Michael Holt (snooker player)
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| Professional | 1996– |
|---|---|
| Highest ranking |
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Michael Holt is a professional snooker player from Nottingham, England. As of 2009[update], he has reached the quarter finals of three ranking tournaments - the 1999 UK Championship, the 2003 LG Cup, and the 2005 Grand Prix.
Career
He lost in the final qualifying round of the World Snooker Championship in 2001 and 2002. Michael almost qualified for the 2004 event - he was 9-5 ahead in his final qualifying match against Anthony Hamilton, before losing the next five frames to lose the match.
In the 2005 World Snooker Championship, he beat his friend Paul Hunter in the first round. In the second round he faced Steve Davis, losing 10-13 after having led 8-2. For the 2005 tournament he used eBay to auction the sponsorship space on his waistcoat to Cabaret, a Nottingham nightspot.
He qualified for the 2006 World Championship, and lost in the first round to eventual runner-up Peter Ebdon 10-8, earning Ebdon's applause as a result of his performance. He won the non-ranking German Open in 2006, and reached the final in 2005. His 5-3 victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 2007 Malta Cup was his first in five attempts against O'Sullivan. He then lost to Mark King in the last 16 there. He lost to eventual champion John Higgins in the first round in 2007 [2] The rest of 2007 was unspectacular, barring victory in the minor Dutch Open, which featured 7 of the top 32 of the time [3], including wins over Nigel Bond and Barry Pinches. He missed out on the 2008 World Championship after losing to Michael Judge, causing him to drop out of the top 32 after 4 seasons there, after a season in which he failed to reach the last 16 of a ranking event.
Holt's results improved in 2008/2009. He reached the last 16 of the 2008 Grand Prix, defeating Jimmy White and Michael Judge to qualify and scored a 5-1 defeat of Mark Allen at the venue, before losing 2-5 to Ding Junhui. In the subsequent Bahrain Championship Holt scored a 5-0 victory over David Morris in which his Irish opponent scored just 10 points, the lowest total in a best-of-nine world ranking match since 1992 [4]. He then beat Jamie Cope to reach the last sixteen and commented that he was in the best form of his life [5]. He then lost 4-5 to Robert Milkins in the last 16, having lead 4-0. He defeated Mark Davis and Dominic Dale to reach the 2009 World Championship, guaranteeing his return to the top 32. He summarised the change in his game by commenting "This year, people have had to beat me. I haven't given matches away" [6]
Personality
Analysis of his body language at the 2006 World Championships found apparent flaws in his attitude and temperament. [7] Holt finds it difficult to re-focus after playing a bad shot. This can lead to dips in form that may last for two to three frames. He appears to need confidence to achieve his best results. Despite frequently losing final-frame matches, Michael has stated that he's 'not a choker', and that he just lacks concentration.
He has been docked frames for swearing during matches, and was fined for throwing up chocolate early in the 2006/2007 season during a second round match. Michael is also infamous for conceding the deciding frame (while level at 4-4) in a China Open match in 2005 against Joe Perry, while there were still 13 reds left available to pot. On a similar theme, his nickname “The Hitman” comes from his penchant for hitting the table in anger, which once resulted in a broken knuckle.
He also DJs in Greece as a hobby during the close season, and is a qualified personal trainer.
- His brother Matthew Holt plays bass in the band The Kull.
Tournament wins
Team Events
- WLBSA World Mixed Doubles Championship (with Reanne Evans) - 2009
External links
References
<references>
- ^ a b Yahoo! Sport. 2009. Michael Holt. [Online] Yahoo! UK (Updated 2010) Available at: http://uk.yahoo.eurosport.com/snooker/person_prs32334.shtml [Accessed 17 February 2010].
- ^ BBC Nottinhham: Holt's tough Crucible test.
- ^ World Snooker News
- ^ World Snooker News: Walden Earns Bahrain Berth
- ^ BBC Sport: Seeds crash out in Bahrain event
- ^ Holt Wants to Fulfil Potential
- ^ Bet Finder: 888.com World Snooker Championship Player Guide & Wallchart (search for Michael Holt)
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