1990 World Snooker Championship


The 1990 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 13 and 29 April 1990 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. There was a total prize fund of £620,800, the winner receiving £120,000. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, it was the tenth and final ranking event of the 1989–90 snooker season and the fourteenth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament at this location having taken place in 1977.
The defending champion was Steve Davis, who won the previous year's final 18–3 over John Parrott. Davis reached the semi-finals of the event, where he was defeated 14–16 by Jimmy White. White contested the final against Stephen Hendry who defeated Parrott in the other semi-final 16–11. Hendry led 9–7 after the first day's play and won the first four frames of the second day to lead 13–7, before White reduced the gap to four frames. At 16–12, Hendry compiled breaks of 81 and 71 to win the match 18–12, claiming his first world title. In so doing, he became the youngest-ever world champion at the age of 21 years and 106 days. There were 18 century breaks made during the tournament, the highest of which was 140 made by Parrott.
The first four rounds of the qualifying competition were played at the Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool from 22 to 27 January 1990, and the fifth and final round was played at Preston Guild Hall from 26 to 27 March. From this, 16 players qualified for the main event, where they met the 16 invited seeded players. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and was sponsored by the Embassy cigarette company. As champion, Hendry received £120,000 from the total prize fund of £620,800.

Overview

The World Snooker Championship is an annual professional snooker tournament organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India, the cue sport was popular in the British Isles. However, in the modern era, which started in 1969 when the World Championship reverted to a knockout format, it has become increasingly popular worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand.
Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927, hosted by the Billiards Association and Control Council, the final match being held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England. The 1990 championship featured 32 professional players competing in one-on-one snooker matches in a single-elimination format, each round being played over a pre-determined number of, and each match divided into two or more s containing a set number of frames. These competitors in the main tournament were selected using a combination of the top players in the snooker world rankings and the winners of a pre-tournament qualification stage. The top 16 players in the world rankings automatically qualified for the event, the remaining 16 players coming through the qualification rounds. It was the tenth and final ranking event of the 1989–90 snooker season, and the fourteenth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament there having taken place in 1977. The defending champion in 1989 was Steve Davis, who had defeated John Parrott 18–3 in the final of the 1988 World Snooker Championship to win his sixth world title. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy, and was also referred to as the Embassy World Snooker Championship. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC.

Prize fund

The winner of the event received £120,000 from a total prize fund of £620,800. The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:
  • Winner: £120,000
  • Runner-up: £72,000
  • Semi-final: £36,000
  • Quarter-final: £18,000
  • Last 16: £9,000
  • Last 32: £5,000
  • Fifth qualifying round losers: £4,000
  • Fourth qualifying round losers: £2062.50
  • Televised rounds highest break: £12,000
  • Qualifying rounds highest break: £3,000.
  • Televised rounds maximum break: £100,000

    Tournament summary

Qualifying

The first four rounds of the qualifying competition were played at the Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool from 22 to 27 January 1990, and the fifth round was played at Preston Guild Hall from 26 to 27 March. All qualifying round matches were the best-of-19 frames. Bill Werbeniuk, who had been expelled from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association for refusing to pay a fine relating to the use of Beta blockers, was permitted to compete in a tournament for the first time since September 1988. He lost 1–10 to Nigel Bond. Bond was one of nine first-season professionals in the championship; all nine won their first-round matches, including James Wattana who eliminated Joe Grech 10–4.
In the second round, Marcel Gauvreau defeated 1957 runner-up Jackie Rea after needing two in the. Eight-time champion Fred Davis, aged 76, was eliminated 6–10 by Ian Brumby. In the third round, Murdo MacLeod recovered from 2–7 behind to defeat Nick Dyson 10–9. In another match that went to the deciding frame, Mick Price won the last three frames to defeat Steve Duggan. Brady Gollan beat Kirk Stevens 10–6, and Andrew Cairns defeated six-time champion Ray Reardon 10–8. Round four saw three-time former champion John Spencer eliminated 8–10 by Wattana. Jim Chambers defeated 1974 runner-up Graham Miles 10–5.
In the final qualifying round, Darren Morgan, Mark Bennett and Danny Fowler all recovered from 7–9 down, to defeat Bob Chaperon, Rex Williams and Barry West respectively. Nigel Gilbert made the highest break of the qualifying competition, 135, in the eleventh frame of his 10–6 win against David Roe. Bond and Price had both made breaks of 131 that were the highest before this. Silvino Francisco lost 7–10 to Gary Wilkinson and thus failed to qualify for the main event for the first time since 1982. Two-time world champion Alex Higgins qualified for the Crucible by beating Wattana 10–6, after missing out the previous year.

First round

The first round took place between 13 and 18 April, each match played over two sessions as the best of 19 frames. Eight different nationalities were represented, and there were four debutants at the main event this year: Gilbert, Gollan, Tony Chappel and Alain Robidoux, who all lost in the opening round. Chappel, in what turned out to be his only appearance at the main tournament, and Gilbert who both lost 4–10, to Tony Knowles and Terry Griffiths respectively. Gollan, who had won five matches just to qualify, led Doug Mountjoy 8–7 before losing the last three frames. Robidoux and Stephen Hendry were level at 7–7 in their first round match when the referee announced that Robidoux had committed a by making a. Hendry compiled a break of 58 to win that frame, and added the following two frames to progress 10–7.
Defending champion Steve Davis lost the first frame to Eddie Charlton but won 10–1. Higgins lost 5–10 to Steve James in the first round. In the eleventh frame, James was awarded a free ball in a frame before any reds had been potted. In taking a baulk colour as an extra and compiling a total clearance of 135 the break became the first in a professional tournament. After losing the match, Higgins remained in his seat in the arena for some time, ordering several vodka and orange drinks, slouched in his chair and twitching. Afterwards, he punched tournament official Colin Randle in the abdomen before the start of a press conference at which he announced his retirement, and abused the media as he left. This followed another incident at the 1990 World Cup, where he repeatedly argued with fellow player and compatriot Dennis Taylor, insulting his late mother and threatening to have him shot if he returned to Northern Ireland. For his conduct, Higgins was banned for the rest of the season and all of the next.
Although he made a 102 break in the 5th frame, Tony Drago trailed Willie Thorne 3–6 after their first session. Drago, who playing rashly according to journalist Janice Hale, lost the match 4–10. Dennis Taylor was 1–5 behind Neal Foulds but recovered to 4–5. Foulds had a four-frame lead at 9–5 and eventually won 10–8. John Virgo defeated Wilkinson 10–6 for only his second win in eight appearances at the Crucible. Jimmy White led Fowler 6–3 after their first session and went on to win 10–4. Tony Meo beat Wayne Jones 10–8.
Morgan caught chicken pox the week before the championship and was treated in hospital for three days before receiving a certification that he was not infectious, which enabled him to participate. From 4–5 down against 1986 champion Joe Johnson he went on to win 10–8. Although Mike Hallett defeated Steve Newbury 10–9, his own manager Ian Doyle criticised Hallett, saying that his "professional attitude ha" been diabolical" since winning the 1989 Hong Kong Open. Hallett accepted Doyle's comments and remarked that he "needed a kick up the backside." Cliff Wilson made his 8th and final crucible appearance at the age of 55. He never got past the world championship first round in his career and that run was not to change as he was eliminated 6–10 by Cliff Thorburn. Dean Reynolds led Peter Francisco 6–3 after their first session. During the second session, Franciso d a in the 12th frame. Parrott trailed Bennett 7–9, but took the next two to force a deciding frame that he won on the after a break of 69 after being 59 points behind.

Second round

The second round, which took place between 18 and 22 April, was played as best-of-25-frames matches spread over three sessions. Davis led James 5–3 after their first session, and added the first five frames of the second session. The second session finished with Davis 11–5 up, and he went on to win 13–7. Foulds and Thorne each won four frames in the first session of their match, with Foulds taking the eighth frame on a re-spotted black. Foulds won five consecutive frames from 8–11 and eliminated Thorne. Griffiths led Knowles 10–3 and 11–5, and won 13–6. Virgo won the first three frames against White, but the pair were at 4–4 when the first session finished. White took all eight frames in the second session and progressed with the score at 13–6.
Hendry established a 4–1 lead against Meo, but then lost two of the next three frames. During the second session, Hendry compiled three century breaks, and finished it 11–5 ahead. During the 16th frame, referee John Williams judged that Meo had made a foul push shot; after this, Hendry made a break of 106. He eventually won the match 13–7. Morgan and Hallett were level at 4–4 after their first session. Morgan compiled a 104 break to win the first frame of the next session, and went on to establish an 8–4 lead, before finishing the session 10–6 ahead and winning the match 13–8. Thorburn won the deciding frame against Mountjoy at nearly 1:00a.m., in a match that took 12 hours and 37 minutes. In another lengthy match, where the players had to suspend play as they over-ran the session time and had to return for the last two frames after another match finished, Parrott defeated Reynolds 13–11. Parrot won the 24th frame by fluking the pink ball. The pair had been level at 5–5, 7–7, and 9–9.