the Hilton Conference Center in Portomaso, Malta. ^[1]

Ken Doherty won in the final 9–8 against John Higgins. Higgins had recovered from 2–5 down to lead 8–5 but Doherty won the last four frames to win the title.

This years tournament was also noteworthy for Ronnie O'Sullivan's decision not to compete, which cost him the World Number 1 ranking for the start of the following season and allowed Stephen Hendry to regain the number one position for the first time since 1999.

Wild-card round

^{[1] [2] [3]}

Match		Score
WC1	Mark Allen	5–1	Joe Grech
WC2	Robin Hull	5–2	Simon Zammit

Main draw

^{[1] [2] [3]}

	Last 32 Best of 9 frames					Last 16 Best of 9 frames					Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames					Semi-finals Best of 11 fames					Final Best of 17 frames
	1	Stephen Hendry	5
		Neil Robertson	1
						1	Stephen Hendry	5
							Barry Pinches	2
	10	Stephen Lee	1
		Barry Pinches	5
											1	Stephen Hendry	2
											6	John Higgins	5
	12	Alan McManus	5
		Ali Carter	2
						12	Alan McManus	0
						6	John Higgins	5
	6	John Higgins	5
		Robert Milkins	4
																6	John Higgins	6
																	Dominic Dale	3
	5	Paul Hunter	3
		Dominic Dale	5
							Dominic Dale	5
						14	Joe Perry	4
	14	Joe Perry	5
		James Wattana	2
												Dominic Dale	5
											9	Mark Williams	3
	9	Mark Williams	5
		Gerard Greene	3
						9	Mark Williams	5
							Nigel Bond	1
	4	Matthew Stevens	2
		Nigel Bond	5
																					6	John Higgins	8
																					11	Ken Doherty	9
	3	Stephen Maguire	5
		Marco Fu	2
						3	Stephen Maguire	5
							Mark King	3
	16	Ian McCulloch	2
		Mark King	5
											3	Stephen Maguire	4
											11	Ken Doherty	5
	11	Ken Doherty	5
		Joe Swail	3
						11	Ken Doherty	5
							Stuart Bingham	4
	7	Peter Ebdon	4
		Stuart Bingham	5
																11	Ken Doherty	6
																13	Graeme Dott	3
	8	Jimmy White	2
		Barry Hawkins	5
						Barry Hawkins		3
						Robin Hull		5
	15	Steve Davis	4
		Robin Hull	5
												Robin Hull	0
											13	Graeme Dott	5
	13	Graeme Dott	5
		John Parrott	2
						13	Graeme Dott	5
						2	Shaun Murphy	4
	2	Shaun Murphy	5
		Mark Allen	2

Final

Final: Best of 17 frames Hilton Conference Centre, Malta, 5 February 2006. [1] [2]
John Higgins (6)   Scotland	8–9	Ken Doherty (11)   Ireland
Afternoon: 8–86 (67), 69–49, 78–28, 53–71 (65), 28–76 (55), 27–105 (105), 56–75 (70) Evening:67–53 (61), 89–8 (55), 90–22 (90), 75–50, 130–4 (114), 96–4 (96), 43–64, 5–67 (61), 12–60, 12–69 (63)
114	Highest break	105
1	Century breaks	1
5	50+ breaks	7

Qualifying

Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales between 7 and 10 November 2005. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

	Round 1 Best of 9 frames				Round 2 Best of 9 frames				Round 3 Best of 9 frames				Round 4 Best of 9 frames
	Leo Fernandez				Justin Astley	4			Dave Harold	5			Neil Robertson	5
	Bye				Leo Fernandez	5			Leo Fernandez	3			Dave Harold	4
	Joe Delaney	5			Shokat Ali	5			Tony Drago	5			Barry Pinches	5
	James McBain	4			Joe Delaney	4			Shokat Ali	2			Tony Drago	2
	Andrew Norman	5			Marcus Campbell	5			Mark Selby	3			Ali Carter	5
	Jin Long	2			Andrew Norman	3			Marcus Campbell	5			Marcus Campbell	3
	Nick Dyson	5			Jamie Cope	5			Stuart Pettman	0			Robert Milkins	5
	Habib Subah	4			Nick Dyson	2			Jamie Cope	5			Jamie Cope	3
	Bjorn Haneveer	3			Ding Junhui	1			Ricky Walden	5			Dominic Dale	5
	David Gilbert	5			David Gilbert	5			David Gilbert	1			Ricky Walden	1
	Simon Bedford				Chris Norbury	5			Michael Judge	5			James Wattana	5
	Bye				Simon Bedford	4			Chris Norbury	1			Michael Judge	2
	Sean Storey	5			Mike Dunn	5			Gerard Greene	5			Ryan Day	1
	Alex Borg	3			Sean Storey	4			Mike Dunn	3			Gerard Greene	5
	Scott MacKenzie				Lee Spick	1			Fergal O'Brien	5			Nigel Bond	5
	Bye				Scott MacKenzie	5			Scott MacKenzie	4			Fergal O'Brien	3
	Paul Davies	5			Rod Lawler	5			Mark Davis	5			Marco Fu	5
	Liang Wenbo	3			Paul Davies	2			Rod Lawler	4			Mark Davis	4
	Joe Jogia				Matthew Couch	5			Drew Henry	5			Mark King	5
	Bye				Joe Jogia	0			Matthew Couch	4			Drew Henry	3
	Alfie Burden	2			Jimmy Michie	5			Joe Swail	5			Michael Holt	4
	Judd Trump	5			Judd Trump	2			Jimmy Michie	3			Joe Swail	5
	Hugh Abernethy	5			Jamie Burnett	5			Stuart Bingham	5			Anthony Hamilton	3
	Moh Keen Ho	2			Hugh Abernethy	0			Jamie Burnett	3			Stuart Bingham	5
	Darren Morgan	5			David Roe	5			Tom Ford	2			Barry Hawkins	5
	Gary Wilson	4			Darren Morgan	2			David Roe	5			David Roe	4
	Adam Davies				Robin Hull	5			Adrian Gunnell	4			Andy Hicks	3
	Bye				Adam Davies	3			Robin Hull	5			Robin Hull	5
	David McDonnell	3			James Tatton	1			Patrick Wallace	2			John Parrott	5
	Gary Wilkinson	5			Gary Wilkinson	5			Gary Wilkinson	5			Gary Wilkinson	3
	Stuart Mann	4			Lee Walker	2			Rory McLeod	1			David Gray	2
	Mark Allen	5			Mark Allen	5			Mark Allen	5			Mark Allen	5

Century breaks

^[2]

Qualifying stage centuries

137 – Jamie Cope 135 – Gary Wilkinson 129 – Dave Harold 124 – Jamie Burnett 120, 101 – Robin Hull 116 – Nick Dyson 107 – Mark Allen 106 – Mark Davis

105, 100 – David Gilbert 105 – Joe Swail 104 – Rod Lawler 103 – Ali Carter 102 – Stuart Mann 101 – Judd Trump 100 – Liang Wenbo 100 – James Wattana

Televised stage centuries

142, 131, 104, 103 – Stephen Hendry 135 – Barry Hawkins 133, 127, 103 – Stephen Maguire 133, 126, 104 – Robin Hull 133, 119, 106, 105 – Ken Doherty 132, 105 – Graeme Dott 129 – Stuart Bingham 114, 105, 102 – John Higgins 114 – Tony Drago

111 – Mark King 104 – Mark Allen 104 – Steve Davis 104 – Joe Swail 103 – Stephen Lee 100 – Alan McManus 100 – Gerard Greene 100 – Marco Fu

References

1. "Malta Cup 2006". Snooker.org. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
2. "2006 Malta Cup". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 12 February 2006.
3. "2006 Malta Cup results". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 7 February 2006. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
4. "2006 Malta Cup qualifying results". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2012.