Classic 1987

Classic 1987 Mercantile Credit Snooker Classic 1987
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Norbreck Castle Hotel , Blackpool England
Opening:	2nd January 1987
Endgame:	January 11, 1987
Winner:	Steve Davis
Finalist:	Jimmy White
Highest Break:	140 ( Cliff Thorburn )
← 1986   1988 →

The 1987 Mercantile Credit Snooker Classic was a professional world ranking snooker tournament for the 1986/87 season . It was held from January 2 to 11, 1987 at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool , England . The winner was Steve Davis , who defeated Jimmy White in the final 13:12. The highest break of the tournament was played by Cliff Thorburn with a 140 break.

Prize money

The prize money increased year on year by about 20,000 pounds to just under £ 250,000, of which nearly one-fifth was accounted for by the winner.

	Prize money
winner	£ 50,000
final	£ 30,000
Semifinals	£ 15,000
Quarter finals	£ 7,500
Round of 16	£ 3,750
Last 32	£ 2,421
Last 48	£ 1,093
Highest break (qualification / main round)	£ 1,125 £ 5,000
All in all	£ 249,837

Tournament course

After four years in Warrington, the venue of the tournament changed with this event to the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool , where it was to stay up to and including 1990. As in the previous year, the top 32 of the world rankings were set for the first main round, the remaining players had to go through one or two qualifying rounds and identified 32 players who qualified for the first main round. Up to the quarter-finals the game was played in the best of 9 frames mode , in the semi-finals in the best of 17 mode and 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
	95	Greg Jenkins	0
						1	Steve Davis	5
						19th	John Virgo	2
	19th	John Virgo	5
	119	Mark Bennett	3
											1	Steve Davis	5
											11	Tony Meo	2
	11	Tony Meo	5
	62	John Rea	4th
						11	Tony Meo	5
						31	Steve Longworth	0
	31	Steve Longworth	5
	57	Tommy Murphy	3
																1	Steve Davis	5
																17th	John Parrott	4th
	6th	Alex Higgins	5
	74	Colin Roscoe	2
						6th	Alex Higgins	2
						17th	John Parrott	5
	17th	John Parrott	5
	55	Tony Jones	2
											17th	John Parrott	5
											25th	Eddie Charlton	4th
	16	Rex Williams	5
	75	Mario Morra	2
						16	Rex Williams	4th
						25th	Eddie Charlton	5
	25th	Eddie Charlton	5
	87	Mick Fisher	0
																					1	Steve Davis	9
																					51	Stephen Hendry	3
	4th	Tony Knowles	4th
	33	Danny Fowler	5
						33	Danny Fowler	5
						27	Mike Hallett	4th
	27	Mike Hallett	5
	61	Bernie Mikkelsen	3
											33	Danny Fowler	4th
											51	Stephen Hendry	5
	15th	Ray Reardon	3
	51	Stephen Hendry	5
						51	Stephen Hendry	5
						119	Jon Wright	1
	20th	Eugene Hughes	4th
	119	Jon Wright	5
																51	Stephen Hendry	5
																12	Silvino Francisco	0
	8th	Joe Johnson	5
	70	Eddie Sinclair	0
						8th	Joe Johnson	3
						26th	Peter Francisco	5
	26th	Peter Francisco	5
	38	Marcel Gauvreau	3
											26th	Peter Francisco	1
											12	Silvino Francisco	5
	12	Silvino Francisco	5
	59	Jimmy van Rensberg	4th
						12	Silvino Francisco	5
						45	Bob Harris	3
	32	Jim Wych	3
	45	Bob Harris	5
																									1	Steve Davis	13
																										5	Jimmy White	12
	2	Cliff Thorburn	5
	50	Graham Cripsey	0
						2	Cliff Thorburn	4th
						29	Dean Reynolds	5
	29	Dean Reynolds	5
	41	Warren King	4th
											29	Dean Reynolds	5
											30th	Barry West	3
	9	Kirk Stevens	5
	53	Bob chaperone	3
						9	Kirk Stevens	3
						30th	Barry West	5
	30th	Barry West	5
	98	Frank Jonik	4th
																29	Dean Reynolds	5
																23	Cliff Wilson	1
	3	Dennis Taylor	2
	56	Wayne Jones	5
						56	Wayne Jones	5
						101	Tony Kearney	1
	22nd	Murdo MacLeod	0
	101	Tony Kearney	5
											56	Wayne Jones	3
											23	Cliff Wilson	5
	14th	Doug Mountjoy	4th
	68	Les Dodd	5
						68	Les Dodd	4th
						23	Cliff Wilson	5
	23	Cliff Wilson	5
	67	Ian Williamson	4th
																				29	Dean Reynolds	8th
																					5	Jimmy White	9
	5	Jimmy White	5
	40	Steve Newbury	4th
						5	Jimmy White	5
						54	Malcolm Bradley	0
	21st	David Taylor	1
	54	Malcolm Bradley	5
											5	Jimmy White	5
											35	Steve Duggan	2
	13	Neal Foulds	3
	35	Steve Duggan	5
						35	Steve Duggan	5
						24	Bill Werbeniuk	0
	24	Bill Werbeniuk	5
	71	Jack McLaughlin	1
																5	Jimmy White	5
																10	Terry Griffiths	3
	7th	Willie Thorne	3
	34	John Spencer	5
						34	John Spencer	3
						18th	John Campbell	5
	18th	John Campbell	5
	48	Paddy Browne	2
											18th	John Campbell	3
											10	Terry Griffiths	5
	10	Terry Griffiths	5
	65	Joe O'Boye	1
						10	Terry Griffiths	5
						28	Dave Martin	4th
	28	Dave Martin	5
	79	Geoff Foulds	4th

final

In the semifinals, the first place in the world rankings and last year's World Cup finalist Steve Davis defeated the 17-year-old Scottish Stephen Hendry , who had advanced to the semifinals despite being 51st in the world rankings. His opponent Jimmy White on world number 5 also had to defeat a promising newcomer in the semifinals; White could only defeat 23-year-old Dean Reynolds in the last possible frame.

White, only 24 years old himself, was able to win the first two frames to take a 0-2 lead, but three-time world champion Steve Davis equalized and then took the lead 3-2. White equalized before Davis took the lead again. After another equalization and another lead by Davis, White was able to equalize again to the score of 5: 5. Davis won the next two frames, but White didn't let up and equaled. Davis managed to take the lead again, for the second year in a row with two frames. White was able to reduce the lead by one frame, but Davis restored the old distance by winning the next frame. White reduced again to 10: 9, but Davis was able to win the next frame to 11: 9. At 36:47 the next frame went just short of White, who shortly afterwards equalized with a 75 break to 11:11. Davis was able to win the next frame to take the lead again, but White forced him into the decider by winning the 24th frame . White took the lead 35-0 and left the table with just a long red for Davis. He took the chance and won in the end with 75:35, so that he won the Classic for the fourth time.

Final: Best of 25 Frames Norbreck Castle Hotel ,  Blackpool , England , January 11, 1987
Steve Davis	13 : 12	Jimmy White
52: 61 , 25: 65 , 66 : 36, 95 : 29, 74 : 12 (70), 56: 66 (Davis 55), 65 : 21, 54: 62 , 68 : 66 (White 53), 6: 69 , 123 : 0 (119), 67 : 43, 37: 71 , 28: 73 , 69 : 58 (Davis 55, White 58), 73 : 22 (72), 7: 107 (74), 72 : 2 (53 ), 7: 94 (50), 71 : 0 (61), 36: 47 , 1: 75 (75), 65 : 35, 55: 80 , 75 : 35
119	Highest break	75
1	Century breaks	-
7th	50+ breaks	5

qualification

The qualification took place from November 6th to 12th, 1986. The 46 worst participating players in the world rankings (from position 73 including the players on the 119th place, which was shared several times) competed against each other in the first round in knockout mode. The winners of the respective games met the remaining players from 33rd place, so that in the end 32 players were able to qualify for the first main round.

Round 1 best of 9 frames   Round 2 best of 9 frames                 93   Dennis Hughes 2   49   Tony Chappel 4th 119   Jon Wright 5   119   Jon Wright 5     46   Ray Edmonds 2     67   Ian Williamson 5 94   Martin Smith 0   59   Jimmy van Rensberg 5 119   Nigel Gilbert 5   119   Nigel Gilbert 3     34   John Spencer 5     72   Dave Gilbert 4th     52   Graham Miles 1     70   Eddie Sinclair 5 74   Colin Roscoe 5   42   Patsy Fagan 119   Terry Whitthread 1   74   Colin Roscoe kl. 91   Pat Houlihan 1   62   John Rea 5 119   Ken Owers 5   119   Ken Owers 2     63   Vic Harris 1     65   Joe O'Boye 5 85   Jim Meadowcroft kl.   40   Steve Newbury 5 118   Leon Heywood   85   Jim Meadowcroft 1     57   Tommy Murphy 5     66   Roger Bales 2 75   Mario Morra 5   36   Perrie Mans 0 119   François Ellis 1   75   Mario Morra 5     61   Bernie Mikkelsen 5     69   Robby Foldvari 1     60   Matt Gibson 3     71   Jack McLaughlin 5 82   Jim Bear   41   Warren King 5 104   Pascal Burke kl.   104   Pascal Burke 0 89   Omprakesh Agrawal 0   43   Mark Wildman 3 101   Tony Kearney 5   101   Tony Kearney 5 98   Frank Jonik 5   37   Tony Drago 2 119   Steve James 4th   98   Frank Jonik 5

Round 1 best of 9 frames   Round 2 best of 9 frames                 90   Eddie McLaughlin   56   Wayne Jones 5 100   Clive Everton kl.   100   Clive Everton 0 84   Bill Oliver 5   55   Tony Jones 5 107   David Greaves 4th   84   Bill Oliver 0 95   Greg Jenkins 5   44   George Scott 4th 113   Maurice Parkin 2   95   Greg Jenkins 5 88   Billy Kelly 3   51   Stephen Hendry 5 103   Jackie Rea 5   103   Jackie Rea 1 80   Sakchai Sim-ngam   45   Bob Harris 5 119   Paul Gibson kl.   119   Paul Gibson 3 86   Gino Rigitano 5   38   Marcel Gauvreau 5 112   Robbie Grace 4th   86   Gino Rigitano 0 76   Jack Fitzmaurice 2   33   Danny Fowler 5 102   Glen Wilkinson 5   102   Glen Wilkinson 1 79   Geoff Foulds 5   39   Dene O'Kane 4th 114   Bernard Bennett 2   79   Geoff Foulds 5 87   Mick Fisher 5   47   Fred Davis 2 109   Bert Demarco 0   87   Mick Fisher 5 73   Jim Donnelly 0   35   Steve Duggan 5 106   Paul Watchorn 5   106   Paul Watchorn 1     58   Paul Medati 4th     68   Les Dodd 5 92   John Hargreaves   50   Graham Cripsey 5 108   Derek Mienie kl.   108   Derek Mienie 0 78   Mike Darrington 0   53   Bob chaperone 5 119   David Roe 5   119   David Roe 4th     48   Paddy Browne 5     83   John Dunning 1 77   Mike Watterson 1   54   Malcolm Bradley 5 119   Brian Rowswell 5   119   Brian Rowswell 4th 81   Dessie Sheehan 3   64   Ian Black 3 119   Mark Bennett 5   119   Mark Bennett 5

Century breaks

During the entire tournament 19 Centurys were played, 16 of which were played in the main round.

qualification

• Stephen Hendry : 136
• Mark Bennett : 122, 102
• Tommy Murphy : 109

Main round

Cliff Thorburn 140, 112 John Parrott 136, 126 Jimmy White 126 Stephen Hendry 122, 111 Steve Davis 119, 108 Tony Knowles 112

Peter Francisco 106 Neal Foulds 104 Steve Duggan 104 Terry Griffiths 103 Jon Wright 100

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ron Florax: 1987 Classic. Cuetracker.net, accessed on December 28, 2018 .  
2. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: 1987 Classic - Finishes. Cuetracker.net, accessed on December 28, 2018 .  
3. ↑ Chris Turner: Historical World Rankings. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, archived from the original on June 8, 2012 ; accessed on December 28, 2018 (English).  
4. ↑ ^{a b} Ron Florax: Rankings - 1986-1987. Cuetracker.net, accessed on December 28, 2018 .  
5. ↑ Steve Davis : Interesting . 1st edition. Dragonstars Event Management, 2016, ISBN 978-3-00-053061-6 , p.  238 .