Шестой день турнира в Рино (США, штат Невада) определил шестерых финалистов, которые поведут борьбу за право участие в главном матче турнира, победитель которого получит невиданный доселе приз - полмиллиона долларов. Состав трёх групп по шесть игроков был настолько сильным и ровным, что определить фаворитов было просто невозможно. Достаточно отметить, что никто из этих 18-ти не прошёл шестой день турнира без поражений и никто не проиграл все встречи. Очень нагляден пример 79-й группы, где победитель одержал 4 победы, а обладатель шестого места - две. На удивление высокая плотность результатов! При этом ряд матчей завершились со счётом 8:7. Значит один единственный фрэйм мог кардинально изменить ход турнирной борьбы. Этой битвы не выдержал Франциско Бустаманте, остававшийся единственным участником турнира, не испытавшим горечи поражений. На этот раз он проиграл аж три матча, одержав две победы. Такие же показатели были у англичанина Бойза, Хсиа из Тайваня и испанца Алкаиде. А вот одержавший на одну победу больше Кори Дьюэл пробился в финальную шестёрку. Победителем этой группы стал Родни Моррис, великолепно проводящий весь этот турнир. Таким образом, в этой группе доминировали американцы, но на этом успехи хозяев турнира завершились. В 80-й группе победил филиппинец Дэннис Орколло (4 победы), а судьба второй путёвки в следующий этап определялась в очном споре двух европейцев - Иммонена и Суке, имевших к тому моменту по три победы. В равном и напряжённом поединке хладнокровие финна помогло одолеть организованность немецкого пулиста. Ральф Суке, который на прошлом турнире был в финальной шестёрке, на этот раз был остановлен буквально в шаге от неё. Из прежней шестёрки в строю оставался ещё и Эфрен Рейс. Он играл в 81-й группе. Ценой больших усилий с тремя победами при двух тяжёлых поражениях (оба со счётом 2:8) он всё же вновь будет играть на последнем этапе. Напомню, что финалисты турнира в Лас-Вегасе Хоманн и Манало, а также Евгений Сталев выбыли из текущего турнира на первых же стадиях). В прошлый раз Рейса подвела банальная усталось - победила молодёжь, а Эфрену ровно 50 лет. Как будет на этот раз? Класс позволяет рассчитывать на большой успех, но по силам ли ему марафонская дистанция по пересечённой местности, да ещё и с препятствиями? Победителем же в этой группе стал опытный немецкий пулист Оливер Ортманн. Последний свой турнир он провалил, зато в Рино его игра смотрится великолепно, что позволяет считать его (наряду с Моррисом и Рейсом) главным претендентом на участие в решающем матче. И в этой группе все 4 остальные участника одержали по две победы. Вот каков был накал борьбы! А неудачниками оказались филиппинец Пагалаян, немец Энгерт, англичанин Хилл и швейцарец Юнго. В составе шестёрки финалистов наибольшее количество побед у Мики Иммонена - 19 (при пяти поражениях), а наихудший показатель у Дюэла - 15 побед, 8 поражений. У Ортманна наибольшее количество "ранаутов" - партий с кия - 81. На втором месте по этому показателю Родни Моррис. Их я и считаю главными претендентами на последнем этапе круговой борьбы. Возможно, этот показатель и определяет истинную силу игроков. (С сайта Евроспорта).
Riba
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Отправлено: 09.09.06 21:25. Заголовок: Re:
Snooker: Jones in the frame in Wales warm-upSep 9 2006
Staff Reporter, South Wales Echo
Wales scraped a 17-16 win over an Invitation side at Morriston as part of their preparations for the Snooker Home Internationals.
Highlight of the challenge match was the game between two of Wales' brightest stars, world amateur champion Michael White and Jamie Jones, who has qualified for the main tour. Jones came out on top 4-1.
REIGNING champion Ronnie O’Sullivan recovered from a 3-1 deficit to snatch a draw in the first match in the 2006 Betfred Premier League Snooker.
Chinese teenage sensation Ding Jun-hui, who many people are tipping as an outside bet to win the competition, looked like producing a stunning victory and inflicting a rare defeat on the Rocket.
However, O’Sullivan, who won the last two leagues, showed his strength of character as a break of 86 in the last frame rescued a hard-fought point.
“I’m pleased with a draw in the end,” said O’Sullivan. “Ding could have won 5-1, he’s a fantastically talented player and I love watching him play. He’s in the Stephen Hendry league of potting and break building. Ding is a phenomenal player and a fantastic talent.”
O’Sullivan is the bookmakers’ favourites to clinch his third title in a row but also wants to make some history and become the first player to make a 147 break in the competition.
“I’ve never made a maximum in this event so that would be a nice thing to do,” added O’Sullivan.
Ding broke and immediately moved into the lead with a break of 41, despite losing position on the red when he had scored 30 but recovered well as he produced a fine shot to cut the ball into the bottom left pocket.
However, he was soon back at the table when O’Sullivan left a red over the bottom right pocket and a score of 22 left The Rocket needing snookers, which he never collected.
The second frame started in nervous fashion with both players making mistakes before O’Sullivan turned on the style as he raced through the balls to reach the 90s and in sight of an extra £1,000 for collecting a century break.
However, two reds placed on the cushion were always going to be a problem and the break came to an end with the scoreboard showing 98 as the match became level.
The action continued in the same vein in the third but O’Sullivan could not wrap the frame up despite a score of 65 before he missed a tricky red into the left centre pocket while having to bridge over another ball.
Ding, the winner of the first snooker ranking event of the year – The Northern Ireland Trophy – took full advantage of this good fortunate as he cleared up with a break of 69 to steal a frame he should have lost.
That seemed to spur on the 19-year-old from China and a break of 76 in the fourth meant Ding was guaranteed at least a point from this match as he moved into a 3-1 advantage.
O’Sullivan had not been beaten in the Premier League for 20 months since he suffered a 4-2 defeat against Jimmy White in January 2005. The Rocket fought hard to avoid another loss as breaks of 45 and 39 helped him to an 86-16 victory in the fifth to keep the match alive.
For the second time in the match O’Sullivan had a chance of scoring a century break in the sixth frame but missed a shot on a red with the score at 86, although he had still done enough to secure a league point.
shual007
Леди Йага
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Отправлено: 20.09.06 05:30. Заголовок: Re:
PAUL'S BIG NIGHT RAISES CHARITY CASH 19 Sep 2006 18:23:00
Organisers of Paul Hunter's 'Big Night Out' hope to raise at least £50,000 from the star studded charity function in his native Yorkshire last weekend.
The money will go to the NET Patient Foundation which gives help and support to those suffering from Neuroendocrine Tumours.
The only disappointment for guests at the Ilkley Lido was that Hunter couldn’t attend due to ill health. He had been admitted to hospital suffering from dehydration.
In his absence, wife Lindsey gave an emotional speech about their life together and his on going battle with cancer.
It was a moving tribute to the three-times Masters champion who was diagnosed with the disease in 2005.
Fellow snooker professionals Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, Matthew Stevens and Mark Williams were at the event, as well as World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker.
"Paul is such a popular figure in snooker and it was fantastic to see so many of the other players as well as stars from other sports in attendance," said Sir Rodney. "A lot of money was raised for an excellent cause.
"Paul’s bravery in the face of illness and the work he had done to raise awareness of the NET Patient Foundation shows his true strength of character. I wish him and his family all the best in his continuing battle."
Four times Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman was also there as well as a collection of Yorkshire cricketers and Leeds Rhinos rugby league players.
There was also a heartfelt ’good luck’ message from Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
A charity auction, including VIP passes to the Ryder Cup and a guitar signed by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, raised an estimated £35,000.
However, by the time all monies have been counted that figure is expected to rise substantially. 2006 WorldSnooker(c)
Duncan Mackay Thursday September 21, 2006 The Guardian
A row has broken out between Sheffield and Edinburgh over where the 2009 World Snooker Championship will be held, after the International Conference Centre in the Scottish capital claimed it would take place there.
But the Yorkshire city insists it already has a contract to host the event. "I personally find Edinburgh's claim puzzling, not only because Sheffield is considered by the snooker world to be the spiritual home of the sport but also because we have just begun a new five-year contract to stage the event," said David Fletcher, director at Sheffield First for Investment.
DOTT HOPES TO PLAY HIS CARDS RIGHT 25 Sep 2006 10:28:00
Crucible champ Graeme Dott is looking to pocket another jackpot when he joins John Higgins and Matthew Stevens in the 2006 888.com UK Poker Open. The snooker stars are among 108 players competing for a total prize pool of $540,000.
Other well known faces at the table will be footballers Teddy Sheringham and Ray Parlour plus Eastenders actor Billy Murray.
The snooker playing trio are tipped to perform well as they can adapt the essential snooker skills to the game of poker. Larkhall's Dott, who scooped £200,000 for his Crucible victory over Peter Ebdon last May, said: “Matthew Stevens won the UK Poker Open in 2004 so it seems that being good at snooker should give me an advantage when it comes to poker.
“As I do in snooker, I will need to know when to hold back and when to take a calculated risk.
“I'm pretty good at keeping my cool in front of green baize but I'm not taking anything for granted though."
This year the Challenge TV cameras will highlight the pressure the 65 top poker professionals, 35 net qualifiers and eight celebrities will be under. The event will be televised on Challenge every weeknight from Mid-October to Mid-November. 2006 World Snooker(c)
Riba
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Откуда: Моя Родина - СССР
Отправлено: 27.09.06 06:06. Заголовок: Re:
Showjumper Mandy cued for inspection
THE wife of seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry will inspect progress at the new Scottish National Equestrian Centre in West Lothian tomorrow.
Accomplished showjumper Mandy Hendry will join fellow rider Douglas Duffin at the Ecclesmachan base to view the first phase of the £4.4 million project. The pair will also meet students of Oatridge agricultural college.
The last time Mandy was on the Ecclesmachan campus was in June, when she competed in the hugely successful Oatridge Horse Trials.
She said: "It was a great competition but the construction of the centre hadn't started then and the site was just a big hole in the ground. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the work is going. The Scottish National Equestrian Centre is a terrific development for equestrianism in Scotland and I'm delighted to do what I can to support it."
The new facility will house an international standard arena with 600 seats, plus a covered warm-up arena, a stable block and a riding performance centre.
Riba
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Откуда: Моя Родина - СССР
Отправлено: 29.09.06 06:24. Заголовок: Re:
Snooker: Swail paired with unknown McCrudden
By Billy Weir
28 September 2006 Matthew McCrudden is the first hurdle for Joe Swail as he begins the defence of his Irish Professional title next month.
The Belfast man takes on the relative unknown at the Spawell Club in Templeogue in Dublin when the Championship gets underway on Monday, October 9.
"I am really looking forward to defending my title in the Spawell this year," said Swail.
"The competition returned last year after a 12-year gap and a lot of people were apprehensive about how it would turn out.
"But thanks to the VCPoker.ie sponsorship, Richie McAuley of the Spawell and tremendous public support, the event was a fantastic success. I am sure that this year's event will be even better."
One of the most eagerly anticipated matches between Joe Delaney and people's champion, Alex Higgins.
The Glasnevin professional will certainly have his work cut out against the five-times champion.
Round One and the Quarter-finals are over the best of nine frames with the semis the first to six. The final is the best of 17 Frames and takes place on Wednesday, October 11.
110sport sets sights on English football stars GUY DIXON
A SCOTTISH sports management business that represents the snooker stars Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan wants to sign up some of England's top footballers.
110sport, which has more than 80 clients from golf, snooker, rugby union, skiing, motorsport and Scottish football already on its books, is opening an office in Birmingham next month and believes English football will be a major source of revenue. The Stirling company's services include finding personal sponsorship opportunities, handling contract negotiations and providing advice on finance, vehicle purchase and leasing, travel and holidays.
It arranges media, sales and marketing opportunities for clients and after-dinner and corporate events.
Lee Doyle, chief executive of 110sport, left the company in 2001 after it was sold to TSN but returned two years later.
He claims that after a period of stagnation before he rejoined, the business is growing fast and he predicts turnover will rise to more than £2m this year.
He said: "We are going forward and this year, for the first year, we can reap the rewards. By the end of this year, we will return a six-figure profit.
"When I got involved, turnover was £800,000. It's now a couple of years from being an attractive acquisition for someone. It's important that we have in place some sort of exit strategy."
Kevin Drinkell, the former Rangers player, set up the company's football management division in 2003, and Neil Murray, who was part of the Glasgow club's treble-winning team in 1992/3, also works for the company.
Doyle said there are around 70 qualified football agents in Scotland and between 400 and 500 in England.
But he said that despite the increased competition south of the Border, there is room for his company, pointing out there are more than 2,100 professional footballers needing representation.
110sport's current clients include former world snooker champions Mark Williams MBE, Ken Doherty and Terry Griffiths.
The European and Commonwealth boxing champion Alex Arthur, British skier Alain Baxter and the Scotland rugby player Ally Hogg are also on the books.
Last updated: 30-Sep-06 00:46 BST несапсем снукерное, но около того
Riba
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Откуда: Моя Родина - СССР
Отправлено: 02.10.06 21:49. Заголовок: Re:
2 October 2006 SNOOKER: WHITE LIFTS HIS BURDEN JIMMY WHITE won his first match in a year to remain in the hunt for a place in the televised phase of the Royal London Grand Prix.
White, 44, defeated Alfie Burden 3-0 in the third of his six group matches at Prestatyn, having lost 3-2 to Tom Ford and 3-1 to Joe Jogia yesterday.
He needs a top-two finish in his group to qualify. It was White's first victory since he defeated Ricky Walden in October last year.
Wednesday, October 4: 5pm - SNOOKER super-coach Del Hill has led England's national amateur teams to an unrivalled grand slam in the recent Home International series. And this triumph makes him the only coach in the game to have won the home internationals at both amateur and professional levels – he coached the England pro team of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Jimmy White, John Parrott and Steven Lee to a Nations Cup victory a few seasons ago. Del was appointed team manager and coach by the England Billiards and Snooker Association only a couple of weeks before the eight-day amateur series began in Wales, at Pontins Prestatyn, and he has certainly made his mark. The Friskney-based guru of the green baize, helped by assistant Nigel Bond, masterminded the senior men's team's unbeaten progress to the Prince of Wales Shield, beating Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland and drawing with Wales. The women's team saw off Scotland, Ireland 1 and Ireland 2 to carry off the Maisie Colquitt Shield and the junior boys' under-16 squad were unstoppable as they brushed aside the challenge of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to carry off the Mirror Challenge Shield. England's young lions were also roaring at under-19 level, coming out victorious in the series against Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Looking to add more silverware, the juniors proved unbeatable against the four home countries and a strong Pontins select team to carry off the International Cup and the senior over-40 England side proved too strong for the other four home countries and took the Pontins Masters award with an unbeaten record. In the final series of the tournament, for the International Cup, Del's England side had to be content with second place, missing out by one point to a Pontins select team but beating Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, France and Qatar. Del described the teams' performance as "simply awesome". "Considering I had such a short time to work with the teams, they responded magnificently. And one of the greatest things that has happened to me in snooker was when they all chipped in to make a special presentation to me at the awards dinner. "That feeling, and the pride in managing England, is something money can't buy." 04 October 2006
Riba
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Откуда: Моя Родина - СССР
Отправлено: 05.10.06 05:39. Заголовок: Re:
SNOOKER:'Alex Higgins gets wildcard invite'
Alex Higgins makes another comeback bid when he competes in the Victor Chandler Irish Professional Championship in Dublin next week. The twice former world champion has received a wild card invitation to the event at the Spawell snooker club from October 9-11.
Fellow Northern Ireland player Joe Swail defends the title he won 12 months ago, following a 9-7 victory over Ken Doherty. Provisional world number one Doherty, a winner of the Pontin`s Pro-Am grand finals at Prestatyn last month, is also in the line-up.
Swail faces Martin McCrudden in the first round while 1997 Crucible champion Doherty tackles Robert Murphy.
`Hurricane` Higgins lost to Garry Hardiman in his opening game 12 months ago and will hope to go one better when facing Joe Delaney.
Other interesting first round contests include former British Open champion Fergal O`Brien against Dermot McGlinchey, 2004 IBSF world champion Mark Allen takes on Hardiman, while Davy Morris meets Colm Gilchreest.
Morris, an 18-year-old from Kilkenny, recently became the first player to win three All Ireland Senior Championships in a row with a 5-3 victory over Dermot McGlinchey.
Welsh snooker star Dominic Dale went through in the TV stages of the Royal London Grand Prix despite being convinced he would miss out.
Because of the various permutations in the group in Prestatyn, only a 3-2 win for Shokat Ali over Sean Storey meant that 1997 champion Dale would qualify second behind Michael Judge.
Ali duly delivered the 3-2 victory, leaving Dale delighted.
'I must be the luckiest person here,' he said.
'I can't believe I went through and it was agony waiting for that last match to finish.' Dale, who beat John Higgins to win the title nine years ago, was a semi-finalist in the new season's first event, the Northern Ireland Trophy, in August.
He will be joined in front of the cameras by Neath's Jamie Jones, 18, who secured his television debut for the event at Aberdeen, starting on October 21, by finishing second in Group A behind Thailand's Issara Kachaiwong.
John Parrott missed out on a place to 17-year-old Judd Trump, despite winning his final group match.
The other qualifier from Parrott's group was Derby's David Roe, who beat Welshman Ian Preece 3-1.
Riba
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Откуда: Моя Родина - СССР
Отправлено: 06.10.06 06:21. Заголовок: Re:
Snooker: Allen and Greene go through to televised finals
By Billy Weir
05 October 2006 Mark Allen and Gerard Greene secured their place in the TV stages of the Royal London Grand Prix yesterday at Prestatyn.
Both men lost their final group games but their earlier performances in the qualifying booked their trip to Aberdeen.
The new format will continue in the event proper, with both Ulstermen facing tough tests.
Among those in with Allen are World Champion Graeme Dott and Northern Ireland Trophy champion, Ding Junhui, while Greene will be up against Mark Williams and Stephen Lee.
However, Dermot McGlinchey missed out, losing his final game to 1991 World Champion John Parrott, who also fell short of a trip to the ranking event.
Instead, 17-year-old Judd Trump guaranteed himself a debut appearance before the television cameras, where he will face 1997 world champion Ken Doherty.
The other qualifier from 42-year-old Parrott's group was Derby's David Roe, who beat Welshman Ian Preece 3-1 to finish second behind Trump.
Malta's Tony Drago lost his last match 3-1 to Yorkshireman Paul Davison, who qualified alongside Jamie Cope.
Dominic Dale went through despite being convinced he would miss out. Because of the various permutations in the group, only a 3-2 win for Shokat Ali over Sean Storey meant that Welshman Dale would qualify second behind Michael Judge.
Ali duly delivered the 3-2 victory, leaving Dale delighted.
Thailand's Issara Kachaiwong and young Welsh ace Jamie Jones made it through from Group A, while China's Liang Wenbo joined Greene from Group E. Robin Hull, Fergal O'Brien, Ben Woollaston, Andrew Norman and Tom Ford also made it through
18 месяцев назад медики установили страшный диагноз у одного из ведущих снукеристов мира Пола Хантера. Весь снукерный мир поддерживал спортсмена, пытаясь помочь преодолеть вероломную болезнь. Но увы! Этот свой матч Пол Хантер проиграл...Через пять дней ему исполнилось бы только 28 лет... В 10 лет Пол Хантер попал в поле зрения опытного тренера Алана Тригга. Уже через полгода на тренировке он сделал свой первый сенчури. Через несколько лет Тригг передал своего воспитанника в руки бывшего чемпиона мира Джо Джонсона. После ряда громких побед на любительском уровне уже в 16 лет Пол перешёл в профессионалы. Его победа над Стивеном Хендри, блиставшем в те годы, пришла к Полу в полуфинале Уэлш Оупен, когда Полу было всего 17 лет. А первый рейтинговый турнир он выиграл два года спустя. Это опять был Уэлш Оупен. За годы своей профессиональной карьеры Пол Хантер поднимался до 4-й ступени мирового рейтинга. Он трижды выигрывал турнир Мастерс (2001, 2202, 2204), дважды - Уэлш Оупен (1998 и 2002) и Бритиш Оупен в 2002-м. Многие помнят как на Уэмбли Пол Хантер одолел Фергала О'Брайна 10:9, проигрывая по ходу финала 3:7. Можно вспомнить и финал Мастерс, когда Пол уступал Марку Уильямсу 0:5, но в итоге выиграл 10:9. Да и в 2004-м году снова на Мастерс Хантер проигрывал 2:7 Ронни О'Салливану, но проявил волю к победе и завоевал кубок - 10:9. Кроме великолепной игры Пол Хантер многим нравился своим дружелюбным характером, приятной манерой поведения, своей внешностью и улыбкой, наконец. Не случайно его называли Бекхэмом зелёного сукна. Все его коллеги сейчас просто шокированы. Потрясены миллионы болельщиков. Что говорить о семье? Жена Линдсей подарила Полу дочку Эви Розе уже после того, как был установлен страшный диагноз. Сейчас ей всего полтора года... В начале этого сезона специальным решением Полу был предоставлен год на лечение, а рейтинг его, ставший к тому времени 34-м, решено было на это время заморозить. Все надеялись, что Пол вернётся и поднимется к вершинам мирового снукера. Более того, многие считали, что ему по силам стать чемпионом мира. Увы, всё пошло по другому сценарию. За всё время знакомства со снукером русскоязычных болельщиков это первая потеря действующего игрока. Игрока, у которого было множество болельщиков и на постсоветском пространстве. Мы понесли потерю. Потерю, с которой невозможно мириться...
"I’m devastated. Paul didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone in the game and no one had a bad word to say about him.
"He was like Jimmy White in that respect. He loved his snooker, he loved life and he’ll be sadly missed by everyone.
"Paul was just a really nice guy and a great player. When he first emerged on the scene, he had the ability you always thought would eventually result in him becoming a world champion. Sadly he never got the chance to fulfil that goal. But his record, especially in the Masters at Wembley, spoke for itself.
"My sympathies go to (wife) Lindsey and Paul’s parents. He had a golden future ahead of him. This is just the worst nightmare imaginable and puts everything into perspective." Stephen Hendry
"It is a great loss to the sport, but more importantly a great loss to his family. Paul played the game with a smile on his face. I never heard him complain, he was always so happy." John Parrott
"This is a very sad moment for the game. I played many great games against him. Paul made snooker sexy. I’m completely gutted at the news." Ken Doherty
"He was a very flamboyant player, a very attacking player. He had a heart like a lion. I’m sure that he would have been a future world champion. It’s such a sad loss to our game and his family.
"Deep down I think we all thought he was going to beat the disease. Then two or three months ago we realised it was probably a lot more serious than we thought." Willie Thorne
"This is terrible news. I’ve followed his battle closely. We all loved Paul. My thoughts are with his family right now." Alex Higgins Worldsnooker(c)
Sanya
green mama
Сообщение: 324
Откуда: Россия, Белый город над белой Двиной
Отправлено: 11.10.06 07:26. Заголовок: Re:
11 October 2006 SNOOKER: TOURNAMENT 'MUST HONOUR TRAGIC PAUL' Paul Hunter 1978-2006: An unfulfilled genius JIMMY WHITE last night led calls for snooker's Masters Tournament to be named after Paul Hunter.
The Whirlwind spoke out as the sport mourned the loss of the 27-year-old former Masters champion, who died of cancer on Monday night.
White said: "It would be nice for his memory to live on in the game - and what better place than at the Masters where Paul really made his name."
LINDSEY THANKS FANS FOR SUPPORT 11 Oct 2006 17:24:00
Lindsey Hunter has spoken about the tragic loss of her beloved husband
She said:
I would very much like to express my heartfelt thanks to all our family, friends, Paul’s fellow professionals, fans, and the media for their incredible support since we lost Paul. It is an enormous source of comfort to me, and further evidence to that Paul was a very, very special person indeed.
He was also the absolute love of my life, a totally devoted father to our beautiful daughter Evie, and he will always mean everything to us. I hope you will understand that I do not wish to say anymore until after his funeral has taken place, and I kindly request you allow us to grieve in peace and privacy.
Paul’s funeral service will be held at Leeds Parish Church on the 19th October at 2pm. His coffin will lie in wait in the Lady Chapel at the same church from Tuesday 17th October at 9.30pm for the two days prior to the funeral service. A book of condolence will be available for all visitors to sign and pay their personal respects to a wonderful man who brought light and love into all our lives.
The immediate family would prefer to provide the flowers for the church service, but anyone wishing to make a donation to Paul’s chosen charities can send cheques made payable to The NET Patient Foundation, or Kirkwood Hospice, to:
Paul Hunter Snooker c/o 13 Poolcroft Sale Cheshire M33 2LF.
My sincere appreciation to all of you.
Love, Lindsey Hunter.
Paul’s manager and friend Brandon Parker added:
On Monday, the world lost a very special person, and I lost the closest of friends and working companions. Paul travelled the world in his quest to promote his sport, and his country, I was always taken a back by his simple humanity and manners. He had a unique ability to put people in all walks of life at ease and on an equal terms. Paul’s cheeky smile, vogue looks and warm spirit filled rooms, and wooed audiences wherever he went.
He was a ’Champion of the World’ , and snooker will do well to recognise his talent and goals in driving the sport to new levels of competition in a fashionable sporting manner.
11 October 2006 Ulster hopes of bringing the vcpoker.ie Irish Professional Snooker Championship title back across the border ended in a potting frenzy last night.
After a superb day's play at the Spawell Club in Dublin, Mark Allen was left flying the flag when he took on former World Champion, Ken Doherty, in the semi-final, going down 6-2.
Earlier in the day there had been a huge shock as defending champion, Joe Swail, was dumped out in the deciding frame by Kilkenny teenager, Davy Morris.
He belied any nerves to make a 45 break to win the opener, and even when Swail hit back with runs of 51 and 64 to win the next two, he maintained his composure.
The game then turned and Morris rattled off the next three to move one short of a semi-final place but Swail dug deep to restore parity, drawing level at 4-4 thanks to a wonderfully crafted break of 118.
In a tense deciding frame, Morris's break of 35 proved the telling contribution and took him over the finishing line.
Allen reached the last four by ousting Gerard Greene in a dazzling display of cuemanship, coming from 3-1 down to rattle off four frames on the trot in just under an hour to progress.
But the former World Amateur Champion had no answer to Dubliner Doherty who turned on the style in front of his hometown crowd.
The Ranelagh man lost the first frame to a 79 break from Allen, but rattled off the next five, scoring heavily almost every time he got amongst the balls.
His 131 in the third frame became the leading break of the tournament, beating Joe Delaney's 129 against Alex Higgins, but that mark was eclipsed minutes later by Morris in the other semi-final.
Allen delayed the inevitable with breaks of 48 and 45, but a missed red left Doherty in to seal the eighth frame.
Doherty was pleased afterwards: "It's a much better display tonight," he commented.
"Mark Allen is a good player, a good prospect, so it was tougher. I made a few centuries, could have made a couple of more, but I'm just delighted that I'm scoring and into the final."
He will now meet Michael Judge in today's final, after he accounted for Fergal O'Brien and Morris yesterday.
He dropped just one frame against O'Brien and ended Morris's superb run in similarly emphatic fashion, again just losing the one frame.
It lacked the potting fluency of the Doherty-Allen clash but Morris, at only 17, showed his class with a magnificent 132 break to level the match at 1-1.
Judge won the next five frames but Morris should perhaps have taken the fourth and fifth frames. He didn't, however, and Judge weighed in with a 105 break to move himself within one of a place in the final.
He duly got that frame but was loud in his praise of his 17-year-old opponent.
"Davy is a superb player and future world champion in my eyes" he enthused. "His 132 looked so easy. I'll be the underdog against Ken but I'm playing really well and I'm going out there to make up the numbers."
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