| Former Winners; | News; | Timetable & Details; | Results; | Centuries; | Prize |
|---|
|
Thursday (8/Apr):
World number nine Stephen Lee has been passed fit for the Embassy World
Championship, which takes place in sheffield later this months. Friday (9/Apr):
This year's tournament could be the last-ever British Open as the Plymouth
event has been provisionally arranged for September 8-19 next season.
Snooker chiefs have dismissed their head of media relations Brian Radford
just eight days before the World Championship in Sheffield.
|
| Former Winners; | News; | Timetable & Details; | Results; | Centuries; | Prize |
|---|
| Sunday : First Rounds (4/Apr) | ||
| James Wattana (Thai) | 4-5 | Michael Holt (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
|
James Wattana is now almost certain to lose his place in the coverted top 16
after slumping 5-4 to Michael Holt in the first round at the Pavilions. Holt, ranked 193 in the world, cleared up with a break of 75 after Wattana missed a tricky black off its spot in the decider. | ||
| Alan McManus (Sco) | 5-3 | Alfie Burden (Eng) |
| Dave Harold (Eng) | 4-5 | Nick Walker (Eng) |
|
Dave Harold was a casualty, pipped 5-4 by in-form Nick Walker. | ||
| Billy Snaddon (Sco) | 3-5 | Craig Harrison (Eng) |
|
Craig Harrison marked his big-time debut with a 5-3 win over China
International finalist Billy Snaddon. | ||
| Stephen Lee (Eng) | w/o | Drew Henry (Sco) |
|
World number nine Stephen Lee has been forced to withdraw from the tournament
after injurying his back. The 24-year-old damaged a muscle when he attempted to answer a bedside phone in his Trowbridge home on Wednesday. Manager Ian Doyle said: "Stephen was in absolute agony. He got up suddenly and twisted the muscle." "He has received physiotheraphy but he is in too much pain to play. It's too early to say whether he can compete in the World Championship." | ||
| Mark J Williams (Wal) | 5-2 | Joe Perry (Eng) |
|
Joe Perry's bid for some competitive time at the table before his World
Championship clash with Steve Davis ended at the hands of Mark Williams. The 1997 champion, chasing his fourth ranking title of the season, won 5-2 and now meets Craig Harrison. | ||
| Mark King (Eng) | 5-2 | Barry Mapstone (Eng) |
|
Mark King had an easy path into the second round with a 5-2 victory over
World number 185 Barry Mapstone. | ||
| Brian Morgan (Eng) | 5-2 | Philip Williams (Wal) |
| Andy Hicks (Eng) | 2-5 | Dave Finbow (Eng) |
|
Andy Hicks slumped to a 5-2 defeat against Dave Finbow to seal the worst
season of his professional career in front of his home crowd. Devon star Hicks had hoped to break into the top 16 but this loss is almost certain to signal his departure from the top 32 next season. Hicks revealed: "The way I feel I do not want to see a snooker table for a long while." "It is soul-destroying. My confidence is very low at the moment." | ||
| Alain Robidoux (Can) | 2-5 | Anthony Davis (Wal) |
| Chris Small (Sco) | 5-4 | Joe Johnson (Eng) |
| Darren Morgan (Wal) | 5-3 | Dean Reynolds (Eng) |
| Monday : First Rounds (5/Apr) | ||
| Nigel Bond (Eng) | 3-5 | Bradley Jones (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
| John Higgins (Sco) | 5-0 | John Read (Eng) |
| Gary Wilkinson (Eng) | 5-4 | Ian Brumby (Eng) |
| Terry Murphy (NI) | 5-1 | Mario Geudens (Bel) |
| John Parrott (Eng) | 5-4 | Lee Walker (Eng) |
| Steve Davis (Eng) | 5-2 | Darren Clarke (Eng) |
|
Steve Davis beat Darren Clarke 5-2 and then admitted he is unsure whether he
will be in the top 16 next season. The world number 14 said: "There are about six players chasing the final four places." "I try not to play the ranking games because it's sad but unfortunately in my position you have to." Davis lost to Clarke at the Scottish Open and added: "There was a bit of panic when I went 2-0 behind but I did enough to pick up the pace." | ||
| Fergal O'Brian (Ire) | 5-4 | Antony Bolsover (Eng) |
| Dominic Dale (Wal) | 4-5 | Michael Judge (Eng) |
| Tony Drago (Mal) | 3-5 | Jimmy Michie (Eng) |
| Matthew Stevens (Wal) | 1-5 | Paul Davis (Eng) |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) | 5-2 | Tony Jones (Eng) |
|
Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a solid display to beat Tony Jones 5-2 and reach
the last 32. World number three Ronnie O'Sullivan admitted: "The results are more important than the performance at the moment." "Tony is a good player and though he has been struggling recently with his form he has been a tournament winner in the past." "I would like to have a good run before Sheffield and build up some confidence. I have not had the best of seasons." | ||
| Martin Clark (Eng) | 2-5 | Marcus Campbell (Eng) |
| Tuesday : First Rounds (6/Apr) | ||
| Ken Doherty (Ire) | 5-1 | Wayne Brown (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Ebdon (Eng) | 5-3 | Quinten Hann (Aus) |
| Graeme Dott (Sco) | 5-4 | David Roe (Eng) |
|
Scotland's Graeme Dott made a superb maximum 147 break in the eighth frame
of his match with David Roe. Dott, who needed to win the frame to stay in the match, held his nerve to make the first 147 of his career and the fourth in the tournament's history. It is also the 29th maximum to be made in major competitions and the 17th in a world ranking event. He wins the highest break prize of 5,000 pounds and a Vauxhall Vactra car and went on to win the match 5-4. | ||
| Anthony Hamilton (Eng) | 5-4 | Macro Fu (HK) |
| Stephen Hendry (Sco) | 5-0 | Jonathan Birch (Eng) |
| Jimmy White (Eng) | 5-4 | Joe Swail (NI) |
|
Jimmy White pulled back from the brink of disaster against Joe Swail in
Plymouth - with his immediate and long term future in serious jeopardy. White faced the prospect of early elimination from the British Open when he trailed to the Northern Ireland professional 4-3. Defeat would also have made it that much tougher for White to hold onto his provisional world ranking of 15th. But he rallied to bounce back and see off Swail 5-4. | ||
| Paul Hunter (Eng) | 5-3 | Ian Sargant (Wal) |
| Jamie Burnett (Sco) | 3-5 | Mark Gray (Eng) |
| Tuesday : Second Roounds (6/Apr) | ||
| Michael Holt (Eng) | 5-2 | Dave Finbow (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
| Mark J Williams (Wal) | 5-2 | Craig Harrison (Eng) |
| Mark King (Eng) | 5-3 | Darren Morgan (Eng) |
| Alan McManus (Eng) | 3-5 | Brian Morgan (Eng) |
|
Alan McManus became the first player in the sport's top eight to crash out
after losing 5-3 to Brian Morgan. McManus, who was a runner-up in last month's Thailand Masters, squandered a 2-0 lead against Morgan. Morgan said: "It was a bit touch and go in that final frame." | ||
| Wednesday : Second Rounds (7/Apr) | ||
| Steve Davis (Eng) | 5-3 | Michael Judge (Ire) |
|---|---|---|
|
Steve Davis kept alive his hopes of retaining his top 16 standing for a
record 20th season with a 5-3 win over Michael Judge at the Pavilions. He knocked in two tons and managed to complete the match just in time. He said: "It's always at the back of your mind that you might have to come back later when you're cold to complete just one frame. "Both of us misssed a couple of balls at the end and it was nice to finish off the match before it got to 4-4." | ||
| Bradley Jones (Eng) | 4-5 | Fergal O'Brien (Ire) |
| Drew Henry (Sco) | 3-5 | Chris Small (Sco) |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) | 5-0 | Paul Davis (Wal) |
|
Former Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan produced a break of 134 in a 5-0 hammering
of Paul Hunter. He said: "That was a bit more like it. My match with Tony Jones wasn't much of a spectacle but today I was a lot happier with the way I played." | ||
| John Higgins (Sco) | 5-1 | Terry Murphy (NI) |
|
Holder John Higgins knocked out Terry Murphy 5-1 and said: "Terry has played
much better than that so I didn't have to work too hard. The next one will
be tougher." | ||
| Anthony Davis (Wal) | 2-5 | Nick Walker (Eng) |
| Peter Ebdon (Eng) | 5-4 | Mark Gray (Eng) |
| Ken Doherty (Ire) | 4-5 | Gary Wilkinson (Eng) |
| Jimmy Michie (Eng) | 5-2 | Marcus Campbell (Sco) |
| Stephen Hendry (Sco) | 5-2 | Graeme Dott (Sco) |
| John Parrott (Eng) | 5-4 | Jimmy White (Eng) |
| Anthony Hamilton (Eng) | 5-4 | Paul Hunter (Eng) |
| Thursday : Third Rounds (8/Apr) | ||
| Mark King (Eng) | 4-5 | Stephen Hendry (Sco) |
|---|---|---|
|
Stephen Hendry fought back from 4-2 down to beat Mark King with a 137
clearance in the decider. | ||
| John Higgins (Sco) | 5-1 | Michael Holt (Eng) |
| Mark Williams (Wal) | 4-5 | Anthony Hamilton (Eng) |
|
Nottingham's Anthony Hamilton scraped into the quarter-finals of the British
Open in the Plymouth with his third successive deciding frame victory. Hamilton, who notched a break of 134 in the second frame, led 4-2 against Mark Williams but the Welshman rallied and led 36-0 in the final frame before missing a black which let in Hamilton for a decisive 59 break. | ||
| Fergal O'Brien (Ire) | 5-2 | Gary Wilkinson (Eng) |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) | 3-5 | (Eng) |
|
Yorkshireman Jimmy Michie believed he was destined to win the British Open
title even before beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the third round. The world No. 81 from Pontefract scored an impressive 5-3 win over O'Sullivan and will now try to reach his first semi-final. He admitted: "My wife Tracy had a dream before I came down here that I was going to win the tournament." "Normally I don't believe in those sort of things but I've had it at the back of my mind since I arrived in Plymonth" "I could certainly do some damage if I repeat that performance." O'Sullivan said: "I had a couple of chance in the last frame but I missed a bad last red that a club player would have got." | ||
| Peter Ebdon (Eng) | 5-3 | Chris Small (Sco) |
| Steve Davis (Eng) | 4-5 | John Parrott (Eng) |
| Nick Walker (Eng) | 4-5 | Brian Morgan (Eng) |
| Friday : Quarter-Finals (9/Apr) | ||
| Stephen Hendry (Sco) | 3-5 | Anthony Hamilton (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
|
Scores: 115-1 (59), 47-48, 98-0 (93), 40-85, 0-76 (63), 3-76, 96-0 (96), 0-74 (74) Anthony Hamilton beat Stephen Hendry for the first time after eight straight defeats with a 5-3 triumph to reach the semi-finals at the Pavilions. He said: "If you had this draw every tournament you'd be soon sweeping roads." "To be honest this run has come out of the blue. I wasn't really expecting to get beyond one round." Hendry said: "There is nothing much wrong with my game. It's just my concentration that let me down today. Anthony held himself together well." | ||
| John Higgins (Sco) | 5-0 | Brian Morgan (Eng) |
|
Scores: 107-13 (53), 90-0, 67-8, 108-9 (101), 68-7 John Higgins is within two matches of retaining his title after another emphatic victory. The world champion achieved his second whitewash in four matches with a 5-0 hammering of Brian Morgan - and has dropped only two frames this weeks. Higgins said: "I'm just pleased to get this far without being stretched. Long may it continue." "Brian missed a few shots and I managed to take advantage. There's not much more I can say." | ||
| Peter Ebdon (Eng) | 4-5 | Fergal O'Brien (Eng) |
|
Scores: 25-63, 60-40, 69-37, 0-101 (97), 20-76 (53), 93-32 (58), 71-4, 65-71 (61 O'Brien), 45-59 | ||
| John Parrott (Eng) | 4-5 | Jimmy Michie (Eng) |
|
Scores: 90-41, 55-9, 17-53, 61-68, 42-57, 65-68, 76-0, 89-0 (89), 36-54 | ||
| Saturday : Semi-Finals (10/Apr) | ||
| Anthony Hamilton (Eng) | 6-1 | Jimmy Michie (Eng) |
|---|---|---|
|
Scores: 49-67, 59-56, 87-70 (70), 59-23, 81-43 (55), 94-16 (70), 93-4 (74) Anthony Hamilton booked his debut in the final of a world-ranking event by beating Jimmy Michie 6-1. Hamilton, who also beat Stephen Henddry and Mark Williams on his way to the last four, never looked back after losingg the opening frame on the pink. Michie was unable to produce the form which enabled him to beat Tony Drago, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Parrott. "I was pleased with the way I played in the second half. Now I'm just looking forward to the final," said Hamilton. | ||
| John Higgins (Sco) | 5-6 | Fergal O'Brien (Ire) |
|
Scores: 8-51, 71-37, 70-38, 1-121 (112), 116-0 (116), 8-77 (53), 61-71
(57 Higgins), 31-82 (74), 97-0 (59), 71-62 (61 O'Brien), 32-74 (68) Fergal O'Brien pulled off a major shock as he beat John Higgins 6-5 to reach his first-ever world rankingg final. Higgins had turned in some dominant performance on his route to the semis but trailed 5-3 before levelling the match on the black. O'Brien was not to be denied however and sealed victory with a gutsy break of 68 in the decider. "That's the best break I've ever had in my life considering the tension and what was at stake. I dug it out of my boots," he said, "It's always been a big ambition of mine to make a final and now I've achieve it by beating the world number one I get great satisfaction." he said. | ||
| Sunday : Final (11/Apr) | ||
| Anthony Hamilton (Eng) | 7-9 | Fergal O'Brien (Ire) |
|---|---|---|
|
Scores: 134-0 (110), 134-0 (134), 40-55, 60-67 (57), 15-108 (59), 77-0 (61),
66-22 (64), 58-70, 0-95 (95), 41-65 (51), 80-0 (80), 86-4 (82), 134-0 (121),
42-77, 0-130 (129), 60-73 Fergal O'Brien defeated stable-mate Anthony Hamilton 9-7 to win the first professional title of his career and the bonus of a top 16 ranking. O'Brien, who knocked out the world champion and holder John Higgins in the semi-final, came from 2-0, 4-3, and 7-6 down to clinch the title. Hamilton frequently played well and ofen outscored O'Brien in the match. But O'Brien stayed in touch and went ahead thanks to a 129 break in the 15th frame and clinched victory in the next. "I'm not being arrogant when I say I'm really proud of myself for winning this tournament," said O'Brien. "The nerves were unbelievable and I dug so deep during the week. I was really worried at the mid session interval." Hamilton, who had the consolation of moving up to provisional world number nine said: "It was a great buzz out there and that's what you play for." | ||
| Former Winners; | News; | Timetable & Details; | Results; | Centuries; | Prize |
|---|
| Second Rround (best of 9 frames) | Quarter Finals (best of 9 frames) | Semi-Finals (best of 11 frames) | Final (best of 17 frames) | ||||||||
| J Higgins (Sco) M Holt (Eng) |
5 1 |
||||||||||
| J Higgins (Sco) B Morgan (Eng) |
5 0 |
||||||||||
| N Walker (Eng) B Morgan (Eng) |
4 5 |
||||||||||
| J Higgins (Sco) F O'Brien (Ire) |
5 6 |
||||||||||
| C Small (Sco) P Ebdon (Eng) |
3 5 |
||||||||||
| P Ebdon (Eng) F O'Brien (Ire) |
4 5 |
||||||||||
| F O'Brien (Ire) G Wilkinson (Eng) |
5 2 |
||||||||||
| F O'Brien (Ire) A Hamilton (Eng) |
9 7 |
||||||||||
| R O'Sullivan (Eng) J Michie (Eng) |
3 5 |
||||||||||
| J Michie (Eng) J Parrott (Eng) |
5 4 |
||||||||||
| S Davis (Eng) J Parrott (Eng) |
4 5 |
||||||||||
| J Michie (Eng) A Hamilton (Eng) |
1 6 |
||||||||||
| M Williams (Wal) A Hamilton (Eng) |
4 5 |
||||||||||
| Anthony Hamilton (Eng) S Hendry (Sco) |
5 3 |
||||||||||
| M King (Eng) S Hendry (Sco) |
4 5 |
| Former Winners; | News; | Timetable & Details; | Results; | Centuries; | Prize |
|---|
|
147 Graeme Dott 137 Stephen Hendry 134 Ronnie O'Sullivan 134 Anthony Hamilton 134 Anthony Hamilton 129 Fergal O'Brien 121 Anthony Hamilton 116 John Higgins 112 Fergal O'Brien 110 Anthony Hamilton 101 John Higgins |
| Former Winners; | News; | Timetable & Details; | Results; | Centuries; | Prize |
|---|
| Place | Prize (pounds) |
| Winner | 60,000 |
| Runner-up | 32,000 |
| Losing semi-finalists | 16,000 |
| Losing quater-finalists | 9,100 |
| Second round losers | 4,600 |
| First round losers | 2,600 |
| 1 English pound = | 1.61 American Dollars |
| Highest break | 5,000 |