| Born | August 17, 1958 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  Canada |
| Nickname | The Man in the White Suit [1] |
| Professional | 1978–1993, 1998/1999 |
| Highest ranking | 4 (1984/85) |
| Maximum breaks | 1 |
| Best ranking finish | Runner-up (x1) |
Kirk Stevens (born August 17, 1958) is a Canadian former professional snooker player.
Stevens started playing young, achieving his first century break aged just 12. He turned professional aged 20, and reached the semi-finals of the World Championship aged 21. In 1984 he achieved a maximum 147 break in a televised match against Jimmy White in the Benson & Hedges Masters, which remained the only such break ever made in the competition until Ding Junhui achieved the same feat in 2007. [2] His stylish choice of attire (he often appeared at major tournaments wearing an all-white suit, as opposed to the traditional black suit with a white shirt) and his youthful 'popstar' good looks made him a ladies' favourite.
In 1985 he was wrongfully accused of taking stimulants before the final of the Dulux British Open Snooker Championship by South African Silvino Francisco. [3] Stevens lost 9–12. Francisco was subsequently fined by the world governing body of snooker, the WPBSA, for the comments. [4] The WPBSA, accepted that the accusation was false and it is on record that Stevens has never failed a drugs test in the history of his career. Shortly after the comments were made public, Stevens admitted to an addiction to cocaine in his personal life. [4]
Although he underwent treatment, his career never really recovered. He dropped out of the top 16 in 1986/87, but continued to play on until 1992/93, before returning home to Canada and retiring from professional tournament play on the world circuit.
After returning to Canada Stevens won the Canadian Amateur Championship in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2008. In 2011 he returned to the Crucible Theatre for the first time since 1988 to play in a "Snooker Legends" exhibition event. [5]
On September 23, 2019, Jimmy White published an apology to Stevens on White's official Facebook page stating that in his autobiography Second Wind he misremembered a few stories as occurring with Stevens that in fact did not. These events were widely broadcast in the media and White wanted to make the apology public to prevent them from being repeated. White further stated that he did not intend his words to be interpreted as meaning that Stevens introduced him to crack cocaine or that Stevens ever played WPBSA snooker under the influence of drugs. [6]
| Tournament | 1976/ 77 | 1977/ 78 | 1978/ 79 | 1979/ 80 | 1980/ 81 | 1981/ 82 | 1982/ 83 | 1983/ 84 | 1984/ 85 | 1985/ 86 | 1986/ 87 | 1987/ 88 | 1988/ 89 | 1989/ 90 | 1990/ 91 | 1991/ 92 | 1992/ 93 | 1998/ 99 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking [7] | [nb 1] | [nb 1] | [nb 2] | 19 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 37 | 50 | 68 | 58 | 59 | [nb 2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Prix [nb 3] | Tournament Not Held | 2R | QF | QF | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | LQ | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | NH | Non-Ranking Event | SF | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Open [nb 4] | Tournament Not Held | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open [nb 5] | Tournament Not Held | NR | SF | WD | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | WD | LQ | Not Held | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters [nb 6] | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China International | Tournament Not Held | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open [nb 7] | Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | F | 3R | 3R | WD | LQ | 1R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | A | A | 1R | SF | 2R | QF | QF | SF | 2R | QF | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | Tournament Not Held | QF | A | A | QF | A | SF | A | NH | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | QF | WD | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League [nb 8] | Tournament Not Held | WD | Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters [nb 9] | Non-Ranking Event | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | QF | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | MR | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai Classic [nb 10] | Tournament Not Held | NR | LQ | 1R | 2R | LQ | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bombay International | Not Held | A | RR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Camber Sands | Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters [nb 11] | 1R | 1R | QF | SF | SF | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champion of Champions | Not Held | A | NH | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open [nb 12] | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Ranking Event | Not Held | Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Classic | Tournament Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | NH | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Not Held | A | A | A | SF | Ranking Event | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tolly Cobbold Classic | Not Held | A | A | SF | A | A | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open [nb 13] | Not Held | A | SF | RR | RR | RR | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Masters | Tournament Not Held | F | Not Held | A | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carlsberg Challenge | Tournament Not Held | SF | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Masters | Not Held | A | A | A | A | SF | QF | A | A | A | NH | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | A | A | A | RR | A | RR | 1R | 1R | F | Tournament Not Held | A | A | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgian Classic | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Professional Championship | Tournament Not Held | SF | Not Held | W | SF | QF | SF | SF | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1985 | British Open |  Silvino Francisco | 9–12 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1979 | Canadian Professional Championship | Cliff Thorburn | # [8] [9] |
| Winner | 2. | 1981 | Canadian Professional Championship | # [8] [9] | |
| Winner | 3. | 1983 | Canadian Professional Championship | Frank Jonik | 9–8 [10] |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1984 | New Zealand Masters |  Jimmy White | 3–5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1986 | Belgian Classic |  Terry Griffiths | 7–9 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1986 | Pot Black | Jimmy White | 0–2 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team/partner | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1980 | World Challenge Cup | Canada | Wales | 5–8 |
| Winner | 1. | 1982 | World Team Classic | Canada | England | 4–2 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1986 | World Cup (2) | Canada |   Ireland | 7–9 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1987 | World Cup (3) | Canada | Ireland | 2–9 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1978 | Canadian Amateur Championship | Bob Paquette | 10–6 |
| Winner | 2. | 1997 | Canadian Amateur Championship (2) | Charlie Brown | 6–3 |
| Winner | 3. | 1998 | Canadian Amateur Championship (3) | Tom Finstad | 7–3 |
| Winner | 4. | 2000 | Canadian Amateur Championship (4) | Bob Chaperon | 6–3 |
| Winner | 5. | 2002 | Canadian Amateur Championship (5) | Cliff Thorburn | 6–1 |
| Winner | 6. | 2008 | Canadian Amateur Championship (6) | Tom Finstad | 6–2 |
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