International Open 1996

International Open 1996 Sweater Shop International 1996
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Attendees:	450
Venue:	Link Center, Swindon , England
Opening:	February 16, 1996
Endgame:	February 24, 1996
Winner:	John Higgins
Finalist:	Rod Lawler
Highest Break:	144 ( John Higgins )
← 1995   1997 →

The 1996 Sweater Shop International Open was a snooker tournament for the 1995/96 season held from February 16 to 24 at the Link Center in Swindon . The tournament had to move again, the southern English city was the sixth venue for 12 editions of the International Open.

Defending champion John Higgins made it to the final for the second time in a row. He defeated the Englishman Rod Lawler 9: 3 and won the title again. After the 6-time winner Steve Davis , he was the second multiple winner of the tournament.

Main tournament

The top 32 of the world rankings were set for the first round, 32 players who had emerged from the qualification were drawn to them for the first round. 8 qualifying rounds were played to determine these participants. The tournament mode remained unchanged.

	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	John Higgins	5
	190	Graeme Dott	0
						1	John Higgins	5
						39	Mark Williams	2
	18th	Dene O'Kane	2
	39	Mark Williams	5
											1	John Higgins	5
											28	Neal Foulds	1
	28	Neal Foulds	5
	221	Pat Horne	1
						28	Neal Foulds	5
						12	Nigel Bond	2
	12	Nigel Bond	5
	80	Karl Payne	1
																1	John Higgins	5
																78	Karl Broughton	2
	9	Darren Morgan	3
	78	Karl Broughton	5
						78	Karl Broughton	5
						57	Wayne Jones	4th
	25th	Willie Thorne	4th
	57	Wayne Jones	5
											78	Karl Broughton	5
											62	Chris Small	3
	26th	Steve James	3
	148	David McLellan	5
						148	David McLellan	4th
						62	Chris Small	5
	7th	Alan McManus	4th
	62	Chris Small	5
																					1	John Higgins	6th
																					20th	Alain Robidoux	4th
	5	John Parrott	4th
	37	Stephen Lee	5
						37	Stephen Lee	5
						32	Dennis Taylor	0
	32	Dennis Taylor	5
	43	Tony Jones	3
											37	Stephen Lee	5
											31	Anthony Hamilton	2
	31	Anthony Hamilton	5
	42	Mark Bennett	2
						31	Anthony Hamilton	5
						56	Joe Johnson	4th
	11	Peter Ebdon	4th
	56	Joe Johnson	5
																37	Stephen Lee	2
																20th	Alain Robidoux	5
	14th	Tony Drago	5
	61	Terry Murphy	2
						14th	Tony Drago	5
						88	Mark Rowing	2
	24	Tony Knowles	4th
	88	Mark Rowing	5
											14th	Tony Drago	0
											20th	Alain Robidoux	5
	20th	Alain Robidoux	5
	34	Mike Hallett	1
						20th	Alain Robidoux	5
						38	Fergal O'Brien	2
	4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	3
	38	Fergal O'Brien	5
																									1	John Higgins	9
																										40	Rod Lawler	3
	3	Steve Davis	3
	55	Jason Prince	5
						55	Jason Prince	2
						204	Nick Pearce	5
	21st	Mick Price	4th
	204	Nick Pearce	5
											204	Nick Pearce	5
											16	David Roe	2
	23	Gary Wilkinson	5
	142	Paul Wykes	3
						23	Gary Wilkinson	2
						16	David Roe	5
	16	David Roe	5
	119	Jimmy Chambers	2
																204	Nick Pearce	5
																13	Dave Harold	2
	13	Dave Harold	5
	59	Mark Davis	2
						13	Dave Harold	5
						35	Drew Henry	4th
	17th	Andy Hicks	4th
	35	Drew Henry	5
											13	Dave Harold	5
											29	Jason Ferguson	0
	29	Jason Ferguson	5
	72	Stefan Mazrocis	2
						29	Jason Ferguson	5
						100	Michael Judge	3
	6th	James Wattana	3
	100	Michael Judge	5
																				204	Nick Pearce	5
																					40	Rod Lawler	6th
	8th	Jimmy White	1
	47	Dave Finbow	5
						47	Dave Finbow	5
						52	Mark King	3
	30th	Dean Reynolds	0
	52	Mark King	5
											47	Dave Finbow	5
											113	Gary Ponting	2
	27	Brian Morgan	3
	116	Marcus Campbell	5
						116	Marcus Campbell	3
						113	Gary Ponting	5
	10	Ken Doherty	2
	113	Gary Ponting	5
																47	Dave Finbow	1
																40	Rod Lawler	5
	15th	Terry Griffiths	3
	33	Billy Snaddon	5
						33	Billy Snaddon	5
						19th	Joe Swail	1
	19th	Joe Swail	5
	132	Barry Pinches	2
											33	Billy Snaddon	3
											40	Rod Lawler	5
	22nd	Martin Clark	0
	40	Rod Lawler	5
						40	Rod Lawler	5
						2	Stephen Hendry	3
	2	Stephen Hendry	5
	67	Brian Rowswell	1

final

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: Jan Verhaas Link Center,  Swindon , England , February 24, 1996
John Higgins	9 : 3	Rod Lawler
Afternoon : 46: 74 (56), 79 : 4, 71 : 48, 104 : 0 (104), 85 : 13 (76), 59 : 23, 83 : 20 (59), 0: 85 (77); Evening : 86 : 10 (55), 58: 69 , 100 : 17 (100), 65 : 28 (55)
104	Highest break	77
2	Century breaks	-
6th	50+ breaks	2

swell

1. ↑ International Open / Goya Matchroom Trophy. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, archived from the original on February 16, 2012 ; accessed on December 13, 2019 . 
2. ↑ 1996 International Open. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 13, 2019 . 
3. ^ Sweater Shop International Open. snooker.org, accessed December 13, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Rankings - 1995-1996. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 13, 2019 .