Greatest Crucible matches

[jas875]

Cheers everyone, much appreciated.

[wildJONESEYE]

Higgins vs O'Sullivan
Semi Final - Uk Championship 2009

greatest Crucible matches.

[jas875]

Jonathan Andrew Symcox - something as exciting as my name!

Many thanks again, you've given me a great leg-up in my research.

Now can anyone help me build a break of more than 16?

[Cueboy88]

My choices would be

1988 last 16 match Hendry v White
1992 final Hendry v White

The other ones I would choose have already been mentioned

Matt Lester
www.matthew-lester.com

[northerner]

White v Stevens semi 1984
Thorburn v Knowles semi 1983

[Looki]

2000 semi between Mark Williams and John Higgins.

[mick farrell]

Like Cueboy88, I would choose the 1992 World Final between Hendry & White as my most memorable. I shall try to elaborate why..

Stephen was playing well but Jimmy produced the best snooker he ever played in any of his six world finals in establishing a 10-6 overnight lead. He scored heavily and had won some frames with great late clearances. He was measured, deliberate and his patience and safety play were nigh on perfect. He did not waste a shot. Maintaining this excellence the following afternoon, he moved ahead to 13-8. In frame 22 Stephen started to labour. In trying to make sure of the pots, he kept losing position. It took him 3 good scoring opportunities to build a lead of just 40 or so points. Jimmy was losing on the safety for the first time but it looked like Stephen had been worn down in what was looking like a losing cause and was unable to capitalize. White was beginning make his backswing a little quicker and started going for some risky shots but produced a superb 63 break to go 14-8 up. This 22nd frame – although Jimmy won it - is the point where the match started to turn. Jimmy continued to take on risky shots in frame 23 but was missing them. Stephen was showing more patience in the safety and was content to play safe when position was lost. Commentator Ray Edmonds noticed Jimmy’s change of discipline when he said that Jimmy was beginning to “force the issue”. Stephen won this frame without doing anything special. In frame 24, Jimmy had built a 50 odd point lead but his positional play was looser than earlier in the final and he was starting to miss anything with a degree of difficulty to it. Stephen snatched this frame with 64 clearance after Jimmy had missed a red with the rest that was fairly easy but should have been a lot easier but for a bad positional shot. Jimmy had chances in frames 25 & 26 but Stephen won them both. Stephen got in first in frame 28. Jack Karneham commentating early in this frame said “the trailing player (Hendry13-White14) had gone favourite to win the match” He was right. Stephen finished the frame with a break of 128 to level at 14 frames all. Another 4 frame burst – finishing with back to back centuries- saw him World Champion for the second time.
Stephen Hendry is the 7 x Crucible King. If there ever was a match that captured his character, his bottle, even his fluency (his 134 break in frame 27 taking just 7 minutes) then this match was it.

[AndrewB]

The 2003 final between Willams and Doherty - excellent play by both men, a huge comeback and a close finish.

[Le Ball Sack]

1999 and 2002 semi between Ronnie + Hendry.

[snooker66]

I dont know the years or the times but some of the guys on here I am sure can add to my post:

Nigel Bond's amazing comeback to beat off Cliff Thorburn from a massive deficit.
Steve James' defeat of Stephen Hendry.
Joe Swail coming from 8-12 down to beat Mark Williams 13-12. Did the same to Parrott also I recall both finishing on a Saturday morning!
Stephen Lee v Peter Ebdon, Ebdons celebrations upsetting Lee.
David Gray beating O'Sullivan
Stuart Bingham beating Hendry

[Alex0paul]

Mark Williams 10-9 Quinten Hann in the 98 first round

[snooker66]

Williams v Hann What a great shout that was awesome!

[benwhite100]

The greatest snooker match in term's of pure standard, is by far and away, Ronnie O'Sullivan..v S.Hendry.....2008 world semi final's......Ronnie won 17-6....i think he won something like 10 frame's on the trot, to finish the match........his pot success after 23 frame's was around 96%, Truly astonishing......watching a pure genius in full flight...........Ronnie said, it's bet he's ever played....hendry has said, its the best anyone's ever played against him..

Tbh, the 1985 final, was brillant, because it was poor i think..if you get me.........the standard wasn't very good, highlighted by the final black......but in term's of excitement, obvioublsy a classic....

[JiangYu]

Marco Fu V. Peter Ebdon Semi final (2006) when Marco Fu was down 9-15 but reeled off the next 6 frames to force a decider. That match was sooo immense!