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Choose The Best World Championship Final

Poll ended at 17 Apr 2020

1982: Alex Higgins 18-15 Ray Reardon
0
No votes
1984: Steve Davis 18-16 Jimmy White
0
No votes
1985: Dennis Taylor 18-17 Steve Davis
4
31%
1986: Joe Johnson 18-12 Steve Davis
1
8%
1992: Stephen Hendry 18-14 Jimmy White
1
8%
1993: Stephen Hendry 18-5 Jimmy White
0
No votes
1994: Stephen Hendry 18-17 Jimmy White
2
15%
1997: Ken Doherty 18-12 Stephen Hendry
0
No votes
2000: Mark Williams 18-16 Matthew Stevens
0
No votes
2002: Peter Ebdon 18-17 Stephen Hendry
0
No votes
2005: Shaun Murphy 18-16 Matthew Stevens
0
No votes
2011: John Higgins 18-15 Judd Trump
0
No votes
2013: Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-12 Barry Hawkins
1
8%
2014: Mark Selby 18-14 Ronnnie O'Sullivan
0
No votes
2015: Stuart Bingham 18-15 Shaun Murphy
0
No votes
2018: Mark Williams 18-16 John Higgins
4
31%
2019: Judd Trump 18-9 John Higgins
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 13

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby Ck147

Pink Ball wrote:My selection: the 1985 World Championship Final which, I believe, is the greatest snooker match in history, even if the BBC turned me off it for a while.

Safe bet that one, I was only 12 at the time but remember it, first time I stayed up really late to watch something.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby mick745

Average frame time of more than 25 minutes, lots of long drawn out safety battles, but we know snooker is much more than that. It was the drama that was produced, never been anything like it in snooker before or since.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby TheRocket

2018 for me. 1985 is obviously legendary but I'm pretty sure 2018 was on a different level in terms of standard. And it had drama as well.

The 1994 and 2002 final deserve to be mentioned as well. Any decider in a world final is special.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

D4P wrote:It's interesting that the match widely considered to be the greatest in history featured 35 frames without a single century...


I'm not sure if it's considered a great match but it was very dramatic final frame at a time when Snooker was massive and it had happy ending.

I went with 1994. The most compelling story of any final.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby vodkadiet1

I went with 1986. Even though Johnson won 18-12 you never thought he could win until he was within a couple of frames of victory. It was such an unlikely story. Davis was the biggest favorite in history.

When Johnson was awaiting the winner of the heavyweight clash between Davis and Thorburn who were level going in to the final session. He was asked who would you like to play in the final. Johnson replied "Neither of them!"

Johnson had started the final well in leading 4-3 after the opening session but then the result seemed a formality when Davis won the first 4 frames of the second session to lead 7-4 at the mid session interval and the match in all reality was over. Johnson went straight to the practice table and the BBC cameras panned in to Johnson to show him getting his cue arm going as he had been denied table time by a rampant Davis. And the one shot they showed of Johnson on the practice table he totally miscued and almost ripped the cloth! Johnson looked at the camera and just laughed!

Clive Everton was in the commentary box for the third session and he was equally convinced Johnson couldn't win even though he was going a few frames ahead. And then, as Davis was set to win a crucial frame as he tried to get back within striking distance he suffered a cruel piece of misfortune and Everton said "I am beginning to believe in the fate theory". That marked the moment when indeed fate deemed Johnson was set to become the longest priced winner in Crucible history.

He had these lucky red and white shoes that were partly credited for his victory. I don't think I saw them again. He probably has them locked away in a cupboard somewhere!

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby Cloud Strife

Pink Ball wrote:Johnson’s win was a tonic.


I imagine it must have felt very similar to how Ken's victory over Hendry felt to snooker fans of my generation.

It was like discovering an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby PLtheRef

1985 might not have been the greatest Final standard wise but in terms of the Drama and excitement - it cannot be understated how important that Final was for that event or for snooker in general

The 1985 Final between Davis and Taylor came at the end of a World Championship which had seen some great moments hadn't really lived up to great expectations.

Despite there being several close finishes in the First Round in 1985 (one decider and five other 10-8 scorelines), from the Last 16, close finishes were scarce (10 out of the 14 matches in the Second Round, Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals) being settled before the interval in the Final session) - including both Semi-Finals being won with a session to spare.

In terms of few close finishes, its interesting how the 1994 and 2002 World Championships compare with 85. In 1994 there were three matches won with sessions to spare in the Second Round and both Semi-Finals were won 16-8 or 16-9 and in 2002 five of the Last 16 matches were won 13-2 or 13-3 though there were a few deciders that year.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby TheRocket

Cloud Strife wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Johnson’s win was a tonic.


I imagine it must have felt very similar to how Ken's victory over Hendry felt to snooker fans of my generation.

It was like discovering an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert.


With Hendry it was because the guy won 5 world titles on the trot (1992-1996). Davis maybe not so much because he had lost that final against Taylor a year prior to the Johnson defeat so he didnt quite have the same invincibility aura like Hendry.

Re: All-Star World Championship Phase Two: The Final

Postby mick745

vodkadiet1 wrote:I went with 1986. Even though Johnson won 18-12 you never thought he could win until he was within a couple of frames of victory. It was such an unlikely story. Davis was the biggest favorite in history.

When Johnson was awaiting the winner of the heavyweight clash between Davis and Thorburn who were level going in to the final session. He was asked who would you like to play in the final. Johnson replied "Neither of them!"

Johnson had started the final well in leading 4-3 after the opening session but then the result seemed a formality when Davis won the first 4 frames of the second session to lead 7-4 at the mid session interval and the match in all reality was over. Johnson went straight to the practice table and the BBC cameras panned in to Johnson to show him getting his cue arm going as he had been denied table time by a rampant Davis. And the one shot they showed of Johnson on the practice table he totally miscued and almost ripped the cloth! Johnson looked at the camera and just laughed!

Clive Everton was in the commentary box for the third session and he was equally convinced Johnson couldn't win even though he was going a few frames ahead. And then, as Davis was set to win a crucial frame as he tried to get back within striking distance he suffered a cruel piece of misfortune and Everton said "I am beginning to believe in the fate theory". That marked the moment when indeed fate deemed Johnson was set to become the longest priced winner in Crucible history.

He had these lucky red and white shoes that were partly credited for his victory. I don't think I saw them again. He probably has them locked away in a cupboard somewhere!


Later on in the 23rd frame, the one where Everton had made his "fate" comment, Davis was chasing snookers on the brown. Davis played a brilliant shot to snooker behind the black but Johnson missed his escape by about three feet. Davis then argued with referee John Street that it was a 'deliberate' miss. In Davis' long career i don't think i saw Davis lose his composure or question a referee at all. Both players were sensing i think it was slipping away from Davis at that point.