Classic 1988

Classic 1988 Mercantile Credit Snooker Classic 1988
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Norbreck Castle Hotel , Blackpool , England
Opening:	January 1, 1988
Endgame:	January 9 and 10, 1988
Winner:	Steve Davis
Finalist:	John Parrott
Highest Break:	132 ( Dennis Taylor )
← 1987   1989 →

The Mercantile Credit Snooker Classic 1988 was a professional snooker world ranking tournament during the 1987/88 season . It was held from January 1 to 11, 1988 for the second time in a row at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool , England . The winner was for the fifth time in the history of the tournament Steve Davis , who defeated his English compatriot John Parrott 13:11 in the final. The Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor played the highest tournament break with a 132 break.

Prize money

The total prize money increased by around £ 300 to £ 250,010, of which just under a fifth went to the winner.

	Prize money
winner	£ 50,000
finalist	£ 30,000
Semi-finalist	£ 15,000
Quarter finalist	£ 7,500
Round of 16	£ 3,750
Last 32	£ 2,422
Last 64	£ 1,094
Highest break (qualification / main round)	£ 1,250 £ 5,000
All in all	£ 250,010

Tournament course

As in previous years, the 32 best participating players on the world rankings were set for the first main round. The remainder of the field played one or two qualifying rounds to determine 32 players who qualified for the first main round. The game modes also remained the same; up to the quarter-finals the game was played in the best of 9 frames mode , in the semifinals in the best of 17 frames mode and in the final in the best of 25 mode .

	Round of the last 64 best of 9 frames					Round of the last 32 best of 9 frames					Round of 16 best of 9 frames					Quarterfinals Best of 9 Frames					Semi-final best of 17 frames					Final Best of 25 frames
	1	Steve Davis	5
	51	Les Dodd	0
						1	Steve Davis	5
						87	Jim Donnelly	0
	30th	Murdo MacLeod	4th
	87	Jim Donnelly	5
											1	Steve Davis	5
											9	Alex Higgins	0
	9	Alex Higgins	5
	46	Tony Jones	0
						9	Alex Higgins	5
						20th	Tony Meo	3
	20th	Tony Meo	5
	77	Mario Morra	1
																1	Steve Davis	5
																23	Stephen Hendry	3
	5	Joe Johnson	5
	58	Tony Chappel	2
						5	Joe Johnson	2
						23	Stephen Hendry	5
	23	Stephen Hendry	5
	33	Bill Werbeniuk	2
											23	Stephen Hendry	5
											10	Silvino Francisco	3
	10	Silvino Francisco	5
	90	Brian Rowswell	3
						10	Silvino Francisco	5
						31	Steve Longworth	2
	31	Steve Longworth	5
	59	Ray Edmonds	3
																					1	Steve Davis	9
																					45	Steve Newbury	2
	4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
	38	Ray Reardon	3
						4th	Cliff Thorburn	3
						45	Steve Newbury	5
	24	Eugene Hughes	1
	45	Steve Newbury	5
											45	Steve Newbury	5
											129	Martin Clark	2
	16	Mike Hallett	4th
	129	Martin Clark	5
						129	Martin Clark	5
						54	Mark Bennett	2
	21st	Kirk Stevens	2
	54	Mark Bennett	5
																45	Steve Newbury	5
																6th	Terry Griffiths	4th
	6th	Terry Griffiths	5
	71	Jimmy van Rensberg	2
						6th	Terry Griffiths	5
						17th	Cliff Wilson	2
	17th	Cliff Wilson	5
	82	Dave Gilbert	3
											6th	Terry Griffiths	5
											29	Barry West	2
	11	Willie Thorne	5
	56	Malcolm Bradley	1
						11	Willie Thorne	2
						29	Barry West	5
	29	Barry West	5
	84	Bill Oliver	3
																									1	Steve Davis	13
																										13	John Parrott	11
	2	Jimmy White	5
	66	Steve James	1
						2	Jimmy White	5
						28	John Spencer	1
	28	John Spencer	5
	69	John Rea	3
											2	Jimmy White	2
											27	Dave Martin	5
	14th	Doug Mountjoy	5
	61	Fred Davis	0
						14th	Doug Mountjoy	4th
						27	Dave Martin	5
	27	Dave Martin	5
	50	Jack McLaughlin	2
																27	Dave Martin	1
																7th	Tony Knowles	5
	7th	Tony Knowles	5
	53	Jon Wright	1
						7th	Tony Knowles	5
						78	Colin Roscoe	0
	26th	Eddie Charlton	3
	78	Colin Roscoe	5
											7th	Tony Knowles	5
											44	Tommy Murphy	3
	15th	Dean Reynolds	5
	55	Joe O'Boye	3
						15th	Dean Reynolds	4th
						44	Tommy Murphy	5
	22nd	John Campbell	3
	44	Tommy Murphy	5
																				7th	Tony Knowles	4th
																					13	John Parrott	9
	3	Neal Foulds	5
	41	Bob chaperone	1
						3	Neal Foulds	3
						19th	John Virgo	5
	19th	John Virgo	5
	85	Gino Rigitano	2
											19th	John Virgo	0
											13	John Parrott	5
	13	John Parrott	5
	47	Mark Wildman	2
						13	John Parrott	5
						25th	David Taylor	0
	25th	David Taylor	5
	107	Martin Smith	3
																13	John Parrott	5
																8th	Dennis Taylor	1
	8th	Dennis Taylor	5
	115	Terry Whitthread	2
						8th	Dennis Taylor	5
						32	Tony Drago	0
	32	Tony Drago	5
	60	George Scott	3
											8th	Dennis Taylor	5
											18th	Peter Francisco	3
	12	Rex Williams	3
	52	Ken Owers	5
						52	Ken Owers	0
						18th	Peter Francisco	5
	18th	Peter Francisco	5
	48	Graham Cripsey	2

final

The 22-year-old John Parrott in world number 13 had a tough opponent in the semifinals with Tony Knowles , but Parrott was able to defeat the Englishman in world number 7 with 9: 4 and thus move into his first final of a ranking tournament. His final opponent, world number one and four-time world champion Steve Davis , had the surprise of the tournament in the semi-finals with Welshman Steve Newbury on world number 45, but Davis defeated him 9: 2.

Davis won the first frame of the final game with a 99 break, but Parrott was able to equalize and then even take the lead 3-1. Davis also equalized and, after Parrott had won the seventh frame, followed suit shortly afterwards. Davis found the match and was able to increase his lead to 9: 4, where he was able to win two frames without a single punched ball on the part of Parrott. Parrott managed to come up to 9: 6 the next day, playing the only Century of the final with a 103 break, but Davis increased to 10: 6. But he gambled away this lead: Parrott was able to win the next four frames to equalize 10:10, sometimes only with the last ball. The 21st frame also went to Parrott, leaving Davis one frame behind. But he managed the turnaround thanks to an 83 break and was able to win the match and the tournament with a 68 break and his second 99 break during the game.

Final: Best of 25 Frames Referee: Alan Chamberlain Norbreck Castle Hotel ,  Blackpool , England , January 9-10 , 1988
Steve Davis	13 : 11	John Parrott
Day 1 : 139 : 0 (99); 31: 72 ; 34: 68 ; 34: 76 (69); 61:20 ; 76:18 ; 51: 65 ; 88:47 ; 79 : 0 (79); 63:14 ; 63 : 12; 66:57 ; 94 : 0 (60); Day 2 28: 64 ; 31: 107 (103); 74:43 ; 39: 68 ; 49: 58 ; 9: 114 (56); 60: 62 ; 47: 67 (58); 99 : 31 (83); 69 : 0 (68); 113 : 4 (99)
99	Highest break	103
-	Century breaks	1
6th	50+ breaks	4th

qualification

The qualification was held from November 7th to 11th, 1987. All participating players from 33rd place in the world, including those on the shared 129th place, played staggered in two rounds for the 32 qualification places. In the first round, the participating players competed against each other in world number 72 or lower, the remaining players from the field of participants joined the winners of the first round in the second round.

First round best of 9 frames   Second round best of 9 frames                 76   Eddie Sinclair 5   53   Jon Wright 5 129   Eric Lawlor 3   76   Eddie Sinclair 3 95   Frank Jonik 5   47   Mark Wildman 5 103   John Dunning 2   95   Frank Jonik 4th 75   Patsy Fagan 2   62   Geoff Foulds 3 115   Terry Whitthread 5   115   Terry Whitthread 5 96   Glen Wilkinson 5   33   Bill Werbeniuk 5 110   Dave Chalmers 3   96   Glen Wilkinson 2     63   Robbie Grace 3     71   Jimmy van Rensberg 5 88   Jack Fitzmaurice 2   43   Paddy Browne 1 107   Martin Smith 5   107   Martin Smith 5 86   Jim Bear 5   60   George Scott 5 129   Jason Smith 3   86   Jim Bear 3 90   Brian Rowswell 5   35   Dene O'Kane 4th 129   Jim Chambers 2   90   Brian Rowswell 5 78   Colin Roscoe 5   34   Wayne Jones 4th 113   Paul Watchorn 2   78   Colin Roscoe 5 85   Gino Rigitano kl.   40   Danny Fowler 2 104   John Hargreaves   85   Gino Rigitano 5 81   Mike Watterson   38   Ray Reardon 5 129   Gary Wilkinson kl.   129   Gary Wilkinson 3     57   Roger Bales 0     69   John Rea 5 92   Mick Fisher kl.   52   Ken Owers 5 106   Eddie McLaughlin   92   Mick Fisher 0 84   Bill Oliver 5   39   Warren King 3 97   Pascal Burke 2   84   Bill Oliver 5 94   Dessie Sheehan 5   55   Joe O'Boye 5 129   Derek Heaton 2   94   Dessie Sheehan 3     45   Steve Newbury 5     65   Tony Kearney 1

First round best of 9 frames   Second round best of 9 frames                 72   Vic Harris 5   44   Tommy Murphy 5 116   François Ellis 1   72   Vic Harris 2 77   Mario Morra 5   42   Marcel Gauvreau 4th 129   Robert Marshall 0   77   Mario Morra 5 74   Ian Black 2   50   Jack McLaughlin 5 98   Paul Gibson 5   98   Paul Gibson 4th 93   Greg Jenkins 4th   46   Tony Jones 5 129   Anthony Harris 5   129   Anthony Harris 2     64   Pat Houlihan 2     66   Steve James 5 82   Dave Gilbert 5   49   Bob Harris 4th 111   Jackie Rea 2   82   Dave Gilbert 5 79   Robby Foldvari 5   59   Ray Edmonds 5 117   David Greaves 3   79   Robby Foldvari 4th 87   Jim Donnelly 5   37   Steve Duggan 4th 99   Nigel Gilbert 2   87   Jim Donnelly 5 83   David Roe 5   51   Les Dodd 5 102   Billy Kelly 1   83   David Roe 2 89   Mike Darrington 4th   61   Fred Davis 5 129   Steve Meakin 5   129   Steve Meakin 4th     48   Graham Cripsey 5     70   Matt Gibson 4th 73   Bernie Mikkelsen   36   Jim Wych 2 129   Martin Clark kl.   129   Martin Clark 5 80   Ian Williamson 3   58   Tony Chappel 5 105   Dennis Hughes 5   105   Dennis Hughes 3     41   Bob chaperone 5     67   Paul Medati 3 91   Jim Meadowcroft 3   56   Malcolm Bradley 5 112   Clive Everton 5   112   Clive Everton 2     54   Mark Bennett 5     68   Graham Miles 1

Century breaks

Thirteen Centurys were played throughout the tournament , nine of them in the main round.

qualification

Bob chaperone 121 Steve James 116

Joe O'Boye 111 Robby Foldvari 100

Main round

Dennis Taylor 132 Steve Newbury 129, 106 Dave Martin 116 Tony Chappel 107

Steve Davis 105 John Parrott 103, 101 David Taylor 100

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ron Florax: 1988 Classic. Cuetracker.net, accessed December 30, 2018 .  
2. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: 1988 Classic - Finishes. Cuetracker.net, accessed December 30, 2018 .  
3. ↑ Chris Turner: Historical World Rankings. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, archived from the original on June 8, 2012 ; accessed on December 30, 2018 (English).  
4. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: Rankings - 1987-1988. Cuetracker.net, accessed December 30, 2018 .