London Masters

Continental Airlines London Masters

Tournament status
Ranking tournament:
Minor ranking tournament:
Invitation tournament:	1989-1991
Tournament dates of the last edition
Venue:	Cafe Royal , London
Prize money (total):	£ 75,000
Prize money (winner):	£ 30,000
Frames in the final:	Best of 7
Records
Most wins:	Stephen Hendry  (2 ×)
Highest Break:	140 ( Stephen Hendry 1991)
Venue (s) on the map
London England

The Continental Airlines London Masters was an invitation-based snooker tournament that was part of the professional tour between 1988 and 1991 and was held three times in London's Café Royal and was sponsored by Continental Airlines . While Stephen Hendry won the first two editions , he lost 4-0 to Steve Davis in the third edition in the final . At the same time, however, Hendry played the highest break in tournament history with a 140 break in the latter edition.

history

For the first time, the London Masters was held as part of the 1988/89 season. Like the following editions, the tournament was sponsored by Continental Airlines and co-promoted by Barry Hearn's company Matchroom Sport . The tournament began with the first edition in September and later in October, with only one game per week as an "after-dinner match" in the Café Royal in London and the tournament thus ended in May of the following year. Eight players were invited to each edition and played for victory in the knockout system from the quarterfinals . The tournament's first edition totaled £ 50,000 in prize money, half of which went to the winner. The final of the first edition was played by the Scot Stephen Hendry and the Englishman John Parrott , with the former player winning 4-2.

The second edition of the tournament took place during the next season between October 1989 and May 1990. Mostly the same players took part, but Tony Drago , Neal Foulds and Terry Griffiths were replaced by Willie Thorne , Tony Meo and Mike Hallett . At the same time, the total of all prizes rose to £ 75,000, 40% of which went to the winner. Again reached Stephen Hendry and John Parrott the finals, which also as the year before Hendry 4: 2 won.

The last edition of the tournament also took place between October and May of the next year during the 1990/91 season . This time the three new players from the previous year as well as the Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor were replaced by James Wattana , Martin Clark , Gary Wilkinson and women's world champion Allison Fisher . The prize money paid out did not change. Stephen Hendry, meanwhile world champion, reached the final again, whereas John Parrott had to admit defeat in the semifinals 3: 4 Steve Davis , who later defeated Hendry 4: 0 in the final. No further editions of the tournament took place in the following.

winner

year	venue	winner	Result	finalist	sponsor	season
London Masters - Invitational Status
1989	London - Cafe Royal	Stephen Hendry	4: 2	John Parrott	Continental Airlines	1988/89
1990		Stephen Hendry	4: 2	John Parrott		1989/90
1991		Steve Davis	4-0	Stephen Hendry		1990/91

Web links

• Overview of the expenses at CueTracker
• Overview of the expenses in the snooker database

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Chris Turner: Other Non-Ranking and Invition Events - First held 1980-1989. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive, 2008, archived from the original on February 16, 2012 ; accessed on March 25, 2020 (English).  
2. ^ Ron Florax: 1989 London Masters. CueTracker.net, accessed March 25, 2020 .  
3. ^ Ron Florax: 1990 London Masters. CueTracker.net, accessed March 25, 2020 .  
4. ^ Ron Florax: 1991 London Masters. CueTracker.net, accessed March 25, 2020 .