2007 Malta Cup

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2007 Malta Cup
Tournament information
Dates28 January – 4 February 2007 (2007-01-28 – 2007-02-04)
VenueHilton Conference Center
City Portomaso
Country Malta
Organisation World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Format Ranking event
Total prize fund £200,500
Winner's share£30,000
Highest breakFlag of England.svg  Anthony Hamilton  (ENG) (136)
Final
ChampionFlag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)
Runner-upFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)
Score9–4
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The 2007 Malta Cup was the 2007 edition of the Malta Cup snooker tournament, held from 28 January to 4 February 2007 at the Hilton Conference Center in Portomaso, Malta. The tournament was the fourth of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season, the 200th world ranking tournament and the 16th edition of the event. It was the third time that the competition was called the Malta Cup, which was renamed from the European Open, first held in 1989. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom and Europe by Eurosport.

Contents

Shaun Murphy defeated first-time ranking finalist Ryan Day by nine frames to four (9–4) in the best-of-17 frames final to claim the second ranking-event title of his career. Murphy beat Ricky Walden, Stephen Lee, Graeme Dott and Ali Carter en route to reaching the final. Anthony Hamilton compiled the competition's highest break of 136 in the first round of his match against Tom Ford, whilst Stephen Hendry was the first player to compile a 700th career century in his game over Robert Milkins. The Malta Cup followed the UK Championship and preceded the Welsh Open.

Tournament summary

Prior to the 1988/1989 season no ranking tournament had been staged continuously outside of the United Kingdom (although the World Championship had been held twice in Australia). The snooker governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), decided to include overseas events and the first two locations chosen were Canada and Europe. The European Open was first held in 1989 in Deauville, Normandy, France, and was suspended for 1997/1998 and 2000/2001. It moved to the Hilton Conference Center, Portomaso, Malta for the first time in 2004 and was renamed the Malta Cup the following season. [1]

The 2007 tournament was held from 28 January to 4 February and it was the 200th world ranking tournament organised by the WPBSA. [2] [3] It was the fourth of seven WPBSA ranking events in the 2006/2007 season, following the UK Championship and preceding the Welsh Open. [3] Held in December 2006, the UK Championship was won by Peter Ebdon, who defeated Stephen Hendry by ten frames to six (10–6) in the final. [4] The defending Malta Cup champion was Ken Doherty, who defeated John Higgins 9–8 in last year's final. [1] The total prize fund was £200,500 and the host broadcaster was Eurosport. [3]

Qualifying and wild-card round

The qualifying rounds were played between players ranked outside of the top 16 for one of the 16 places in the final stage, at Pontin's Snooker Centre, Prestatyn, Wales. It was contested over four rounds and higher-ranked players received byes to the second, third and fourth rounds. The matches were best-of-nine frames until the semi-finals. [5] Local player Tony Drago was defeated 5–4 by 1991 world champion John Parrott in his second qualifying match that concluded with a final frame decider that Parrott won. [6] The successful qualifiers included Nigel Bond, Fergal O'Brien, Ryan Day, Marco Fu and Stuart Bingham. [5]

In the wild card round on 28 January, held between two Maltese players against two of the sixteen qualifiers, [7] Joe Grech was beaten 5–1 by David Roe in a match lasting two hours and two minutes. Grech took the opening frame 67–49 before Roe won five successive frames with breaks of 46 and 42. In the other wild card game, Andrew Higginson beat Simon Zammit 5–3. Tied 2–2 at the mid-session interval Zammit won the sixth frame to again level the score at 3–3 before Higginson won a further two frames to take his first victory in the primary rounds of the Malta Cup. [8]

Round 1

The 16 first-round matches on 28 to 31 January were between players ranked 1–16 and those who had made it through the qualifying stage and the wild card round. [5] In this round, reigning world champion Graeme Dott defeated Bingham 5–3 after coming from 3–2 behind. [9] 2006 Welsh Open champion and world number 10 Stephen Lee won a disjointed match against Michael Judge 5–2, a game in which Lee's highest break was 48. [10] Anthony Hamilton compiled the tournament's highest break of 136 in narrowly defeating Tom Ford 5–4. The match went to a final frame decider that Hamilton won with a score of 70–68 over Ford. [11] Six-time world champion Steve Davis was eliminated the same scoreline to Higginson. Breaks of 54 and 48 gave Higginson the opening two frames but Davis levelled the score at 2–2. Higginson produced breaks of 56, 54 and 48 to re-establish a two frame lead but Davis forced a final frame decider that Higginson won on a 67 break. [12] Ebdon came from 4–1 down to Roe to take five frames in a row and win 5–4. [13] Doherty compiled breaks of 134, 67, 40 and 38 to beat Bond 5–3. [14]

2004 European Open champion Stephen Maguire came from 3–2 ahead to win two consecutive frames without a major challenge to defeat Masters runner-up Ding Junhui 5–2, a match in which Ding's highest break was 68 and his earliest loss in a ranking tournament in the 2006/2007 season up to that point. [15] [16] Trailing 2–0 and 4–3 to Mark Williams O'Brien won a final frame decider on the final black ball. He compiled a break of 58 that eradicated Williams' 55-point lead to claim a 5–4 victory. [13] [15] Hendry, who became the first player to accumulate 700 century breaks with a 127 in the third frame of his match, beat Robert Milkins 5–1. [17] World number four John Higgins was defeated 5–3 by Fu, [18] a match in which Higgins was cautioned for conceding the third frame early while 51–41 behind as he missed a double shot with the brown ball. [19] [20] Coming from 4–1 behind Higgins compiled breaks of 80 and 62 but Fu concluded the match after breaks of 36 and 28. [19] Ali Carter came from 1–0 behind Rod Lawler to win 5–2 with three successive frames and a break of 109. [21]

Shaun Murphy was 4–2 down on Ricky Walden when he compiled breaks of 50, 93 and 53 to win 5–4; the match was suspended for more than an hour because it had overrun into the evening session. [21] World number 21 Michael Holt defeated the reigning Masters champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 5–3. O'Sulllivan led 2–1 but he missed the blue ball and lost frame four to Holt. He scored no points in the next two frames as Holt compiled breaks of 76 and 40. [22] O'Sullivan used two errors from Holt to claim frame seven with a 76 break but lost the match in the eighth. [23] Mark King, whose cue was recovered from Gatwick Airport and collected by a local airline for arrival at the Hilton Conference Centre three hours beforehand, beat Barry Hawkins 5–1 with an opening break of 76, [24] and Ryan Day defeated fellow Welshman Matthew Stevens 5–3 from 3–1 behind. [25] Of the other first round match Neil Roberston won 5–1 against Marcus Campbell. [3]

Round 2

In the second round between 31 January and 1 February, [7] Murphy narrowly defeated Lee 5–4, coming from behind to win the match's final two frames for the first victory of his career against Lee after losing the final of the 2006 Welsh Open to him. [26] [27] In his 5–3 win over Ford Dott produced a 135 clearance in the fifth frame but said he was unhappy with the game being on the second table and it not being broadcast on television. [28] Carter progressed to the quarter-finals by coming from 2–0 down to defeat Fu 5–2. [29] Hendry took 82 minutes to whitewash Roberston 5–0, a match where Hendry produced a break of 120 in frame four. Hendry went through to the quarter-finals of a tournament for the 116th time in his career. [30]

Day entered the quarter-finals of a ranking tournament for the second time in the season after the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy and the third time in his career with a 5–4 victory over O'Brien. [28] The match saw Day lead 4–2 but O'Brien nullified his advantage with breaks of 65 and 101 to force a final frame decider. O'Brien missed a difficult red ball shot to the middle pocket, allowing Day to win with a break of 55. [31] King overcame Holt 5–4 having trailed 4–1 and Holt missing a blue ball in the final frame. [28] In his television début, Higginson went 2–1 in front of Doherty before the latter won five consecutive frames with breaks of 87, 36 and 86 for a 5–2 victory as Higginson scored 17 points during this period. Ebdon defeated Maguire by the same scoreline with breaks of 96 and 59 and a game-winning clearance of 89. Maguire admitted after the match that he was frustrated because he conceded frame six while 34–6 in arrears. [28] [31]

Quarter-finals

In the quarter-finals on 2 February, [7] Day compiled breaks of 86, 93, 96 and 55 to beat King 5–1 and progressed to the semi-finals of a tournament for the first time in his career. Day said his performance was improved from practising heavily with fellow Welsh players Williams and Stevens and believed his form was as good as theirs, "I don't just give them a game but I beat them quite regularly so I know that its just about bringing those performances to the match table." [32] Ebdon prevented Doherty from retaining the Malta Cup with a 5–3 victory. Trailing 3–1 at the mid-session interval Ebdon won four successive frames. [33]

Hendry won the first two frames of his match against Carter, losing the third and fourth from break of 62 and 42 and then Carter produced a clearance of 59 to secure the fifth after Hendry missed a red ball using the rest while leading 53–1. Hendry won frames six and seven but a 54 break from Carter ensured the match went to a final frame decider that he won. [33] Hendry revealed that a bout of gastroenteritis from consuming a chicken and prawn meal the night before for which he was given injections had affected his on-table play, whilst Carter entered the semi-finals of a ranking tournament for the first time since the 1999 Grand Prix. [34] In the last quarter-final Murphy beat Dott 5–2. Dott won the first two frames but Murphy won the match with five consecutive frames that included a 134 total clearance . [33] [34]

Semi-finals

The semi-finals on 3 February were best-of-11 frames. [5] Murphy reached his third career final with a 6–3 defeat over Carter. Breaks of 111, 80 and 59 won Murphy the first three frames before Carter took frame four with breaks of 45 and 48. [35] Murphy resumed the match after the mid-session interval with a 115 break following a lengthy tactical battle but Carter got the score to 4–3 from a 69 clearance and a break of 61. [36] Two long-range red ball shots allowed Murphy to accumulate breaks of 76 and 80 and end the game. [35] Murphy said he was pleased that extra practice gave him the confidence to attempt shots he would have tried six months earlier, "I thought to myself that I'm in the lead and I don't need to throw my cue at anything. Often my next shot would be an easy red so it worked." [35] Carter said he was pleased to reach the semi-finals but was disappointed with his playing style, "I scrapped a couple of frames but Shaun is cueing very sweetly and hardly missed a ball. I can't see anyone stopping him being the champion." [35]

The other semi-final saw Day progress to the first ranking tournament final of his career with a 6–3 victory over Ebdon. [35] [37] In a match that lasted more than three-hour, Ebdon commenced with a break of 123 in the first frame but Day took the lead in the third, compiling a 100 century break, [37] as he moved 4–1 ahead from taking four successive frames. [35] Ebdon won frames six and seven to return to contention but Day replied to complete the match with breaks of 91 and 52 during the eighth and ninth frames. [35] [37] Day said afterwards that the match evoked memories of his loss to O'Sullivan on the pink ball in the first round of the 2006 World Snooker Championship, "I thought 'Here we go. The pink's going to cost me again' but I got my head together and the break I made in the next frame was definitely the best of my life. Lots of people have been saying I've got the game to win titles so it's great to finally get into a final. It should be a really good one to watch." [38]

Final

Shaun Murphy (pictured in 2012) won the final 9-4 to claim the second ranking tournament victory of his career after the 2005 World Snooker Championship. Shaun Murphy at Masters 2012.jpg
Shaun Murphy (pictured in 2012) won the final 9–4 to claim the second ranking tournament victory of his career after the 2005 World Snooker Championship.

In a best-of-17 frames final on 4 February, [39] and in his third appearance in the final of a ranking tournament, [40] Murphy defeated Day 9–4 to win the second ranking title of his career after the 2005 World Snooker Championship. [41] The victory earned Murphy £30,000, [42] and it moved him to fifth in the provisional world rankings. [41] Although Day lost the match, his form in the tournament moved him from 17th to 12th in the provisional world rankings. [43] The victory, according to Phil Yates of The Times , meant Murphy was an example of having attained a "Big-occasion breakthroughs are the stuff of sporting dreams but attempting to follow up on that success and throw off the one-hit-wonder tag can be nightmarish." [44]

Murphy produced a break of 54 to commence the match. Frame two saw Day declare a foul shot to referee Terry Camilleri, after nudging the cue ball with the rest as it screwed back. [40] He extended his advantage by a further frame with a break of 62 in frame three and a score of 82–42 after Day missed a long-range red ball shot. [45] Murphy clinched the fourth frame with a clearance when Day missed the black ball on its position while at 34–30. In frame five, Murphy missed a red ball along the top cushion, allowing Day to produce a 51 break although he missed a difficult pink ball shot and prevailed through a safety exchange. Murphy re-established a four-frame advantage in the sixth when Day was out of position on a red ball shot while on a break of 20. [40] Day responded to Murphy's opening break of 31 in frame seven with a break of 45 but poor positional play saw Murphy produce a 51 clearance. [42] In the evening session Day produced a break of 66 in the ninth frame and Murphy responded with a 79 break in the tenth. [40] Day lowered the score to 8–4 with the match's only century break (102) and one of 79 in frames 11 and 12. [41] [45] Murphy won the match and the tournament in frame 13 after Day missed a straightforward black ball. [39]

After the match Murphy was delighted with his performance, "I know it's only been a couple of years but you do feel as though there's a monkey on your back. It's a tiresome weight to carry around but now no-one can say that I'm a flash in the pan. I'm a tournament winner in the plural and that's a relief." [41] He cited the additional practice and guidance he sought from Higgins and BBC commentators Dennis Taylor and Willie Thorne in improving his break-building technique after ending the partnership with his coach Steve Prest as a reason for winning. [42] [44] Although Day said he was disappointed not to win he was happy to reach his first career ranking final and was looking forward to the Welsh Open. [39] [41]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below: [7] [46]

Wild-card round

Players in bold indicate match winners. [3] [5] [47]

MatchScore
WC1Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)5–1Flag of Malta.svg  Joe Grech  (MLT)
WC2Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5–3Flag of Malta.svg  Simon Zammit  (MLT)

Main draw

Numbers to the left of the players' name are the tournament seedings. Players in bold indicate match winners. [3] [5] [47]

Last 32
Best of 9 frames 		Last 16
Best of 9 frames 		Quarter-finals
Best of 9 frames 		Semi-finals
Best of 11 frames 		Final
Best of 17 frames
               
1 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ken Doherty  (IRL)5
Flag of England.svg  Nigel Bond  (ENG)3
1 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ken Doherty  (IRL)5
Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)2
11 Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5
1 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ken Doherty  (IRL)3
7 Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG)5
9 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Maguire  (SCO)5
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)2
9 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Maguire  (SCO)2
7 Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG)5
7 Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)4
7 Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG)3
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)6
8 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Mark Williams  (WAL)4
Flag of Ireland.svg  Fergal O'Brien  (IRL)5
Flag of Ireland.svg  Fergal O'Brien  (IRL)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)5
14 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Matthew Stevens  (WAL)3
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)5
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)5
Flag of England.svg  Mark King  (ENG)1
12 Flag of England.svg  Barry Hawkins  (ENG)1
Flag of England.svg  Mark King  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Mark King  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Michael Holt  (ENG)4
4 Flag of England.svg  Ronnie O'Sullivan  (ENG)3
Flag of England.svg  Michael Holt  (ENG)5
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)4
6 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)9
3 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Hendry  (SCO)5
Flag of England.svg  Robert Milkins  (ENG)1
3 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Hendry  (SCO)5
13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)0
13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)5
Flag of Scotland.svg  Marcus Campbell  (SCO)1
3 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Hendry  (SCO)4
15 Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG)5
15 Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Rod Lawler  (ENG)2
15 Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG)5
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Marco Fu  (HKG)2
5 Flag of Scotland.svg  John Higgins  (SCO)3
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Marco Fu  (HKG)5
15 Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG)3
6 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)6
6 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)4
6 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)5
10 Flag of England.svg  Stephen Lee  (ENG)4
10 Flag of England.svg  Stephen Lee  (ENG)5
Flag of Ireland.svg  Michael Judge  (IRL)2
6 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)5
2 Flag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)2
16 Flag of England.svg  Anthony Hamilton  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)3
2 Flag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)5
2 Flag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)5
Flag of England.svg  Stuart Bingham  (ENG)3

Final

Scores in bold denote winning frame scores and the winning entrant. Breaks over 50 are represented in brackets. [3] [5] [48]

Final: Best of 17 frames. [5] [48] Referee: Terry Camilleri. [40]
Hilton Conference Centre, Malta, 4 February 2007. [3] [5] [48]
Ryan Day
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 		4–9 Shaun Murphy (6)
Flag of England.svg  England
Afternoon: 19–73 (54), 59–73 (Day 54), 42–82 (62), 34–65, 65–51 (Day 51), 20–89, 45–82 (51), 23–80
Evening:67–19 (66), 0–79 (79), 102–0 (102), 83–0 (83), 38–61
102Highest break79
1Century breaks0
550+ breaks4

Qualifying

Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales between 31 October and 3 November 2006. Players in bold denote match winners. [5] [49]

Round 1
Best of 9 frames		Round 2
Best of 9 frames		Round 3
Best of 9 frames		Round 4
Best of 9 frames
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Pengfei  (CHN)5Flag of England.svg  Stuart Pettman  (ENG)1Flag of England.svg  Jamie Cope  (ENG)2Flag of England.svg  Nigel Bond  (ENG)5
Ulster Banner.svg Dermot McGlinchey (NIR)4Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Pengfei  (CHN)5Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Pengfei  (CHN)5Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Tian Pengfei  (CHN)3
Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5Flag of Pakistan.svg  Shokat Ali  (PAK)0Flag of England.svg  Jimmy White  (ENG)3Flag of England.svg  David Gray  (ENG)4
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Jamie Jones  (WAL)2Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Mike Dunn  (ENG)3Flag of England.svg  Dave Harold  (ENG)5Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)5
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Roy Stolk  (NLD)2Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)2Flag of England.svg  Dave Harold  (ENG)3
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Liu Song  (CHN)2Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)5Ulster Banner.svg  Gerard Greene  (NIR)3Flag of Scotland.svg  Alan McManus  (SCO)2
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  Mohammed Shehab  (UAE)5Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  Mohammed Shehab  (UAE)4Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)5
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)5Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Paul Davies  (WAL)5Flag of Ireland.svg  Fergal O'Brien  (IRL)5Flag of England.svg  Joe Perry  (ENG)4
Flag of New Zealand.svg  Dene O'Kane  (NZL)3Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)2Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Paul Davies  (WAL)3Flag of Ireland.svg  Fergal O'Brien  (IRL)5
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Liang Wenbo  (CHN)5Flag of England.svg  Joe Jogia  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Mark Davis  (ENG)3Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)5
Flag of England.svg  James Leadbetter  (ENG)2Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Liang Wenbo  (CHN)3Flag of England.svg  Joe Jogia  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Joe Jogia  (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg  Matthew Couch  (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  David Gilbert  (ENG)5Flag of Scotland.svg  Drew Henry  (SCO)3Flag of England.svg  Mark King  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)1Flag of England.svg  David Gilbert  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  David Gilbert  (ENG)0
Flag of England.svg  Lee Spick  (ENG)5Flag of Malta.svg  Tony Drago  (MLT)5Flag of England.svg  John Parrott  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Michael Holt  (ENG)5
Flag of Thailand.svg  Issara Kachaiwong  (THA)4Flag of England.svg  Lee Spick  (ENG)3Flag of Malta.svg  Tony Drago  (MLT)4Flag of England.svg  John Parrott  (ENG)1
Flag of England.svg  Alfie Burden  (ENG)5Flag of Ireland.svg  Joe Delaney  (IRL)4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Dominic Dale  (WAL)5Flag of England.svg  Robert Milkins  (ENG)5
Flag of Malta.svg  Alex Borg  (MLT)4Flag of England.svg  Alfie Burden  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Alfie Burden  (ENG)4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Dominic Dale  (WAL)2
Flag of England.svg  Chris Norbury  (ENG)5Flag of Scotland.svg  Jamie Burnett  (SCO)3Flag of Scotland.svg  Marcus Campbell  (SCO)5Flag of England.svg  Mark Selby  (ENG)4
Flag of England.svg  Jeff Cundy  (ENG)0Flag of England.svg  Chris Norbury  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Chris Norbury  (ENG)4Flag of Scotland.svg  Marcus Campbell  (SCO)5
Flag of England.svg  Mark Joyce  (ENG)5Flag of Finland.svg  Robin Hull  (FIN)2Flag of England.svg  Rod Lawler  (ENG)5Flag of Thailand.svg  James Wattana  (THA)3
Flag of Germany.svg  Patrick Einsle  (GER)4Flag of England.svg  Mark Joyce  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Mark Joyce  (ENG)2Flag of England.svg  Rod Lawler  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Chris Melling  (ENG)5Flag of Scotland.svg  Scott MacKenzie  (SCO)3Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)5Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Marco Fu  (HKG)5
Flag of Scotland.svg  Mark Boyle  (SCO)4Flag of England.svg  Chris Melling  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Chris Melling  (ENG)0Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)0
Flag of England.svg  Sean Storey  (ENG)5Ulster Banner.svg  Mark Allen  (NIR)5Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Ian McCulloch  (ENG)4
Flag of Scotland.svg  Robert Stephen  (SCO)1Flag of England.svg  Sean Storey  (ENG)2Ulster Banner.svg  Mark Allen  (NIR)2Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Judd Trump  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Andrew Norman  (ENG)5Flag of Ireland.svg  Michael Judge  (IRL)5Ulster Banner.svg  Joe Swail  (NIR)4
Flag of England.svg  Ben Woollaston  (ENG)2Flag of England.svg  Judd Trump  (ENG)1Flag of England.svg  Andrew Norman  (ENG)2Flag of Ireland.svg  Michael Judge  (IRL)5
Flag of England.svg  Paul Davison  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Andy Hicks  (ENG)3
Flag of Thailand.svg  Passakorn Suwannawat  (THA)0Flag of England.svg  Paul Davison  (ENG)3Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)1Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)5
Flag of England.svg  Lee Page  (ENG)2Flag of England.svg  Jimmy Michie  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Barry Pinches  (ENG)3Flag of England.svg  Stuart Bingham  (ENG)5
Flag of Ireland.svg  David Morris  (IRL)5Flag of Ireland.svg  David Morris  (IRL)3Flag of England.svg  Jimmy Michie  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Jimmy Michie  (ENG)3

Century breaks

A total of 21 century breaks were achieved by 16 different competitors during the qualifying stages of the tournament. The main stage of the 2007 Malta Cup yielded a total of 18 century breaks, made by 11 different players. [5] Anthony Hamilton compiled the highest break of the event, a 138, in his first round match with Tom Ford. [5] [11]

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The 2005 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament started on 16 April, and ended on 2 May 2005. The event was the eighth and final world ranking event of the 2004–05 snooker season, following the 2005 China Open. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Due to laws banning advertising cigarettes in Great Britain, this was the last time the event was sponsored by the cigarette company Embassy. The event had a prize fund of £1,121,800, with the winner receiving £250,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament, held April/May 2002

The 2002 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2002 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the final ranking event of the 2001–02 snooker season. This was the 26th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, marking the 25th anniversary of the first staging of the event at this venue. The championship was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.

The 2006 UK Championship was the 2006 edition of the UK Championship, a professional snooker tournament that is one of the sport's three Triple Crown events. It was held from 4 to 17 December 2006 at the Barbican Centre in York, North Yorkshire. The competition was the third of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season and the 30th edition of the tournament. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom and Europe on the BBC and Eurosport.

The 2001 Masters was a professional invitational snooker tournament held at the Wembley Conference Centre, London, from 4 to 11 February 2001. It was the 27th edition of The Masters, a Triple Crown event and the third of the five World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) invitational events in the 2000–01 snooker season. It followed the 2000 Scottish Masters and preceded the 2001 Malta Grand Prix. Sponsored by the cigarette company Benson & Hedges, the event had a total prize fund of £650,000, with £175,000 going to the winner.

The 2002 Masters was a professional invitational snooker tournament held at the Wembley Conference Centre, London from 3 to 10 February 2002. It was the 28th edition of The Masters, a Triple Crown event, and the penultimate invitational event in the 2001–02 snooker season. It followed the 2001 Scottish Masters and preceded the 2002 Irish Masters. Sponsored by the cigarette company Benson & Hedges, the event featured the top 16 from the snooker world rankings and two wild cards. The competition had a total prize fund of £650,000, with £175,000 going to the winner.

The 2005 UK Championship was a professional snooker tournament and the 2005 edition of the UK Championship. It was held at the Barbican Centre in York, North Yorkshire, England from 5 to 18 December 2005. The competition was the second of six World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association ranking events in the 2005–06 snooker season, the first of the three Triple Crown events, and the tournament's 29th edition. It preceded the Malta Cup and followed the Grand Prix. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom and Europe on the BBC and Eurosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Masters (snooker)</span> Professional non-ranking snooker tournament, Feb 2005

The 2005 Masters was the 2005 edition of the non-ranking Masters professional snooker tournament. It was held from 13 to 20 February 2005 at the Wembley Conference Centre, London. The tournament was the 31st staging of the competition and was the sixth of nine World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) main tour events in the 2004/2005 season. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC and by Eurosport in Europe.

The 2007 Welsh Open was the 2007 edition of the Welsh Open professional snooker tournament and was held from 12 to 18 February 2007 at the Newport Centre in Newport, South East Wales. It was the 16th staging of the competition since 1992 and the tenth time it took place at the Newport Centre. The tournament was the fifth of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season. The host broadcasters were BBC Cymru Wales and Eurosport.

The 2009 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 33rd consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. It took place between 18 April 2009 and 4 May 2009. The eighth and final ranking tournament of the 2008–09 snooker season, it was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored for the first time by online betting shop Betfred. The total prize fund was £1,111,000, of which the winner received £250,000.

The 2004 Snooker Grand Prix was the 2004 edition of the Grand Prix snooker tournament and was held from 2 to 10 October 2004 at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan won the tournament defeating Ian McCulloch by nine frames to five (9–5) in the final. In the semi-finals O'Sullivan defeated Paul Hunter 6–3 and McCulloch beat Michael Judge 6–1. Mark Williams, who won the same event under the name LG Cup the year before, lost in the first round. John Higgins made the highest break with a 147. The 64-man tournament was the first of eight World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) ranking events in the 2004/2005 snooker season and the next event following last season's World Championship, which was won by O'Sullivan. It preceded the second ranking event of the season, the British Open.

The 2012 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 21 April to 7 May 2012 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 36th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible and the last ranking event of the 2011–12 snooker season. The event was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and in Europe by Eurosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament, held 2013

The 2013 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2013 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 37th consecutive year the Crucible had hosted the World Snooker Championship; the 2013 event was the last ranking tournament of the 2012–13 snooker season. Sports betting company Betfair sponsored the event for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Murphy</span> English snooker player (born 1982)

Shaun Peter Murphy is an English professional snooker player who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting.

The 2001 Irish Masters was a professional invitational snooker tournament which was held at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin, from 27 March to 1 April. It was the 24th Irish Masters and the fifth and final World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association invitational event in the 2000–01 snooker season. The tournament was co-sponsored by the Health Promotion Unit and the Office of Tobacco Control of the Department of Health and Children and hotel group Citywest.

The 2002 Irish Masters was a professional invitational snooker tournament which was held at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin, from 19 to 24 March. It was the 25th edition of the Irish Masters and the fourth and final World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) invitational event of the 2001–02 season; it followed the third invitational event, the 2002 Masters, held in February. The tournament was co-sponsored by the Citywest hotel group and the Department of Health and Children and broadcast by RTÉ.

The 2001 Scottish Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament which took place at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, from 18 to 23 September 2001. It was the first time the tournament was played in Glasgow since the 1989 edition. The competition was the second of four invitational World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) events of the 2001–02 season. It was broadcast on BBC Scotland and Eurosport and was sponsored by the cigarette brand Regal.

The 2001 Champions Cup was a professional invitational snooker tournament held at the Brighton Centre in Brighton, England, from 11 to 19 August. It was the seventh and final edition of the eight-player Champions Cup, and was the first of four World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) invitational events of the 2001–02 season following the 2001 World Snooker Championship. It preceded the season's second invitational tournament, the 2001 Scottish Masters.

The 2020 Tour Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 to 26 June 2020, at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England. Organised by the World Snooker Tour, it was the second edition of the Tour Championship and the third and final event of the second season of the Coral Cup. It was the 16th and penultimate ranking event of the 2019–20 snooker season following the Gibraltar Open and preceding the World Championship. The tournament was originally scheduled for 17 to 22 March 2020, but on the morning of 17 March the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following advice from the UK government, it had been decided that no spectators would be permitted at the event.

References

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