Classic 1986

Classic 1986 Mercantile Credit Classic 1986
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Spectrum Arena , Warrington , England
Opening:	January 3, 1986
Endgame:	January 12, 1986
Winner:	Jimmy White
Finalist:	Cliff Thorburn
Highest Break:	135 ( Jimmy White )
← 1985   1987 →

The Mercantile Credit Classic 1986 was a professional snooker world ranking tournament during the 1985/86 season . It was played from January 3 to 13, 1986 in the Spectrum Arena in Warrington , England . The winner was Jimmy White , who defeated the Canadian Cliff Thorburn in the final with 13:12. The Englishman also played the highest break of the tournament with a 135 break.

Prize money

For the second year in a row, Mercantile Credit sponsored the tournament, with prize money increasing by around £ 30,000 to £ 224,977, of which just under a fifth went to the winner.

	Prize money
winner	£ 45,000
final	£ 27,000
Semifinals	£ 13,500
Quarter finals	£ 6,750
Round of 16	£ 3,375
Last 32	£ 2,179
Last 64	984 pounds
Highest break (qualification / main round)	£ 4,500 ₤ £ 1,125
All in all	£ 224,977

Tournament course

In the first main round, the top 32 of the world rankings met the 32 qualifiers who had previously fought their way through one or two qualifying rounds. Among the 32 qualifiers were five players in the shared world rankings 103, two of them, Barry West and Stephen Hendry , even survived the first round. Up to and including the quarter-finals, the game was played in the best of 9 frames mode , the semi-finals in the best of 17 frames mode and finally the final in the best of 25 frames 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
	44	Bob chaperone	1
						1	Steve Davis	5
						80	Jimmy van Rensberg	1
	18th	John Parrott	3
	80	Jimmy van Rensberg	5
											1	Steve Davis	5
											59	Peter Francisco	0
	12	Eddie Charlton	1
	59	Peter Francisco	5
						59	Peter Francisco	5
						29	Dave Martin	2
	29	Dave Martin	5
	58	Tommy Murphy	3
																1	Steve Davis	2
																7th	Jimmy White	5
	7th	Jimmy White	5
	55	Danny Fowler	1
						7th	Jimmy White	5
						19th	John Virgo	2
	19th	John Virgo	5
	81	Matt Gibson	3
											7th	Jimmy White	5
											39	Marcel Gauvreau	2
	14th	David Taylor	3
	39	Marcel Gauvreau	5
						39	Marcel Gauvreau	5
						61	Paddy Browne	3
	22nd	Cliff Wilson	3
	61	Paddy Browne	5
																					7th	Jimmy White	9
																					27	Rex Williams	7th
	3	Tony Knowles	5
	77	Gino Rigitano	4th
						3	Tony Knowles	5
						26th	Murdo MacLeod	4th
	26th	Murdo MacLeod	5
	38	Eddie Sinclair	2
											3	Tony Knowles	2
											27	Rex Williams	5
	8th	Terry Griffiths	3
	65	Vic Harris	5
						65	Vic Harris	1
						27	Rex Williams	5
	27	Rex Williams	5
	42	Mike Watterson	0
																27	Rex Williams	5
																9	Alex Higgins	2
	4th	Dennis Taylor	5
	74	Jack Fitzmaurice	1
						4th	Dennis Taylor	5
						24	Dean Reynolds	4th
	24	Dean Reynolds	5
	103	Pat Houlihan	1
											4th	Dennis Taylor	4th
											9	Alex Higgins	5
	9	Alex Higgins	5
	54	Mick Fisher	0
						9	Alex Higgins	5
						89	Graham Cripsey	2
	20th	John Spencer	1
	89	Graham Cripsey	5
																									7th	Jimmy White	13
																										2	Cliff Thorburn	12
	2	Cliff Thorburn	5
	69	Jack McLaughlin	1
						2	Cliff Thorburn	5
						28	Mike Hallett	3
	28	Mike Hallett	5
	67	John Rea	2
											2	Cliff Thorburn	5
											10	Tony Meo	1
	10	Tony Meo	5
	103	Joe O'Boye	3
						10	Tony Meo	5
						103	Barry West	1
	25th	Mark Wildman	2
	103	Barry West	5
																2	Cliff Thorburn	5
																16	Joe Johnson	4th
	5	Kirk Stevens	2
	56	Fred Davis	5
						56	Fred Davis	3
						21st	Eugene Hughes	5
	21st	Eugene Hughes	5
	52	Jim Wych	2
											21st	Eugene Hughes	1
											16	Joe Johnson	5
	16	Joe Johnson	5
	66	Bob Harris	4th
						16	Joe Johnson	5
						30th	Perrie Mans	2
	30th	Perrie Mans	5
	103	Martin Smith	4th
																				2	Cliff Thorburn	9
																					15th	Doug Mountjoy	6th
	6th	Ray Reardon	3
	82	Bernie Mikkelsen	5
						82	Bernie Mikkelsen	2
						31	John Campbell	5
	31	John Campbell	5
	46	Jim Donnelly	2
											31	John Campbell	1
											23	Neal Foulds	5
	13	Silvino Francisco	4th
	103	Stephen Hendry	5
						113	Stephen Hendry	4th
						23	Neal Foulds	5
	23	Neal Foulds	5
	40	Malcolm Bradley	3
																23	Neal Foulds	3
																15th	Doug Mountjoy	5
	11	Willie Thorne	3
	50	Tony Jones	5
						50	Tony Jones	3
						17th	Bill Werbeniuk	5
	17th	Bill Werbeniuk	5
	78	Geoff Foulds	3
											17th	Bill Werbeniuk	3
											15th	Doug Mountjoy	5
	15th	Doug Mountjoy	5
	35	Warren King	4th
						15th	Doug Mountjoy	5
						32	Dene O'Kane	3
	32	Dene O'Kane	5
	60	Paul Medati	0

final

The 23-year-old Englishman Jimmy White had already won several invitation and amateur tournaments in his career and was in the final of the Snooker World Championship, but he had never won a ranking tournament. He met the Canadian Cliff Thorburn , who became the first world champion from overseas in 1980 and had won a total of two ranking tournaments.

White got off to a better start and quickly took a 4-0 lead. But Thorburn managed the turnaround and first equalized and then took the lead 4-6. White was able to shorten it to 5-6 before Thorburn extended his lead to three frames. White won the following two frames, but Thorburn won the next frame at 7: 9. Then White was able to win the next two frames to equalize before pulling away 11: 9. Thorburn in turn also managed to win two frames to equalize on his part. White managed to win the 23rd frame, but Thorburn equalized immediately, so that the decider should decide on the tournament victory. This was very close, but in the end White won 57:55 and thus won his first ranking tournament.

Final: Best of 25 Frames Referee: John Williams Spectrum Arena ,  Warrington , England , January 12, 1986
Jimmy White	13 : 12	Cliff Thorburn
78:44 ; 107 : 24 (67); 70 : 52 (Thorburn 52); 62:43 ; 23: 59 ; 39: 67 ; 18 : 63 (54); 0: 1 ; 46: 66 ; 8: 72 ; 84 : 8 (69); 18: 111 (107); 0: 80 (60); 71 : 11; 71 : 16 (63); 22: 97 (87); 80 : 14 (56); 82:19 ; 75:30 ; 117 : 14 (117); 59: 64 (White 53); 47: 54 ; 70 : 58; 41: 70 ; 57 : 55
117	Highest break	107
1	Century breaks	1
6th	50+ breaks	5

qualification

76 players in the world rankings 33 and below took part in the qualification. They played staggered in two rounds for the 32 qualifying places that were available. First of all, all participating players had to play against each other in world rankings 86 or lower (including the 103rd place that was shared several times) in the first round, the winners then played against the rest of the field. The 32 winners of the games qualified for the first main round.

Round 1 best of 9 frames   Round 2 best of 9 frames                 92   Bert Demarco 5   52   Jim Wych 5 103   Omprakesh Agrawal 4th   92   Bert Demarco 0 97   Mike Darrington 0   48   Jim Meadowcroft 0 103   Barry West 5   103   Barry West 5 103   Greg Jenkins kl.   42   Mike Watterson 5 103   Gordon Robinson   103   Greg Jenkins 2     49   Wayne Jones 4th     80   Jimmy van Rensberg 5 95   Derek Mienie 1   51   Ray Edmonds 2 103   Martin Smith 5   103   Martin Smith 5 93   Paul Watchorn 4th   38   Eddie Sinclair 5 96   David Greaves 5   96   David Greaves 1     53   Les Dodd 3     77   Gino Rigitano 5     47   Ian Williamson 4th     67   John Rea 5 103   Joe O'Boye 5   37   Steve Longworth 1 103   Glen Wilkinson 1   103   Joe O'Boye 5     58   Tommy Murphy 5     68   Tony Chappel 4th     41   George Scott 1     82   Bernie Mikkelsen 5 90   Tony Kearney 5   60   Paul Medati 5 103   Jim Bear 0   90   Tony Kearney 2     63   Eddie McLaughlin 3     69   Jack McLaughlin 5     35   Warren King 5     70   Steve Duggan 2 103   Dave Gilbert 5   50   Tony Jones 5 103   Gerry Watson 4th   103   Dave Gilbert 3 94   Bernard Bennett 0   62   Robby Foldvari 4th 103   Pat Houlihan 5   103   Pat Houlihan 5

Round 1 best of 9 frames   Round 2 best of 9 frames                 99   Dessie Sheehan 2   36   Graham Miles 1 103   Stephen Hendry 5   103   Stephen Hendry 5     45   Colin Roscoe 1     65   Vic Harris 5     43   Mario Morra 3     66   Bob Harris 5     64   John Dunning     81   Matt Gibson kl. 102   John Hargreaves 1   39   Marcel Gauvreau 5 103   Sakchai Sim-ngam 5   103   Sakchai Sim-ngam 1     59   Peter Francisco 5     72   Frank Jonik 2 91   Maurice Parkin 0   55   Danny Fowler 5 100   Roger Bales 5   100   Roger Bales 4th     57   Ian Black 2     78   Geoff Foulds 5     33   Patsy Fagan 3     74   Jack Fitzmaurice 5     54   Mick Fisher 5     76   Jackie Rea 3     46   Jim Donnelly 5     79   Dave Chalmers 0     56   Fred Davis 5     71   Billy Kelly 3 89   Graham Cripsey 5   34   Steve Newbury 4th 103   Tony Drago 4th   89   Graham Cripsey 5 86   Pascal Burke 5   44   Bob chaperone 5 88   Dennis Hughes 3   86   Pascal Burke 2     61   Paddy Browne 5     73   Clive Everton 0     40   Malcolm Bradley 5     85   Bill Oliver 3

Century breaks

Nine century breaks were played during the tournament , eight of them in the main round.

qualification

The only Century in qualifying was a 101 break by Martin Smith from England .

Main round

The eight Centuries were played by four different players, whereby Jimmy White and Doug Mountjoy played 75% of the breaks in the main round and 2/3 of all Centuries in the tournament with three breaks each.

• Jimmy White : 135 , 117 (2 ×)
• Doug Mountjoy : 109, 107, 103
• Cliff Thorburn : 107
• Neal Foulds : 102

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ron Florax: 1986 Classic. Cuetracker.net, accessed December 22, 2018 .  
2. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: 1986 Classic - Finishes. Cuetracker.net, accessed December 22, 2018 .  
3. ↑ Chris Turner: Historical World Rankings. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, archived from the original on June 8, 2012 ; accessed on December 22, 2018 (English).  
4. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: Rankings - 1985-1986. Cuetracker.net, accessed on December 22, 2018 .