The common link

[vjmehra]

Okay, tough one coming up... If you can get this one without a hint, you definitely deserve the points. :smile:

What do Stephen Hendry, Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon and Ronnie O'Sullivan have in common? As usual, we are looking for a statistical fact no other player shares with them.

All appeared in World Championship finals 8 years apart?

[Odrl]

All appeared in World Championship finals 8 years apart?

Nice answer, I actually had to look that one up. :smile: While it's true that they all appeared in World finals 8 years apart, there are a couple of other players who have done that as well, so that's not the answer we are looking for. :smile:

[JimMalone]

Okay, tough one coming up... If you can get this one without a hint, you definitely deserve the points. :smile:

What do Stephen Hendry, Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon and Ronnie O'Sullivan have in common? As usual, we are looking for a statistical fact no other player shares with them.

My first guess would have been that they have achieved the most something for their respective british country parts. As those four are all some of the best players ever and from all four parts of the United Kingdom. It must be a territory where O'Sullivan is ahead of Davis though and Reardon ahead of Williams.

I'm sure this is not what you are looking for, but all those four have had the most World Championship Quarterfinals for each of their countries (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England). Which is a bit flawed though, as Reardon had to win less matches earlier on than Terry Griffiths to reach the quarterfinals.

[Odrl]

Good thinking. :smile: Their country is relevant in some way, but the fact they are from four different parts of the UK has nothing to do with it. The thing we are looking for could theoretically be done by players from any country.

Let that be Hint 1, so 4 points from now on. :smile:

[Mark187187]

Have they all won their home country's amateur championship and gone on to win multiple world titles?

[Odrl]

Have they all won their home country's amateur championship and gone on to win multiple world titles?

No, that's not it.

[Odrl]

Hint 2 (for 3 points):

Ronnie O'Sullivan has done this (or had it happen to him, to put it in a better way) twice, while the others have only done it once, which means it's something that has only happened five times in the history of the game.

[arsalanjami]

147 in the decider frame?

[Odrl]

No, nothing to do with 147s.

[vjmehra]

No, nothing to do with 147s.

Been whitewashed in a semi final?

[Odrl]

Been whitewashed in a semi final?

No, I imagine the list of players who have been whitewashed in semi-finals is quite long. :smile:

[Mark187187]

Ha ha, this one is too hard. Every time I think I have an idea I can only link 2 or 3. Finding it particularly hard to get much info about Reardon aside from the obvious.

[Odrl]

I suspected this one would be hard, because they are all all-time greats that could have many things in common. Next hint should make it a lot easier though. :smile:

[Odrl]

Hint 3 (for 2 points):

The thing they have in common is something to do with the Masters.

[JimMalone]

Hint 3 (for 2 points):

The thing they have in common is something to do with the Masters.

World-Champions that needed only one more frame to win for the title in the final, but lost in the decider.

I guess it has something to do with them squandering a big lead in the final though.