10 historical Snooker games

Last week we opened the series on mythical moments of pool with 10 historical Pool games. Today is the turn of Snooker. You won’t be a total billiardist until you have not watched over and over these maximum breaks and other memorable frames.

1- The first televised Maximum (Steve Davis, Lada Classic 1982)

A 147 was never seen before on TV. He managed the first in 1982, a very young Steve Davis who did not believe what he had done after scoring a complicated blue and pink balls.

2- 69 Break in his way to the final (Alex Higgins, World Championship 1982)

With this fabulous break in a comeback, the unstable Alex Higgins forced the decider in the 1982 World Championship semi-final against Jimmy White.

3- The Crucible gets 147 for the first time (Cliff Thorburn, World Championship 1983)

The first 147 achieved at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield (and therefore in the World Championship) came in 1983 by Cliff Thorburn "The Grinder".

4- The fateful thin black  (Dennis Taylor, World Championship 1985)

A memorable final that finished with an agonizing end. After a perfect start by Davis and a great comeback by Dennis Taylor, both arrive tied (17-17) to the decisive frame and very close (62-59) to the last black ball.

5- History is repeated for White (Stephen Hendry, World Championship 1994)

To the sixth time lucky? No, unfortunately for Jimmy White. In 1994 he lost again a final of the World Championship for the fifth time in a row (six in total). Hendry took the decider.

6- The fastest 147 in history (Ronnie O'Sullivan, 1997)

"The Rocket" flaunts his nickname to achieve the fastest Maximum Break in history, in 5 minutes and 20 seconds. It was in the 1997 World Championship against Mick Price.

7- O'Sullivan rules the decider (Ronnie O'Sullivan World Championship 2005)

Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Maguire reach the decider in the first round of the 2005 World Championship. 'The Rocket' takes the match after forcing Maguire’s failure and achieving a great break.

8- Master in unpolluted cleanliness (John Higgins, Masters, 2006)

John Higgins cleans the table and comes back 60 points against O'Sullivan to win the deciding frame in the final of the Masters 2006.

9- The perfect Snooker (Ding Junhui Masters 2011)

Ding Junhui achieves an impeccable defense to force the mistake of Marco Fu and take this great defensive frame of the final of the Masters 2011.

10- A dreamt retirement (Stephen Hendry, World Championship 2012)

Hanging up the cue with a Maximum Break at the Crucible. Hendry did it in the first round of the 2012 World Championship, the last tournament he played before his retirement.

How these 10 historical Snooker moments looked like? Would you add any other? Write it in the comments.

If you missed the first article in this series, you can watch here the 10 historical Pool games.