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Paul Hunter

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This article is about the snooker player. For other uses, see Paul Hunter (disambiguation).
Paul Hunter
NicknameBeckham of the Baize[1]
Professional1995–2006
Highest ranking4 (2004/05)[2]
Century breaks114
Tournament wins
Ranking3

Paul Alan Hunter (14 October 1978 – 9 October 2006) was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" because of his good looks and flamboyant style.[4][5]

Hunter was a three-time Masters Champion, winning the title on the deciding frame of the match on all three occasions. As well Hunter compiled 114 competitive century breaks[6] in the course of his professional career, including a personal record break of 146 compiled at the 2004 Premier League.[7] Hunter also won three ranking titles, the British Open and the Welsh Open (twice).[2]

In March 2005 Hunter was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumours,[7] he died from the disease in 2006 just before his 28th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Lindsey and their daughter.[8]

Early life

Hunter was born in Leeds in 1978[4] and was educated at St Andrews Primary School and Cardinal Heenan High School.[9] With some encouragement from friends and family, he spent many hours practising snooker. He often travelled to Bradford to practise alongside Joe Johnson.[10] By the age of 12 had become an outstanding junior talent.[9] He has won many junior tournaments and aged 14 won the English Doubles Championship with Richard Brooke.[4] With the help of former professional snooker players Jimmy Michie and Joe Johnson, the youngster from Leeds made his debut among the professionals in July 1995 at the age of 16.[2][4][9]

Early career (1995–2000)

Four months later, Hunter caused a major sensation at the UK Championship by beating world number six Alan McManus 9–4 in the first round.[11] He followed up that achievement by becoming the youngest player to reach the last four of a ranking event when he reached the semi-finals of the 1996 Welsh Open at the age of just 17 and three months.[4]

Also in 1996, he reached the quarter-finals of the UK Championship where he beat Willie Thorne 9–0, James Wattana 9–5 and Terry Murphy 9–7, before bowing out 5–9 to eventual champion Stephen Hendry.[12] Hunter's achievements earned him high accolades throughout the game and was awarded a wildcard to play at the 1997 Masters. Although he was beaten 1–5 by Mark Williams in the first round, it was to be the start of a great love affair that he would have with Wembley.[13]

He was fined £4,550 and docked 1,440 ranking points after testing positive for cannabis during an event in 1997.[10] His first ranking tournament victory came at the 1998 Welsh Open, where he defeated no fewer than seven players to lift the title and claim the £60,000 winner's cheque. Paul Wykes (5–3), Neal Foulds (5–2), Steve Davis (5–3), Nigel Bond (5–4), Alan McManus (5–3) and Peter Ebdon (6–1) all fell at the hands of the 19-year-old, before he overcame the John Higgins 9–5 in the final. During the final, Hunter made three century breaks (108, 116 and 127). He was 2–4 down at one time, but won seven of the last eight frames to clinch the title.[14] He followed up that success by reaching the semi-finals of the 1998 UK Championship in Bournemouth[15] and was named the Snooker Writers Association's "Young Player of the Year".[9][10]

Hunter's first appearance at the Crucible came in 1999 World Championship, where he lost 8–10 in the first round to the eventual champion Stephen Hendry.[16] His form that season elevated him to no. 12 in the 1999/2000 world rankings resulting in automatic qualification into the final stages of ranking tournaments for the first time.[17]

After a below-par 1999/2000 season, demoting him to no. 14 in the 2000/2001 world rankings,[17] he announced his arrival as a genuine force at the top of the professional game by reaching the quarter-final stage or better in six tournaments the following season. He was a runner-up at the Welsh Open,[18] a semi-finalist at the British Open[19] and Scottish Open[20] and a quarter-finalist at the Grand Prix[21] and China Open[22] – but he saved his best form for the 2001 Masters.

Masters champion (2001–2004)

In the 2001 Masters, Hunter beat his close friend and defending champion Matthew Stevens 6–5 in the last 16, Peter Ebdon 6–3 in the quarter-finals and Stephen Hendry 6–4 in the semi-finals.[23][24] In the final Hunter recovered from a 3–7 deficit against Fergal O'Brien to win 10–9. The match turned on the pivotal eleventh frame, where Hunter looked like trailing 3–8 but recovered to reduce his deficit to 4–7, before knocking in four centuries in six frames[24] on his way to a famous 10–9 victory,[25] and a £175,000 first prize.[26] In his post-match interview, Hunter caused a media sensation by admitting he resorted to "Plan B" with Lindsey, then his girlfriend, during the interval while 2–6 down. The 'B' in "Plan B" purportedly refers to the word "bonk", a British slang term for sexual intercourse. Hunter and Fell retired to their hotel room and he recalled: "Sex was the last thing on my mind. I just wasn't in the mood. But I had to do something to break the tension. It was a quick session – around 10 minutes or so – but I felt great afterwards. She jumped in the bath, I had a kip and then played like a dream. I reeled off four centuries in six frames. I won easily."[10][25]

Twelve months on in 2002, he retained his title but it did not get any less exciting along the way. After a relatively straight-forward 6–3 victory at the round of 16 stage over Stephen Lee, Hunter triumphed in final frame shoot-outs against Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals, Alan McManus in the semi-finals and most memorably coming from 0–5 down to beat Mark Williams 10–9 in the final.[27] In doing so, he became only the third player in history to retain the Masters trophy along with Cliff Thorburn and Stephen Hendry, and in doing so he won the £190,000 prize.[28]

It represented a fantastic start to the year for Hunter, who only two weeks earlier had lifted his second Welsh Open title, defeating Ken Doherty 9–2 in the final.[29] Two months on, he was defeated in the first round at the Crucible for the third time in four years.[30]

His success was to continue at the 2002 British Open, staged in Telford, where he captured his third ranking title by beating Ian McCulloch 9–4 in the final.[31] A third successive Masters title, however, was a bridge too far for him in 2003, as he bowed out 3–6 in the semi-finals to the previous year's runner-up and eventual champion Mark Williams.[32] His greatest success that campaign, though, was only a few months away.

After his best ever season, in which he had been a contender in virtually every tournament he played, it was time for the Yorkshireman to perform in the biggest tournament of all, and that he most certainly did. In the 2003 World Championship, he beat Allister Carter 10–5, Matthew Stevens 13–6 and defending champion Peter Ebdon 13–12 in an epic encounter to reach the semi-finals.[33][34]

In the last four, he established a 15–9 overnight lead over Ken Doherty by playing some of the best snooker of the tournament. It was only an inspired Doherty comeback, winning eight of the remaining nine frames, that would deny him a place in his first Crucible final.[35] The 2002/2003 season was still his most consistent, winning one title, reaching a further four semi-finals and three quarter-finals. It earned him a place in the world's top eight in the 2003/2004 world rankings for the first time in his career, having been ranked number nine for the previous two seasons.[17]

In 2003/2004, his biggest achievement of another successful season was winning the Masters, for the third time in four years, yet again by a 10–9 scoreline. The 2004 final was arguably the most dramatic of all his Masters triumphs, trailing Ronnie O'Sullivan throughout the entire match before pipping him to the trophy in the final frame. In fact, Hunter trailed 0–2, 1–6, 2–7, 6–8 and 7–9 before reeling off the final three frames to seal the sixth title of his professional career. He made five century breaks in the match[36] – over five million viewers on BBC Sport watched him on live TV (in the UK) beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10–9.[37]

Not even Hunter could deny Jimmy White a first ranking title in nearly 12 years at the 2004 Players Championship, although it looked as if one of his trademark comebacks was on the cards. Trailing fellow crowd-favourite White 5–8, he reduced his deficit to 7–8, before White sealed victory in the next frame.[38] It may not have been a victory for Hunter on the table, but the genuine humility and affection he showed his boyhood hero after the match underlined his impeccable sportsmanship, which he afforded all his opponents on and off the table throughout his career.

His season ended at the hands of reigning UK Champion, Matthew Stevens in the second round at the 2004 World Championship, losing an epic 12–13 after surrendering leads of 6–10 and 10–12. Hunter had chances to clinch the match in each of the final three frames but was on the wrong end of a Crucible comeback for the second successive year.[39] He was, nevertheless, magnanimous in defeat once again as he embraced his close friend after the match.

Hunter was quick out of the blocks the following season, reaching the semi-finals of the 2004 Grand Prix and losing 3–6 to Ronnie O'Sullivan,[40] but it was to be the last time that the Yorkshireman would reach that stage in a ranking event. He did, however, reach the last eight of the China Open in March–April 2005,[41] just days after discovering that he was suffering from cancer. His career-high ranking was number four in the world during the 2004/2005 season, which dropped to number five in 2005/2006.[17]

Later years and illness (2005–2006)

On 6 April 2005, Hunter announced that he was suffering from malignant neuroendocrine tumours, for which the causes are unknown. A spokesman for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association said at the time: "Paul will undergo treatment to cure himself of this illness. He would like to reassure his fans and supporters that, as with his snooker career, he is tenacious and positive in his fight against the disease."[42]

He returned to the circuit for the start of the following season, but lost to Rory McLeod in the opening round of the Grand Prix,[43] having only returned to practice 2 weeks earlier, and not confirming his participation until three days before the match.

Hunter had been receiving chemotherapy for his illness and had been struggling to find snooker form since beginning treatment. He was only to win one match during the 2005/2006 season, against Jamie Burnett in the UK Championship, in which Hunter dramatically came from 6–8 down to triumph 9–8 in a match that lasted 6 hours 26 minutes.[44] He lost in the first round of the World Championship 5–10 to Neil Robertson, his last ever match.[10]

He slipped from 5th to 34th in the 2006/2007 rankings.[8][17] Hunter admitted that he was worse than the previous year and confirmed that he had been in continuous pain.[45]

On 27 July 2006, the WPBSA confirmed that, following a members' vote, the organisation's rules would be changed to allow Hunter to sit out the entire 06/07 season with his world ranking frozen at 34. He intended to devote the year to treatment for his cancer.[2][9]

Death and legacy

Hunter died at 8:20pm 9 October 2006 – just five days short of his 28th birthday – at the Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield.[46] His funeral took place on 19 October 2006.[47]

Prior to the Premier League Snooker matches on 12 October 2006, players Jimmy White, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ken Doherty and Ding Junhui, along with referee Alan Chamberlain and commentators Willie Thorne and Phil Yates, all stood for a moment of silence to remember Hunter.[7] There was also a short video tribute.

Fellow professionals Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Jimmy White, Matthew Stevens and Ken Doherty have led calls for The Masters trophy to be named in Hunter's memory.[48]

Hunter's funeral took place at Leeds Parish Church on 19 October 2006. Many players attended the ceremony, and his best friend, Matthew Stevens, was a coffin-bearer at the service.[49]

In 2006 Hunter was posthumously awarded with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award – his widow Lindsay accepted the award on his behalf.[50]

The Paul Hunter Foundation was set up after his death to give disadvantaged children places to play sport and socialise.[51]

Personal life

Hunter and Lindsey Fell, a beauty therapist, married in the summer of 2004 in Jamaica.[3]

On 26 December 2005, Lindsey gave birth to their first and only child, daughter Evie Rose,[8] who weighed 8 lb 2 oz (3.7 kg).[52]

Performance timeline

Tournaments 1995/
96 		1996/
97 		1997/
98 		1998/
99 		1999/
00 		2000/
01 		2001/
02 		2002/
03 		2003/
04 		2004/
05 		2005/
06
Rankings[17] UR[nb 1] 78 43 24 12 14 9 9 8 4 5
Ranking tournaments
British Open LQ LQ 1R 2R 2R SF 2R W QF 2R NH
Grand Prix[nb 2] LQ 1R 4R 2R 5R QF 3R QF 3R SF 1R
UK Championship 2R QF 2R SF 4R 6R 3R 3R QF 3R 3R
Irish Masters Non-Ranking Event SF 2R 2R NH
Scottish Open LQ LQ 4R QF 3R SF 2R 4R F Not Held
Malta Cup[nb 3] LQ LQ NH 2R Not Held 1R QF 2R 1R 1R
Welsh Open SF LQ W 2R 3R F W SF QF 2R 2R
China Open Not Held 2R 1R 1R QF 2R Not Held QF 1R
Thailand Masters 1R 1R LQ 1R 1R 1R 2R Not Held
World Snooker Championship LQ LQ LQ 1R 1R 2R 1R SF 2R 1R 1R
Non ranking tournaments
The Masters A WR A A 1R W W SF W 1R 1R
Premier League A A A A A A A A RR RR A
Irish Masters A A A A A A 1R Ranking Event NH
Scottish Masters A A A 1R A A 1R QF Not Held
Performance Table Legend
NH tournament not held in that calendar year A did not participate in the tournament
DQ disqualified from the tournament #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(RR = round robin, WR = Wild Card Round)
QF advanced to but not past the quarterfinals SF advanced to but not past the semifinals
F advanced to the final, tournament runner-up W won the tournament
NH / Not Held means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.

  1. ^ New players on the tour does not have a rankings.
  2. ^ The event run under different name as LG Cup (2001/2002-2003/2004)
  3. ^ The event run under different names such as European Open (1995/1996-1996/1997 and 2001/2002-2003/2004) and Irish Open (1998/1999)

Tournament wins

Ranking wins

Non-ranking wins

Pro-am wins

References

  1. ^ "Paul Hunter". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Player Profile of Paul Hunter". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Paul Hunter". WorldSnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 2007–2010 [copyright date]. "Past Players" section. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: year (link) Official WPBSA player profile.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Paul Hunter". London: The Times. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  5. ^ "White pays tribute to Hunter". This Is London. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  6. ^ Chris Turner. "Centuries". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  7. ^ a b c "Cancer victim Paul Hunter dies, aged 27". breakingnews.ie. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  8. ^ a b c "Paul Hunter". London: The Times. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Obituaries: Paul Hunter". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Paul Hunter". London: The Independent. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  11. ^ "Royal Liver Assurance UK Open". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  12. ^ "UK Championship 1996". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Benson & Hedges Masters 1997". WWW Snooker.
  14. ^ "WWW Snooker: Regal Welsh Open 1998". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  15. ^ "Liverpool Victoria UK Championship 1998". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  16. ^ "Embassy World Championship 1999". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  17. ^ a b c d e f "Ranking History". WWW Snooker.
  18. ^ "Regal Welsh Open 2001". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  19. ^ "British Open 2000". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  20. ^ "Regal Scottish Open 2001". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  21. ^ "Grand Prix 2000". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  22. ^ "China Open 2000". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  23. ^ "BBC SPORT Special Events Benson & Hedges Masters Hunter bags Hendry scalp". BBC Sport Media. London. 10 February 2001. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  24. ^ a b "WWW Snooker: Benson & Hedges Masters 2001". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  25. ^ a b Interview in The Guardian
  26. ^ "BBC SPORT Special Events Benson & Hedges Masters Dream come true for Master Hunter". BBC Sport. London. 12 February 2001. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  27. ^ "Benson & Hedges Masters 2002". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  28. ^ "Hunter bags second Masters". BBC Sport Media. London. 11 February 2002. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
  29. ^ "Regal Welsh Open 2002". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  30. ^ "Embassy World Championship 2002". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  31. ^ "British Open 2002". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  32. ^ "Benson & Hedges Masters 2003". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  33. ^ "Embassy World Championship 2003". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  34. ^ Mark Orlovac (1 May 2003). "Hunter edges out Ebdon". BBC Sport Media. London. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  35. ^ Dan Warren (3 May 2003). "Doherty wins Crucible epic". BBC Sport Media. London. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  36. ^ "WWW Snooker: Masters 2004". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  37. ^ Clive Jones (9 February 2004). "BBC SPORT". BBC Sport Media. London. Retrieved 13 December 2008. {{cite news}}: Text "Hunter claims Masters epic" ignored (help); Text "Other Sport" ignored (help); Text "Snooker" ignored (help)
  38. ^ "Daily Record Players Championship 2004". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Stevens shoots down Hunter". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  40. ^ "Grand Prix 2004". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  41. ^ "China Open 2005". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  42. ^ "Hunter diagnosed with cancer". RTÉ Sport. 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
  43. ^ "Grand Prix 2005". WWW Snooker. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  44. ^ "Brave Hunter Wins Late Thriller". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 December 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2005.
  45. ^ Everton, Clive (11 October 2006). "Obituary: Paul Hunter". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  46. ^ "Doherty tribute to 'great character' Hunter". London: Mail Online. 10 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  47. ^ "Hundreds gather at Hunter funeral". London: BBC News / West Yorkshire. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
  48. ^ Dillon, Andrew (17 May 2007). "Fitting tribute to tragic Hunter". London: The Sun. Retrieved 5 May 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  49. ^ "Hundreds gather at Hunter funera". BBC News. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  50. ^ "Hunter loses battle with cancer". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 October 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  51. ^ "Official Paul Hunter Foundation Website". Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  52. ^ "Baby delight for cancer hit snooker ace". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2010.

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