International Open 1987

International Open 1987 The Fidelity Unit Trusts International Open 1987
Tournament type:	Ranking tournament
Attendees:	122
Venue:	Trentham Gardens , Stoke-on-Trent , England
Opening:	September 25, 1987
Endgame:	3rd / 4th October 1987
Winner:	Steve Davis
Finalist:	Cliff Thorburn
Highest Break:	140 ( Steve Davis )
← 1986   1988 →

The The Fidelity Unit Trusts International Open 1987 was a professional snooker world ranking tournament . The tournament was held from September 25 to October 4, 1987 in the Trentham Gardens in the English city ​​of Stoke-on-Trent . The winner was the Englishman Steve Davis , who won the tournament for the fourth time with a 12: 5 win over the Canadian Cliff Thorburn . He also played the highest break of the tournament with a 140 break.

Prize money

After the snooker accessories manufacturer BCE had sponsored the tournament in the previous year , the sponsorship changed with this edition to Fidelity Unit Trusts , which also sponsored the tournament the following year. Compared to last year, the prize money increased by more than £ 25,000 to £ 199,992, of which a good 20% went to the winner.

	Prize money
winner	£ 40,000
finalist	£ 24,000
Semi-finalist	£ 12,000
Quarter finalist	£ 6,000
Round of 16	£ 3,000
Last 32	£ 1,937
Last 64	£ 875
Highest break (qualification / main round)	£ 1,000 £ 4,000
All in all	£ 199,992

Tournament course

As in previous years, the best 32 players in the world rankings would have qualified directly for the main round or the round of the last 64. However, since number nine in the world, the Northern Irishman Alex Higgins , did not take part in the tournament, the 33rd Canadian Bill Werbeniuk slipped into the direct qualification places . All directly seeded players met one of the 32 qualifiers in this round. In the knockout system , the game was played in the best of 9 frames mode up to and including the quarter-finals , followed by the semi-finals in the best of 17 frames mode and the final in the best of 23 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 23 frames
	1	Steve Davis	5
	35	Dene O'Kane	2
						1	Steve Davis	5
						20th	Tony Meo	3
	20th	Tony Meo	5
	53	Jon Wright	2
											1	Steve Davis	5
											13	John Parrott	2
	13	John Parrott	5
	58	Tony Chappel	1
						13	John Parrott	5
						41	Bob chaperone	1
	29	Barry West	4th
	41	Bob chaperone	5
																1	Steve Davis	5
																19th	John Virgo	2
	7th	Tony Knowles	5
	40	Danny Fowler	4th
						7th	Tony Knowles	5
						25th	David Taylor	2
	25th	David Taylor	5
	77	Mario Morra	3
											7th	Tony Knowles	2
											19th	John Virgo	5
	11	Willie Thorne	5
	69	John Rea	3
						11	Willie Thorne	4th
						19th	John Virgo	5
	19th	John Virgo	5
	44	Tommy Murphy	1
																					1	Steve Davis	9
																					16	Mike Hallett	3
	2	Jimmy White	5
	54	Mark Bennett	3
						2	Jimmy White	5
						31	Steve Longworth	1
	28	John Spencer	5
	111	Jackie Rea	0
											2	Jimmy White	4th
											16	Mike Hallett	5
	16	Mike Hallett	5
	78	Colin Roscoe	3
						16	Mike Hallett	5
						28	John Spencer	2
	31	Steve Longworth	5
	80	Ian Williamson	4th
																16	Mike Hallett	5
																26th	Eddie Charlton	4th
	6th	Terry Griffiths	5
	47	Mark Wildman	1
						6th	Terry Griffiths	2
						26th	Eddie Charlton	5
	26th	Eddie Charlton	5
	38	Ray Reardon	4th
											26th	Eddie Charlton	5
											99	Nigel Gilbert	0
	15th	Dean Reynolds	4th
	34	Wayne Jones	5
						34	Wayne Jones	4th
						99	Nigel Gilbert	5
	30th	Murdo MacLeod	1
	99	Nigel Gilbert	5
																									1	Steve Davis	12
																										4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
	3	Neal Foulds	5
	98	Paul Gibson	2
						3	Neal Foulds	2
						23	Stephen Hendry	5
	23	Stephen Hendry	5
	oR	Gary Wilkinson	4th
											23	Stephen Hendry	5
											82	Dave Gilbert	0
	17th	Cliff Wilson	5
	76	Eddie Sinclair	1
						17th	Cliff Wilson	1
						82	Dave Gilbert	5
	27	Dave Martin	2
	82	Dave Gilbert	5
																23	Stephen Hendry	5
																55	Joe O'Boye	2
	8th	Dennis Taylor	5
	56	Malcolm Bradley	0
						8th	Dennis Taylor	0
						oR	Martin Clark	5
	32	Tony Drago	2
	oR	Martin Clark	5
											oR	Martin Clark	2
											55	Joe O'Boye	5
	12	Rex Williams	0
	79	Robby Foldvari	5
						79	Robby Foldvari	4th
						55	Joe O'Boye	5
	21st	Kirk Stevens	1
	55	Joe O'Boye	5
																				23	Stephen Hendry	1
																					4th	Cliff Thorburn	9
	4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
	63	Robbie Grace	1
						4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
						45	Steve Newbury	3
	18th	Peter Francisco	2
	45	Steve Newbury	5
											4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
											66	Steve James	0
	14th	Doug Mountjoy	4th
	83	David Roe	5
						83	David Roe	3
						66	Steve James	5
	22nd	John Campbell	4th
	66	Steve James	5
																4th	Cliff Thorburn	5
																24	Eugene Hughes	1
	5	Joe Johnson	4th
	36	Jim Wych	5
						36	Jim Wych	4th
						24	Eugene Hughes	5
	24	Eugene Hughes	5
	52	Ken Owers	4th
											24	Eugene Hughes	5
											10	Silvino Francisco	4th
	10	Silvino Francisco	5
	39	Warren King	2
						10	Silvino Francisco	5
						33	Bill Werbeniuk	3
	33	Bill Werbeniuk	5
	48	Graham Cripsey	1

final

The reigning world champion Steve Davis from England had already won the tournament three times and was now in the final for the fourth time in three years. He had made it to the finals with mostly relatively clear victories over various players from the extended world elite, for example he had defeated Mike Hallett 9: 3 in the semi-finals . In the final he met the Canadian Cliff Thorburn , who was in the final for the third time in a row of a total of four times, but had only won the tournament in 1985 . The final was also a remake of the 1983 final , when Davis defeated Thorburn 9-4. Thorburn himself had made it to the semi-finals with victories over players from midfield and the Irish Eugene Hughes , in which he outclassed the young Stephen Hendry , later the dominant player of the 1990s, 9-1.

The final itself began relatively clearly when Thorburn won only the third frame and later could not prevent Davis from taking a 6-1 lead - also by means of a 140 break. Thorburn then reduced his deficit to 6: 3, but Davis managed to win the two following frames. Subsequently, Thorburn was able to restore the old gap to 8: 5, but Davis won the following four frames and thus won both the game and the tournament.

Final: Best of 23 Frames Referee: John Street Trentham Gardens ,  Stoke-on-Trent , England , 3rd / 4th October 1987
Steve Davis	12 : 5	Cliff Thorburn
68 : 57, 73 : 31 (56), 41: 63 , 60 : 44, 66 : 41, 71 : 5 (52), 140 : 0 (140), 49: 87 (67), 2: 76 , 88 : 4 (68), 82 : 0 (82), 9: 81 (51), 23: 76 (60), 77 : 24, 66 : 7, 102 : 24 (91), 56 : 38
140	Highest break	67
1	Century breaks	-
6th	50+ breaks	3

qualification

As in previous years, all players outside of the first 33 places in the world rankings had to qualify in advance for the main round between September 8th and 12th, 1987 due to Bill Werbeniuks advancing into the main round places. In one round of the last 128 all unseeded and ranked 72nd or lower players played against a different one of these players, with the winners of the games in the following round meeting the remaining players. The 32 qualifications resulted from the latter 32 games.

Round of the last 128 best of 9 frames   Round of the last 96 best of 9 frames                 93   Greg Jenkins 5   36   Jim Wych 5 115   Terry Whitthread 1   93   Greg Jenkins 4th 89   Mike Darrington 4th   53   Jon Wright 5 102   Billy Kelly 5   102   Billy Kelly 2 80   Ian Williamson 5   42   Marcel Gauvreau 1 112   Clive Everton 0   80   Ian Williamson 5 85   Gino Rigitano 1   60   George Scott 2 oR   Gary Wilkinson 5   oR   Gary Wilkinson 5     47   Mark Wildman 5     68   Graham Miles 3 76   Eddie Sinclair 5   59   Ray Edmonds 4th oR   Derek Heaton 3   76   Eddie Sinclair 5 78   Colin Roscoe 5   43   Paddy Browne 2 oR   Eric Lawlor 4th   78   Colin Roscoe 5 83   David Roe 5   61   Fred Davis 3 116   François Ellis 4th   83   David Roe 5 90   Brian Rowswell 5   38   Ray Reardon 5 105   Dennis Hughes 1   90   Brian Rowswell 4th     57   Roger Bales 2     69   John Rea 5 97   Pascal Burke 1   62   Geoff Foulds 2 111   Jackie Rea 5   111   Jackie Rea 5 91   Jim Meadowcroft 5   52   Ken Owers 5 117   David Greaves 1   91   Jim Meadowcroft 3     35   Dene O'Kane 5     71   Jimmy van Rensberg 3 75   Patsy Fagan kl.   55   Joe O'Boye 5 106   Eddie McLaughlin -   75   Patsy Fagan 1 92   Mick Fisher kl.   45   Steve Newbury 5 101   Jim Rempe -   92   Mick Fisher 0     44   Tommy Murphy 5     67   Paul Medati 3

Round of the last 128 best of 9 frames   Round of the last 96 best of 9 frames                 77   Mario Morra 5   51   Les Dodd 3 104   John Hargreaves 4th   77   Mario Morra 5 87   Jim Donnelly 3   39   Warren King 5 107   Martin Smith 5   107   Martin Smith 3 94   Dessie Sheehan 1   34   Wayne Jones 5 103   John Dunning 5   103   John Dunning 1     49   Bob Harris 0     66   Steve James 5 73   Bernie Mikkelsen -   63   Robbie Grace 5 oR   Jim Chambers 5   oR   Jim Chambers 4th 74   Ian Black 3   50   Jack McLaughlin 4th 99   Nigel Gilbert 5   99   Nigel Gilbert 5 82   Dave Gilbert 5   64   Pat Houlihan 3 oR   Anthony Harris 4th   82   Dave Gilbert 5 96   Glen Wilkinson 3   46   Tony Jones 4th 98   Paul Gibson 5   98   Paul Gibson 5 84   Bill Oliver 3   40   Danny Fowler 5 113   Paul Watchorn 5   113   Paul Watchorn 1 79   Robby Foldvari 5   65   Tony Kearney 1 oR   Steve Meakin 3   79   Robby Foldvari 5 81   Mike Watterson 3   48   Graham Cripsey 5 100   Ian Anderson 5   100   Ian Anderson 4th 86   Jim Bear 2   37   Steve Duggan 2 oR   Martin Clark 5   oR   Martin Clark 5     58   Tony Chappel 5     70   Matt Gibson 2 72   Vic Harris 5   41   Bob chaperone 5 oR   Robert Marshall 1   72   Vic Harris 4th 95   Frank Jonik -   56   Malcolm Bradley 5 107   Jason Smith kl.   oR   Jason Smith 1 88   Jack Fitzmaurice 4th   54   Mark Bennett 5 110   Dave Chalmers 5   110   Dave Chalmers 4th

Century Breaks

During the entire tournament, a total of twelve century breaks were played by ten players , of which only one was played in the qualification and the remaining twelve in the main round.

Main round

Steve Davis 140 , 135, 121 Joe O'Boye 135 John Virgo 134 Mike Hallett 130 Cliff Thorburn 129

Eugene Hughes 115 Wayne Jones 111 Steve Newbury 106 Jimmy White 104

qualification

• Mario Morra : 133

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ron Florax: 1987 International Open. CueTracker.net, accessed September 25, 2019 .  
2. ↑ Chris Turner: International Open / Matchroom Trophy - World Ranking Event from 1982. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, 2008, archived from the original on April 18, 2016 ; accessed on September 25, 2019 (English).  
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Ron Florax: 1987 International Open - Finishes. CueTracker.net, accessed September 25, 2019 .  
4. ^ Ron Florax: Rankings - 1987-1988. CueTracker.net, accessed September 25, 2019 .