Welsh Open 1996

Welsh Open 1996
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Attendees:	438
Venue:	Newport Center, Newport , Wales
Opening:	January 27, 1996
Endgame:	February 3, 1996
Winner:	Mark Williams
Finalist:	John Parrott
Highest Break:	143 ( Darren Morgan )
← 1995   1997 →

The Welsh Open 1996 was a snooker tournament of the 1995/96 season , which was held from January 27 to February 3, 1966 in the South Welsh coastal town of Newport . For the fifth time the tournament was held at the Newport Leisure Center .

After 14 games won and two tournament wins in a row at the Welsh Open, Steve Davis lost this time in the round of 16. Mark Williams won his first world rankings title at his home tournament. He defeated John Parrott 9-3.

Prize money / world ranking points

The prize money rose year on year across the field, ranging from £ 3,500 for the winner to £ 40 in the final 96. The highest break was £ 5,000 instead of £ 1,350 at the last Welsh Open. In terms of the points for the world rankings , nothing changed for the participants.

	Prize money	World ranking points a
winner	£ 36,000	3,600
finalist	£ 20,000	2,700
Semi-finalist	£ 10,000	2,025
Quarter finalist	£ 5,500	1,520
Round of 16	£ 2,750	1,140
Last 32	£ 1,575	855
Last 64	£ 1,190	640
Last 96	450 pounds	480
Last 128	-	360
Qualification rounds 1-5	-	57 to 270
Highest break	TV phase: £ 5,000 before: £ 2,320
All in all	£ 205,000

^a Seeded players who lost their opening game in qualification or the first main round received only two thirds of the points.

Final round

The top 32 of the world rankings were set for the main tournament. The 32 players who had prevailed in the qualification were drawn to them.

	First round best of 9 frames					Second round best of 9 frames					Round of 16 best of 9 frames					Quarterfinals Best of 9 Frames					Semi-final best of 11 frames					Final Best of 17 frames
	1	Stephen Hendry	5
	34	Mike Hallett	1
						1	Stephen Hendry	5
						60	Steve Newbury	2
	21st	Mick Price	2
	60	Steve Newbury	5
											1	Stephen Hendry	3
											13	Dave Harold	5
	29	Jason Ferguson	3
	80	Karl Payne	5
						80	Karl Payne	4th
						13	Dave Harold	5
	13	Dave Harold	5
	43	Tony Jones	3
																13	Dave Harold	5
																8th	Darren Morgan	3
	15th	Terry Griffiths	5
	247	Darren Lennox	3
						15th	Terry Griffiths	2
						53	Tony Chappel	5
	17th	Andy Hicks	3
	53	Tony Chappel	5
											53	Tony Chappel	1
											8th	Darren Morgan	5
	19th	Joe Swail	4th
	123	Stuart Pettman	5
						123	Stuart Pettman	2
						8th	Darren Morgan	5
	8th	Darren Morgan	5
	122	Oliver King	2
																					13	Dave Harold	1
																					39	Mark Williams	6th
	5	James Wattana	4th
	61	Terry Murphy	5
						61	Terry Murphy	5
						23	Gary Wilkinson	3
	23	Gary Wilkinson	5
	87	Chris Scanlon	3
											61	Terry Murphy	2
											39	Mark Williams	5
	25th	Willie Thorne	1
	39	Mark Williams	5
						39	Mark Williams	5
						9	Ken Doherty	3
	9	Ken Doherty	5
	236	Matthew Stevens	4th
																39	Mark Williams	5
																10	Peter Ebdon	3
	10	Peter Ebdon	5
	151	Craig MacGillivray	2
						10	Peter Ebdon	5
						31	Anthony Hamilton	3
	31	Anthony Hamilton	5
	63	Jonathan Birch	3
											10	Peter Ebdon	5
											33	Billy Snaddon	2
	20th	Alan Robidoux	3
	33	Billy Snaddon	5
						33	Billy Snaddon	5
						3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	4th
	3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	107	Yasin Merchant	1
																									39	Mark Williams	9
																										4th	John Parrott	3
	4th	John Parrott	5
	46	Nick Terry	4th
						4th	John Parrott	5
						93	Joe Grech	0
	30th	Dean Reynolds	1
	93	Joe Grech	5
											4th	John Parrott	5
											32	Dennis Taylor	1
	32	Dennis Taylor	5
	142	Paul Wykes	1
						32	Dennis Taylor	5
						38	Fergal O'Brien	4th
	16	David Roe	4th
	38	Fergal O'Brien	5
																4th	John Parrott	5
																190	Graeme Dott	2
	11	John Higgins	5
	54	Mark Flowerdew	2
						11	John Higgins	5
						57	Wayne Jones	3
	26th	Steve James	2
	57	Wayne Jones	5
											11	John Higgins	4th
											190	Graeme Dott	5
	18th	Dene O'Kane	2
	190	Graeme Dott	5
						190	Graeme Dott	5
						6th	Alan McManus	4th
	6th	Alan McManus	5
	40	Rod Lawler	4th
																				4th	John Parrott	6th
																						Paul Hunter	1
	7th	Jimmy White	5
	49	Mark Johnston-Allen	3
						7th	Jimmy White	4th
						62	Chris Small	5
	27	Brian Morgan	0
	62	Chris Small	5
											62	Chris Small	1
												Paul Hunter	5
	28	Neal Foulds	5
	45	Anthony Davies	4th
						28	Neal Foulds	2
							Paul Hunter	5
	12	Nigel Bond	1
		Paul Hunter	5
																	Paul Hunter	5
																35	Drew Henry	4th
	14th	Tony Drago	4th
	35	Drew Henry	5
						35	Drew Henry	5
						133	John Giles	0
	22nd	Martin Clark	3
	133	John Giles	5
											35	Drew Henry	5
											2	Steve Davis	2
	24	Tony Knowles	0
	110	Gerard Greene	5
						110	Gerard Greene	4th
						2	Steve Davis	5
	2	Steve Davis	5
	79	Dominic Dale	2

final

For the third time, Mark Williams and John Parrott met in a professional match. At the UK Championship earlier in the season, the Welshman had reached a quarter-finals for the first time in his professional career with his win. Before that, the Welsh Open in 1995 had been his most successful tournament. Williams started his home tournament offensively and led 3-1 until the first break. By the end of the first session he had doubled the lead to 6-2. Parrott was already under considerable pressure that evening, but the ex-world champion couldn't prevent Williams from securing the first two frames with two breaks over 50 points. With a high break of his own, Parrott delayed the defeat by one frame, but then Williams completed it to a 9-3 win. It was the first time at the Welsh Open and the only time this season that a qualifier from outside the top 32 won a ranked tournament.

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: John Newton Newport Leisure Center,  Newport , Wales , 3rd February 1996
Mark Williams	9 : 3	John Parrott
Afternoon : 67 : 50, 63 : 5, 5: 121 (83), 67 : 58, 62 : 43, 0: 75 , 84 : 26 (50), 46 : 11; Evening : 75 : 26 (60), 75 : 46 (52), 48: 71 (59), 72 : 28
60	Highest break	83
-	Century breaks	-
3	50+ breaks	2

qualification

The qualification dragged on in 7 rounds over 7 months. It began on June 28, 1995 and ended shortly before the start of the main tournament on January 25, 1996. 438 players had registered for the tournament.

Century breaks

12 players achieved 15 breaks of at least 100 points in the main tournament. 7 players achieved at least 3 Centurys and the winner John Higgins even managed 6. The highlight of the breaks, however, had already occurred four months earlier in the qualifying tournament: Barry Pinches achieved a maximum break , the 31st in snooker history according to the official count. Nevertheless, he lost the match against Joe Johnson 4-5. At least he got the special £ 6,000 bonus for the 147 Break. It was the only thing in Pinches' career.

Darren Morgan 143 Wayne Jones 134 Terry Murphy 131 Chris Small 130 Jimmy White 119, 107 John Parrott 112

Peter Ebdon 109, 108, 102 Dean Reynolds 108 Paul Hunter 107 Tony Chappel 106 Stuart Pettman 105 Graeme Dott 104

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} 1996 Welsh Open - Finishes. CueTracker, accessed December 12, 2017 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} 1996 Welsh Open. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 12, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Regal Welsh. snooker.org, accessed December 12, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Rankings - 1995-1996. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 12, 2017 .