Welsh Open 1999

Welsh Open 1999
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Attendees:	198
Venue:	Cardiff International Arena , Cardiff , Wales
Opening:	January 25, 1999
Endgame:	January 31, 1999
Winner:	Mark Williams
Finalist:	Stephen Hendry
Highest Break:	147 ( Ronnie O'Sullivan )
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The Welsh Open in 1999 were a snooker tournament of the 1998-99 season , which from 25 to 31 January 1999 in International Arena of Cardiff was held. After seven years in the nearby coastal town of Newport , the tournament had moved to the Welsh capital.

Paul Hunter already missed his chance to defend his title from the previous year in round 2. Mark Williams won his second title in his homeland after 1996 . He defeated Stephen Hendry 9-8 .

In the quarterfinals, Ronnie O'Sullivan managed a maximum break , the first to be played at the Welsh Open. For him it was the second break with the ideal number of 147.

Prize money / world ranking points

The winnings increased by about 10% compared to the previous year. The gain was spread across all places from the winner with an increase of £ 2,000 to the bottom 96 with an increase of £ 100.

In terms of the points for the world rankings , nothing changed for the finalists, as there were fewer qualifying participants this time, there were only fewer points for the losers in the first round.

	Prize money	World ranking points a
winner	£ 60,000	4,560
finalist	£ 32,000	3,040
Semi-finalist	£ 16,000	2,025
Quarter finalist	£ 9,100	1,520
Round of 16	£ 4,600	1,140
Last 32	£ 2,600	855
Last 64	£ 2,225	640
Last 96	£ 1,250	480
Last 128	£ 200	360
Last 160	-	270
Last 192	-	150
Highest Break (Final Round)	£ 5,000
Highest Break (Qualification)	£ 1,100
All in all	£ 401,250

For the maximum break there was an additional £ 20,000 for the highest break, for a total of £ 25,000.

^a Seeded players who lost their opening game in qualifying only received 75% of the points.

Final round

The top 32 of the world rankings were set for the main tournament. They were drawn to the 32 players who had prevailed in the qualification in Plymouth last year.

	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	Paul Hunter	5
	60	Ian McCulloch	4th
						1	Paul Hunter	2
						21st	Fergal O'Brien	5
	21st	Fergal O'Brien	5
		Ali Carter	2
											21st	Fergal O'Brien	0
											15th	Steve Davis	5
	20th	Dave Harold	3
	55	Joe Johnson	5
						55	Joe Johnson	3
						15th	Steve Davis	5
	15th	Steve Davis	5
	44	Bradley Jones	4th
																15th	Steve Davis	4th
																6th	Mark Williams	5
	9	Alan McManus	5
		Alan Burnett	3
						9	Alan McManus	5
							Marco Fu	4th
	30th	Graeme Dott	0
		Marco Fu	5
											9	Alan McManus	0
											6th	Mark Williams	5
	25th	Chris Small	5
	58	Michael Judge	2
						25th	Chris Small	0
						6th	Mark Williams	5
	6th	Mark Williams	5
	34	Neal Foulds	2
																					6th	Mark Williams	6th
																					4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	1
	5	Ken Doherty	2
		Patrick Wallace	5
							Patrick Wallace	5
						47	Tony Chappel	1
	27	Brian Morgan	4th
	47	Tony Chappel	5
												Patrick Wallace	2
											16	James Wattana	5
	18th	Gary Wilkinson	2
	52	Dennis Taylor	5
						52	Dennis Taylor	2
						16	James Wattana	5
	16	James Wattana	5
		Robert Milkins	4th
																16	James Wattana	2
																4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	13	Alain Robidoux	5
		Phaitoon Phonbun	4th
						13	Alain Robidoux	5
							Mike Dunn	1
	17th	Mark King	3
		Mike Dunn	5
											13	Alain Robidoux	4th
											4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	19th	Jimmy White	5
		Barry Mapstone	1
						19th	Jimmy White	2
						4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
		Nigel Gilbert	2
																									6th	Mark Williams	9
																										3	Stephen Hendry	8th
	3	Stephen Hendry	5
	48	David Roe	1
						3	Stephen Hendry	5
						87	Darren Clarke	2
	31	Jamie Burnett	1
	87	Darren Clarke	5
											3	Stephen Hendry	5
											26th	Matthew Stevens	4th
	26th	Matthew Stevens	5
	94	John Lardner	1
						26th	Matthew Stevens	5
						10	Stephen Lee	4th
	10	Stephen Lee	5
	78	Matthew Couch	3
																3	Stephen Hendry	5
																12	Anthony Hamilton	2
	12	Anthony Hamilton	5
	75	Gary Ponting	4th
						12	Anthony Hamilton	5
						32	Billy Snaddon	1
	32	Billy Snaddon	5
	43	Drew Henry	2
											12	Anthony Hamilton	5
											50	Lee Walker	2
	22nd	Andy Hicks	4th
	50	Lee Walker	5
						50	Lee Walker	5
						7th	John Parrott	4th
	7th	John Parrott	5
	92	Mark Gray	2
																				3	Stephen Hendry	6th
																					36	Joe Swail	2
	8th	Peter Ebdon	5
		Leigh Griffin	1
						8th	Peter Ebdon	5
						56	Mark Davis	0
	29	Terry Murphy	2
	56	Mark Davis	5
											8th	Peter Ebdon	3
											36	Joe Swail	5
	24	Dominic Dale	3
	36	Joe Swail	5
						36	Joe Swail	5
						14th	Nigel Bond	3
	14th	Nigel Bond	5
	68	Dave Finbow	4th
																36	Joe Swail	5
																	Stuart Bingham	1
	11	Tony Drago	0
		Stuart Bingham	5
							Stuart Bingham	5
						59	Gerard Greene	4th
	23	Darren Morgan	1
	59	Gerard Greene	5
												Stuart Bingham	5
											2	John Higgins	4th
	28	Martin Clark	4th
		Paul Sweeny	5
							Paul Sweeny	3
						2	John Higgins	5
	2	John Higgins	5
	66	Mark Bennett	1

final

For the third time in three years Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams met in a Main Tour final, the Welshman had won twice so far. Hendry tried to do better this time and pulled three times, pulling Hendry two points away. But Williams equalized three times. After the 7: 7, the Welshman took the lead for the first time, but then missed the decision. Despite a 52 break from him, Hendry managed to equalize to 8: 8. In a competitive decision-making frame, Williams finally had the better end to himself and drew level with his opponent with his second Welsh Open victory.

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: John Williams International Arena ,  Cardiff , Wales , January 31, 1999
Mark Williams	9 : 8	Stephen Hendry
Afternoon : 15: 100 (57), 59: 66 , 89 : 7 (71), 74 : 1 (62), 15: 116 (67), 52: 74 (56), 71 : 24 (56), 13: 116 (116); Evening : 82 : 9 (81), 117 : 23 (84), 42: 71 (52), 67: 74 (67 Williams), 68 : 40, 106 : 4 (64), 104 : 6 (104), 54 : 63 (52 Williams), 65 : 48
104	Highest break	116
1	Century breaks	1
9	50+ breaks	5

qualification

The qualifiers took place between July 29 and September 3, 1998 in Plymouth, England in the Plymouth Pavilions . In rounds with 64 players each, the 32 players were determined who competed against the top 32 of the world rankings in the main tournament in Cardiff at the beginning of 1999 , with better placed players being placed for the higher qualifying rounds. Before the final qualifying round, there was also an intermediate round with 6 games for non-UK players (Overseas Qualifiers)

Century breaks

14 players achieved 27 breaks of at least 100 points in the main tournament. Ronnie O'Sullivan not only managed the first maximum break in Welsh Open history, he also achieved the three highest breaks of this year's tournament. Most of the Centurys were scored by tournament winner Stephen Hendry , with three of his six 100 breaks in the final.

Ronnie O'Sullivan 147 , 144, 143, 110 John Parrott 142 Matthew Stevens 138, 100 Stephen Lee 130, 113, 107, 104 Peter Ebdon 126 Stephen Hendry 123, 120, 118, 116, 107, 104 John Higgins 123

Patrick Wallace 121, 109 Marco Fu 121 Fergal O'Brien 116 Stuart Bingham 111 Mark Williams 104 Stuart Bingham 102 Bradley Jones 100

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} 1999 Welsh Open - Finishes. CueTracker, accessed December 9, 2017 . 
2. ↑ 1999 Welsh Open. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 9, 2017 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Welsh Open 1999. snooker.org, accessed on December 9, 2017 (English). 
4. ↑ Rankings - 1998-1999. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 9, 2017 .