http://prosnookerblog.com/2009/04/15/top-10-crucible-debuts/
The 17 day Snooker World Championship starts April 16. With no tournaments on until then, the bloggers are serving up snooker history, particularly related to - as Clive Everton, editor of Snooker magazine described it - 'The Theatre of Cruelty" (The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield)
The thread above picks the top 10 debuts at the Crucible. The two pool players below lost to the eventual winners.
Tony Drago – 1988
When the 22 year old Tony Drago from Malta made his Crucible debut back in 1988 I doubt that too many people knew what to expect, but they soon got a pretty good idea as his flamboyant style took him to the quarter-finals at the first attempt.
Not only did he progress to the second week but he also thrashed some top players along the way, dropping just two frames against Alex Higgins in the first round and then five in the last 16 to 1985 winner Dennis Taylor. In the end though he was given a hammering himself by Steve Davis in the quarter-finals who at the time was marching inexorably towards his fifth world crown.
Looking back, the only shame for Tony is that up until his last appearance at the Crucible back in 2005, this was actually the furthest that he ever got in the tournament.
Jim Wych – 1980
When I think of Canada and snooker, the most obvious names to spring to mind are those such as Cliff Thorburn, Kirk Stevens and Alain Robidoux, but another is 54-year-old Jim Wych who in 1980 reached the quarter-finals on his debut. In doing so he overcame the seven times world champion John Pulman, (ending his Crucible career in the process), before coming through 13-10 against the finalist from the previous year, Dennis Taylor.
Though his run was eventually ended by fellow Canadian and eventual champion Thorburn in the quarter-finals, it was an impressive run, particularly from an overseas player.
The 17 day Snooker World Championship starts April 16. With no tournaments on until then, the bloggers are serving up snooker history, particularly related to - as Clive Everton, editor of Snooker magazine described it - 'The Theatre of Cruelty" (The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield)
The thread above picks the top 10 debuts at the Crucible. The two pool players below lost to the eventual winners.
Tony Drago – 1988
When the 22 year old Tony Drago from Malta made his Crucible debut back in 1988 I doubt that too many people knew what to expect, but they soon got a pretty good idea as his flamboyant style took him to the quarter-finals at the first attempt.
Not only did he progress to the second week but he also thrashed some top players along the way, dropping just two frames against Alex Higgins in the first round and then five in the last 16 to 1985 winner Dennis Taylor. In the end though he was given a hammering himself by Steve Davis in the quarter-finals who at the time was marching inexorably towards his fifth world crown.
Looking back, the only shame for Tony is that up until his last appearance at the Crucible back in 2005, this was actually the furthest that he ever got in the tournament.
Jim Wych – 1980
When I think of Canada and snooker, the most obvious names to spring to mind are those such as Cliff Thorburn, Kirk Stevens and Alain Robidoux, but another is 54-year-old Jim Wych who in 1980 reached the quarter-finals on his debut. In doing so he overcame the seven times world champion John Pulman, (ending his Crucible career in the process), before coming through 13-10 against the finalist from the previous year, Dennis Taylor.
Though his run was eventually ended by fellow Canadian and eventual champion Thorburn in the quarter-finals, it was an impressive run, particularly from an overseas player.
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