Your top ten matches of all time?

Juddernaut88 wrote:1. Paul Hunter 10-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan 2004 Masters final

badtemperedcyril wrote:

Muller wrote:Partisanship is so hard to avoid for the avid follower of any sport, be it team or individual. As a Welshman my favourite rugby matches tend to be famous Welsh wins. Snooker is slightly different as an individual sport but often I have strong loyalties, starting with Welsh players. The first championship I recall watching was 1978, Reardon's last title and of course there was the Griffiths first time win in 1979. Add to that Wales winning the team classics of 1979 and 1980 the it was a great introduction for me!

So, in the early days obviously my favourite players tended to be Reardon, Griffiths and Mountjoy. I had non-Welsh players I liked: Higgins, Thorburn, Dennis Taylor, Kirk Stevens and eventually Jimmy White. I think people will agree, quite a range of players there! As time has gone on obviously I supported Williams and Matthew Stevens but have also liked Selby, Judd and Roberston (his veganism notwithstanding). I have found it hard to like Murphy (warmed to him since he ceased to be a God-Botherer) have never really liked Higgins and ( i know this is heresy for some) have never warmed to O'Sullivan despite fully recognising his genius.

So, for me, any list will be necessarily biased based on what I have written above but I have full respect for those who are able to be objective! Many are reluctant to concede that they have unconscious bias, in sport as it other walks of life.

So, on this criteria here is my chronological list.


Griffiths - Charlton (1979 WC)

Higgins - White (1982 WC)

Higgins - Davis (1983 UK)

Taylor - Davis (1985 WC)

Mountjoy - Hendry (1988 UK)

Williams - Hendry (1998 Masters)

Williams - Higgins (2000 WC)

Williams - Stevens (2000 WC)

Williams - Higgins (2018 WC)

Trump - Higgins (2019 WC)


I stress: these are not what I consider to be per se the best matches, but rather those I have best memories of, based on who won (or who lost!) I like to think I am being honest at least.

I may attempt a more objective one!

Nice to see the Griffiths v Charlton match get a mention. It was truly an epic when you take everything into consideration. Sometimes, players who aren't flamboyant get forgotten but Charlton deserves credit as an absolute warrior of the game. 1979 must have seemed like it would finally be his year once Reardon, Spencer and Higgins were out of the way. Standing between him and the title were two qualifiers, one a rookie (Virgo and Griffiths), and Dennis Taylor, to whom he'd never lost. At the age of 49 and appearing in his seventh World Championship semi-final in nine attempts, perhaps he had too much experience? It was an absolute monster of a match... Griffiths leading 10-4, only for Charlton to grind him down with his slow tempo and zero mistakes, recovered to trail only 11-10 overnight. Charlton led for the first time 16-15 and again at 17-16 before what would be one of the most remarkable frames in Championship history. It went something like this: Charlton missed an easy red to the middle with game on; Griffiths missed the red from distance but double kissed and fluked a snooker; Charlton fouled; Griffiths potted red/black then missed an easy last red; Charlton attempted a tricky red at full stretch but missed it by a mile and fluked a snooker; Griffiths escaped from the snooker and fluked the red!; Griffiths pots green, yellow, green; Griffiths fluked the brown with an amazing baulk cushion to middle pocket double!; Griffiths twice attempts the blue at distance but went safe; Charlton under hits his safety; Griffiths sinks blue and pink for 17-17. Griffiths won the next to lead 18-17 and from 0-48 took the match with a 97 clearance at something like 1.40am!

Muller wrote:Yes, I recall illicitly staying up on a school night to watch the conclusion I have a vague recollection of Charlton coming back out having departed the arena fora further interview with David Vine?

Juddernaut88 wrote:Northern Ireland Open final in 2016 between Mark King and Barry Hawkins would be just outside my top 10, That match may not be everyone's cup of tea but I actually really liked it.

Juddernaut88 wrote:Northern Ireland Open final in 2016 between Mark King and Barry Hawkins would be just outside my top 10, That match may not be everyone's cup of tea but I actually really liked it.

Muller wrote:Wow, I - forgive me - was under the impression you were older than that.

Given that, I am impressed with your love for the earlier history of the game. Others could learn from you!