Class of '92 (snooker)

Last updated

Class of '92
Ronnie O'Sullivan PHC 2011-1.png
Ronnie O'Sullivan [lower-alpha 1]
John Higgins PHC 2015.jpg
John Higgins [lower-alpha 2]
Mark Williams at Snooker German Masters (DerHexer) 2015-02-05 02.jpg
Mark Williams [lower-alpha 3]

The Class of '92 is a group of three professional snooker players: Ronnie O'Sullivan from England, John Higgins from Scotland, and Mark Williams from Wales. All three were born in 1975, Williams on 21 March, [1] Higgins on 18 May, [2] and O'Sullivan on 5 December. [3] They all turned professional during the 1992–93 snooker season and have become known for their collective dominance of the sport—which includes a combined 98 ranking titles, 39 Triple Crown titles, and 14 world titles—as well as their longevity as top‑ranked players. [4] [5] O'Sullivan has compared the Class of '92 to the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal in men's singles tennis. [6]

Contents

Achievements

The Class of '92 has collectively won 98 ranking titles, of which O'Sullivan has won 41, Higgins 31, and Williams 26. All three players have won each Triple Crown event multiple times, for a combined total of 39 Triple Crown titles. [7] [8] The three players have won a combined 14 world titles, three by Williams, in 2000, 2003, and 2018; [9] four by Higgins, in 1998, 2007, 2009, and 2011; [10] and a record-equalling seven by O'Sullivan, in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, and 2022. [11] As of the 2024 World Championship, they have made a combined total of 88 appearances at the event's main stage at the Crucible, with O'Sullivan having featured 32 times, Higgins 30 times, and Williams 26 times. [12] [13] All three players have reached the semi-finals of the World Championship on three occasions: in 1998 (with Ken Doherty), in 1999 (with Stephen Hendry), and in 2022 (with Judd Trump). At least one member of the Class of '92 featured in 18 of the 25 World Snooker Championship finals contested between 1998 and 2022.

The Class of '92 has collectively compiled over 2,900 century breaks in professional competition. O'Sullivan passed the 1,200 threshold on 22 April 2023, [14] Higgins passed the 1,000 threshold on 19 September 2024, [15] and Williams passed the 600 threshold on 21 September 2023. [16] [17] These include 31 officially recognised maximum breaks, of which O'Sullivan has made 15, Higgins 13, and Williams 3. [18] [19] From the time Higgins first became world number one in May 1998 until the end of the 2023–24 snooker season, the Class of '92 players held the top ranking spot for a cumulative 5,334 out of a total 9,499 days. [20]

Longevity

Known for their longevity in the sport, the Class of '92 players have continued to win titles and set records into their late 40s. At the end of the 2021–22 snooker season, after 30 seasons on the professional tour, all three players were ranked within the top eight in the world. [18] As of July 2024, O'Sullivan holds records as the oldest winner of all three Triple Crown events, having won his seventh world title in 2022, aged 46 years and 148 days; [21] his eighth UK Championship title in 2023, aged 47 years and 363 days; [22] and his eighth Masters title in 2024, aged 48 years and 40 days. [23] O'Sullivan holds the record for the most appearances in the final stages of the World Championship at the Crucible, with 32 as of the 2024 event; Higgins is joint second with Steve Davis, having made 30 appearances. When Williams defeated O'Sullivan in the final of the 2024 Tour Championship at the age of 49 years and 17 days, he became the second-oldest player to win a ranking event, after Ray Reardon, who won the 1982 Professional Players Tournament aged 50 years and 14 days. [24] He and O'Sullivan also set a new record for the highest combined age (97) in any ranking snooker final. [25] Higgins holds the record for the longest uninterrupted tenure in the top 16 of the world rankings, at over 29 years; he first entered the top 16 in the 1995–96 snooker world rankings and remained a top-16 player continuously until the conclusion of the 2024 English Open, a period spanning 10,738 days. [26] Higgins is also the oldest player to make a maximum break in professional competition, achieved at the 2024 Championship League when he was aged 48 years and 268 days. [27]

Honours

All three players were honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for their services to snooker. Williams received an MBE in 2004. [28] Higgins received an MBE in 2009. [29] O'Sullivan received an OBE in 2016. [30] All three have been inducted into the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. [31]

Triple Crown and ranking events

The three players have won a total of 98 ranking events to date, O'Sullivan having won 41, Higgins 31, and Williams 26. They have also achieved 39 Triple Crown wins between them, O'Sullivan having won 23, Higgins 9, and Williams 7.

Triple Crown

Tournament Ronnie O'Sullivan John Higgins Mark Williams Total
World Championship 74314
UK Championship 83213
Masters 82212
Total239739

Ranking events

Tournament Ronnie O'Sullivan John Higgins Mark Williams Total
World Championship 74314
UK Championship 83213
Welsh Open 45211
World Open 1449
British Open 1438
German Masters 2226
China Open 2136
Scottish Open 2204
World Grand Prix 3003
Shanghai Masters 2103
Players Championship 2103
European Masters 1113
Thailand Masters 0033
Irish Masters 2002
Tour Championship 1012
Northern Ireland Trophy 1001
Dubai Classic 1001
English Open 1001
International Championship 0101
Indian Open 0101
Australian Goldfields Open 0101
Northern Ireland Open 0011
WST Pro Series 0011
Total41312698

Time as World Number one

PlayerFromToDaysTotal
Ray Reardon, Cliff Thorburn, Steve Davis, and Stephen Hendry.
John Higgins5 May 19981 May 20007287 years, 11 months, and 27 days
Mark Williams2 May 20006 May 2002735
Ronnie O'Sullivan7 May 20025 May 2003364
Mark Williams6 May 20033 May 2004364
Ronnie O'Sullivan4 May 20041 May 2006728
Stephen Hendry.
John Higgins8 May 20075 May 20083643 years, 4 months, and 19 days
Ronnie O'Sullivan6 May 20083 May 2010728
John Higgins4 May 201026 September 2010146
Neil Robertson.
John Higgins13 December 20102 May 20111418 months and 30 days
Mark Williams3 May 201111 September 2011132
Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, and Ding Junhui.
Ronnie O'Sullivan25 March 201911 August 20191404 months and 18 days
Judd Trump and Mark Selby.
Ronnie O'Sullivan4 April 20226 May 2024 [lower-alpha 4] 7642 years, 1 month, and 3 days
Mark Allen and Judd Trump.
Total: 5,334 of a possible 9,499 days. (
Source: World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. [20]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ O'Sullivan at the 2011 Paul Hunter Classic.
  2. ↑ Higgins at the 2015 Paul Hunter Classic.
  3. ↑ Williams at the 2015 German Masters.
  4. ↑ The end of the 2023–24 season.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snooker</span> Cue sport

Snooker is a cue sport played on a rectangular billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six pockets: one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in India in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with 22 balls, comprising a white cue ball, 15 red balls and 6 other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black—collectively called 'the colours'. Using a snooker cue, the individual players or teams take turns to strike the cue ball to pot other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each foul committed by the opposing player or team. An individual frame of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points, and a snooker match ends when a player wins a predetermined number of frames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Snooker Championship</span> Annual professional snooker ranking tournament

The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the richest, with total prize money of £2,395,000 in 2023, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The reigning world champion is Kyren Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Doherty</span> Irish professional snooker player, 1997 world champion

Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player from Ranelagh in Dublin. He has won six ranking titles and was World Snooker Champion in 1997. In addition to his ongoing playing career, he works as a regular commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie O'Sullivan</span> English snooker player (born 1975)

Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan is an English professional snooker player. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker history, he has won the World Snooker Championship seven times, a modern-era record he holds jointly with Stephen Hendry. He has also won a record eight Masters titles and a record eight UK Championship titles for a total of 23 Triple Crown titles, the most achieved by any player. He holds the record for the most ranking titles, with 41, and has held the top ranking position multiple times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Higgins</span> Scottish snooker player

John Higgins is a Scottish professional snooker player from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire. Since turning professional in 1992, he has won 31 ranking titles, placing him in third position on the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind Ronnie O'Sullivan (41) and Stephen Hendry (36). He has won four World Championships, three UK Championships and two Masters titles, for a total of nine Triple Crown titles, putting him level with Mark Selby and behind only O'Sullivan (23), Hendry (18) and Steve Davis (15). He first entered the top 16 in the 1995–96 world rankings and remained there continuously for over 29 years until September 2024, setting a record for the longest uninterrupted tenure as a top-16 player. He reached the world number one position four times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Championship</span> Snooker tournament

The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican, York. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the tournament a record eight times, followed by Steve Davis with six titles and Stephen Hendry with five. O'Sullivan is the reigning champion, winning his eighth title in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Selby</span> English snooker player (born 1983)

Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker player. Ranked world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 23 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the all-time list of ranking tournament winners. He is a four-time World Snooker Champion, and has won the Masters three times and the UK Championship twice for a total of nine Triple Crown titles, putting him on a par with John Higgins, and behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (23), Stephen Hendry (18) and Steve Davis (15).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd Trump</span> English snooker player (born 1989)

Judd Trump is an English professional snooker player who is a former world champion and the current world number one. Widely regarded as one of the sport's most talented players, he is currently in fourth place on the list of all-time ranking event winners, having won 29 ranking titles. He has also won four Triple Crown titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Century break</span> Achievement in snooker

In snooker, a century break is a break of 100 points or more, compiled in one visit to the table. A century break requires potting at least 25 consecutive balls, and the ability to score centuries is regarded as a mark of the highest skill in snooker. Ronnie O'Sullivan has described a player's first century break as the "ultimate milestone for any snooker player". Joe Davis made the first televised century break in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Crown (snooker)</span> Series of professional snooker tournaments

The Triple Crown in professional snooker refers to winning the sport's three longest-running and most prestigious tournaments: the World Snooker Championship, the invitational Masters, and the UK Championship. In January 2020, the three tournaments were formally named the Triple Crown Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael White (snooker player)</span> Welsh former professional snooker player

Michael White is a Welsh former professional snooker player from Neath, Glamorgan. Nicknamed ‘Lightning’ due to his fast playing style, he won two ranking titles during his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyren Wilson</span> English professional snooker player (born 1991)

Kyren James Wilson is an English professional snooker player from Kettering. He has won seven ranking titles and is the reigning world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhao Xintong</span> Chinese snooker player

Zhao Xintong is a Chinese former professional snooker player who served a 20-month ban from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association – the WPBSA – after committing offences relating to betting on snooker. This ban expired on 1 September 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yan Bingtao</span> Chinese snooker player

Yan Bingtao is a Chinese former professional snooker player who is currently serving a five-year ban from professional competition after committing a range of match-fixing offences. He rose to prominence by winning the ISBF World Snooker Championship, the sport's world amateur title, in 2014 at age 14, which made him the tournament's youngest ever winner. He turned professional in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 snooker season</span> Series of snooker tournaments

The 2017–18 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 4 May 2017 and 7 May 2018. The season began with the pro–am Vienna Snooker Open in May 2017 and ended with the 2018 World Snooker Championship in April the following year. Ronnie O'Sullivan earned a joint-record five ranking titles in the season. He joined Stephen Hendry (1990/1991), Ding Junhui (2013/2014), and Mark Selby (2016/2017) in winning five ranking titles in the same season.

The 2018 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament held from 21 April to 7 May 2018 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Hosted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, it was the 20th and final ranking event of the 2017–18 snooker season and the 42nd consecutive time the World Snooker Championship had been held at the venue. The tournament was broadcast by BBC Sport and Eurosport in Europe, and sponsored by betting company Betfred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional snooker career of Ronnie O'Sullivan</span>

Ronnie O'Sullivan started his professional snooker career in 1992 and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. His play and accomplishments are described by some peers and pundits as being the greatest in the modern era of snooker. O'Sullivan is a seven-time world champion, and holds many records, including the fastest maximum break in professional competition; the highest number of century breaks; the highest number of maximum breaks, and the most Triple Crown event titles (23).

The 2021–22 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played from July 2021 to May 2022, including the professional World Snooker Tour but also featuring events for female, senior, and Q School players. The season saw a record five players claim their first professional ranking titles: David Gilbert, Zhao Xintong, Hossein Vafaei, Fan Zhengyi, and Robert Milkins. Nutcharut Wongharuthai won her first World Women's Snooker Championship, becoming the only player besides Reanne Evans and Ng On-yee to win the women's world title in 19 years. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the World Snooker Championship, equalling Stephen Hendry's modern era record of seven world titles and becoming the oldest world champion in snooker history at the age of 46 years and 148 days. Lee Walker won his first World Seniors Championship.

The 2022 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 April to 2 May 2022 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 46th consecutive year the World Snooker Championship was held at the venue. The 16th and final ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season, the tournament was organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by sports betting company Betfred. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, in Europe by Eurosport, and elsewhere in the world by Matchroom Sport and other broadcasters. The total prize fund was £2,395,000, of which the winner received £500,000.

The 2022 Tour Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 28 March to 3 April 2022 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales. Organised by the World Snooker Tour, it comprised the top eight players on the one-year ranking list. It was the fourth edition of the Tour Championship, first held in 2019, and the 15th and penultimate ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season, following the Gibraltar Open and preceding the World Championship. It was the third and final event of the season's Cazoo Series, following the Players Championship and the World Grand Prix. Broadcast by ITV4 in the United Kingdom, the event featured a prize fund of £370,000, of which the winner received £150,000.

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Williams". World Snooker Tour . Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "John Higgins". World Snooker Tour . Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ronnie O'Sullivan". World Snooker Tour . Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Staniforth, Mark (28 April 2022). "Snooker's 'Class of 92' – John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams reach World Championship semis". Irish Independent . Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Alderman, Elgan (9 August 2023). "Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams thriving as snooker's 'three Mexicanos'" . The Times . ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "O'Sullivan compares 'Class of 92' to tennis greats". BBC Sport . 28 April 2022. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "A Class Apart?". WPBSA . 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Parsons, Ben (25 April 2022). "Higgins hails snooker's Class of 92 after securing World Championship quarter-final". Telegraph & Argus . Archived from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Hafez, Shamoon (7 May 2018). "Mark Williams beats John Higgins to win third title". BBC Sport . Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Ashenden, Mark (2 May 2011). "Higgins beats Trump to win fourth title". BBC Sport . Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Ronnie O'Sullivan wins sixth World Snooker Championship at Crucible". Sky Sports . 17 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  12. ↑ Bower, Aaron (15 April 2023). "O'Sullivan survives Pang fightback to seal first-round win at the Crucible". The Observer . ISSN   0029-7712. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Williams hits Robertson for six". World Snooker Tour . 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Ronnie O'Sullivan rockets past Hossein Vafaei at Crucible with session to spare". The Guardian . 22 April 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  15. ↑ "Higgins hits 1,000th century in English Open defeat". BBC Sport . 19 September 2024. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "Mark Williams, the Welsh potting machine". WPBSA . Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Hendon, David (21 September 2023). "Mark Williams has made his 600th career century". Twitter . Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  18. 1 2 Hendon, Dave (20 June 2022). "How Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams achieved snooker immortality - 30 years of Class of '92". Eurosport . Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "147 Breaks: Full list". WPBSA . Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  20. 1 2 "Ranking Records". WPBSA . Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  21. ↑ Kane, Desmond (3 May 2022). "'A miraculous work of sports Pulp Fiction' – How Ronnie O'Sullivan defied time to cement legacy as snooker GOAT". Eurosport . Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Oldest winner of snooker's UK Championship". Guinness World Records . 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  23. ↑ "Rocket soars to eighth Masters crown". World Snooker Tour . 14 January 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Wonderful Williams claims gold in Cheltenham". World Snooker Tour . 2 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Mark Williams beats Ronnie O'Sullivan in Tour Championship final after winning seven frames in a row". Sky Sports . 7 April 2024. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "Robertson regains top 16 spot and ends Higgins' record streak". World Snooker Tour . 23 September 2024. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  27. ↑ "Higgins makes 13th maximum". World Snooker Tour . 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  28. ↑ "MBE joy for Williams". BBC News . 11 June 2004. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  29. ↑ "How Queen Elizabeth II honoured snooker's greatest icons including Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Steve Davis". Eurosport . 12 September 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  30. ↑ King, Matt (6 May 2016). "Ronnie O'Sullivan receives an OBE". Irish Independent . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  31. ↑ "Hall of Fame | WPBSA | Snooker". WPBSA. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.