Welsh Open 2000

Welsh Open 2000
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Cardiff International Arena , Cardiff , Wales
Opening:	January 24, 2000
Endgame:	January 30, 2000
Winner:	John Higgins
Finalist:	Stephen Lee
Highest Break:	147 ( Barry Pinches )
← 1999   2001 →

The Welsh Open 2000 was a snooker tournament of the 1999/2000 season that was held from January 24th to 30th, 2000 in the International Arena of Cardiff . For the second time, the Welsh capital hosted the tournament.

Defending champion Mark Williams only made it to the last sixteen this time. The final was played by John Higgins and Stephen Lee . After losing the final twice before, world number one Higgins won the title with 9: 8 in the decision-making frame on the third attempt.

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
winner	£ 62,000	4,560
finalist	£ 33,000	3,040
Semi-finalist	£ 16,500	2,025
Quarter finalist	£ 9,400	1,520
Round of 16	£ 4,800	1,140
Last 32	£ 2,775	855
Last 64	£ 2,400	640
Last 96	£ 1,350	480 a
Last 128	£ 800	100
Highest Break (Final Round)	£ 5,000
All in all	£ 401,250

^a Seeded players who lost their opening game in the second qualifying round received just 300 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 Blackpool in September of the previous 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	Mark Williams	5
	61	Alfie Burden	0
						1	Mark Williams	5
						28	Joe Swail	1
	28	Joe Swail	5
		Nick Dyson	3
											1	Mark Williams	4th
											9	Matthew Stevens	5
	19th	Dominic Dale	5
	96	Troy Shaw	3
						19th	Dominic Dale	3
						9	Matthew Stevens	5
	9	Matthew Stevens	5
	34	Joe Perry	1
																9	Matthew Stevens	2
																6th	Stephen Lee	5
	12	Paul Hunter	5
	69	Shokat Ali	2
						12	Paul Hunter	5
						82	Martin Dziewialtowski	3
	23	Darren Morgan	1
	82	Martin Dziewialtowski	5
											12	Paul Hunter	4th
											6th	Stephen Lee	5
	25th	Graeme Dott	5
	57	Mick Price	2
						25th	Graeme Dott	2
						6th	Stephen Lee	5
	6th	Stephen Lee	5
	60	David Gray	4th
																					6th	Stephen Lee	6th
																					16	Jimmy White	5
	8th	Alan McManus	4th
	39	Ian McCulloch	5
						39	Ian McCulloch	5
							Mark Fenton	2
	26th	Quinten Hann	-
		Mark Fenton	kl.
											39	Ian McCulloch	5
											35	Marco Fu	2
	24	Billy Snaddon	0
	73	Leigh Griffin	5
						73	Leigh Griffin	0
						35	Marco Fu	5
	14th	Mark King	3
	35	Marco Fu	5
																39	Ian McCulloch	1
																16	Jimmy White	5
	16	Jimmy White	5
	49	Gary Ponting	0
						16	Jimmy White	5
						32	Andy Hicks	2
	32	Andy Hicks	5
	51	Rod Lawler	2
											16	Jimmy White	5
											4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	2
	29	Gary Wilkinson	1
	68	Stuart Pettman	5
						68	Stuart Pettman	3
						4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	4th	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	56	Paul Wykes	0
																									6th	Stephen Lee	8th
																										3	John Higgins	9
	3	John Higgins	5
	80	Anthony Davies	3
						3	John Higgins	5
						93	Stuart Bingham	0
	21st	Nigel Bond	1
	93	Stuart Bingham	5
											3	John Higgins	5
												Ryan Day	1
	30th	Terry Murphy	2
		Ryan Day	5
							Ryan Day	5
						15th	Steve Davis	4th
	15th	Steve Davis	5
	59	Joe Johnson	4th
																3	John Higgins	5
																33	Bradley Jones	1
	10	Anthony Hamilton	4th
	63	Jimmy Michie	5
						63	Jimmy Michie	2
						33	Bradley Jones	5
	27	Jamie Burnett	1
	33	Bradley Jones	5
											33	Bradley Jones	5
											45	Drew Henry	0
	18th	Chris Small	3
	58	David Roe	5
						58	David Roe	2
						45	Drew Henry	5
	5	John Parrott	3
	45	Drew Henry	5
																				3	John Higgins	6th
																					13	Peter Ebdon	4th
	7th	Ken Doherty	5
	89	Craig MacGillivray	1
						7th	Ken Doherty	5
						20th	Tony Drago	3
	20th	Tony Drago	5
		Noppadon Noppachorn	1
											7th	Ken Doherty	4th
											13	Peter Ebdon	5
	31	Brian Morgan	5
	90	Darren Clarke	3
						31	Brian Morgan	3
						13	Peter Ebdon	5
	13	Peter Ebdon	5
	53	Jonathan Birch	1
																13	Peter Ebdon	5
																11	Fergal O'Brien	2
	11	Fergal O'Brien	5
	42	Peter Lines	2
						11	Fergal O'Brien	5
						17th	Dave Harold	4th
	17th	Dave Harold	5
		Nick Terry	1
											11	Fergal O'Brien	5
											22nd	James Wattana	0
	22nd	James Wattana	5
		Mike Dunn	0
						22nd	James Wattana	5
						50	Jason Ferguson	2
	2	Stephen Hendry	3
	50	Jason Ferguson	5

kl. = without a fight

final

In 1995 and 1998 John Higgins had already been in the final of the Welsh Open, but lost both times. Stephen Lee, on the other hand, was only in a ranking final for the third time. It was the only time the two faced each other in a final. An even game developed, which was 4: 4 after the first session. In the evening Lee was able to gain a lead and led 7: 5 and 8: 6. He was only missing one frame to win, but Higgins made up for it with high breaks. In the end, he got the upper hand in the decider and won his first title in Wales on the third attempt. The decision frame was the only frame he won without a high break, with 11 breaks of over 50 points in a best-of-17 final, he set a tournament record.

Final: Best of 17 Frames Referee: Eirian Williams International Arena ,  Cardiff , Wales , January 30th 2000
Stephen Lee	8: 9	John Higgins
Afternoon : 17: 102 (101), 129 : 0 (129), 78 : 43, 74 : 36, 0: 129 (52, 77), 1: 74 (52), 68 : 54 (50), 7: 83 (83); Evening : 71 : 28, 46: 94 , 70 : 61 (64 Lee, 56 Higgins), 81 : 67 (67), 34: 86 (63), 78 : 42 (71), 13: 113 (54.59) , 0: 100 (100), 8:65
129	Highest break	101
1	Century breaks	2
4th	50+ breaks	11

qualification

The qualifiers took place on September 20 and 21, 1999 in Blackpool , England . 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 2000 , with better placed players being placed for the higher qualifying rounds.

Century breaks

20 players scored 45 breaks of at least 100 points in the main tournament and set a new tournament record. 7 players achieved at least 3 Centurys and the winner John Higgins even managed 6. The highlight of the breaks, however, had already occurred four months earlier in the qualifying tournament: Barry Pinches achieved a maximum break , the 31st in snooker history according to the official count. Nevertheless, he lost the match against Joe Johnson 4-5. At least he got the special £ 6,000 bonus for the 147 Break. It was the only thing in Pinches' career. As part of the Tournament was the second maximum: For the Welsh Open in 1999 had Ronnie O'Sullivan scored the first.

Ronnie O'Sullivan 141, 117 John Parrott 137, 124 Mark Williams 136, 131 Marco Fu 136, 102, 100 Matthew Stevens 136, 132, 100 Tony Drago 135 John Higgins 132, 109, 105, 104, 101, 100 Stephen Lee 131, 129, 101 Paul Hunter 131 Anthony Davies 131, 100

Steve Davis 127, 125 Peter Ebdon 127, 123, 113, 103 Ian McCulloch 125, 120, 102 Dave Harold 118, 113, 100 Ryan Day 116 Fergal O'Brien 116, 102 Jimmy White 115, 113 Mick Price 112 Stephen Hendry 111 Bradley Jones 100

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} 2000 Welsh Open - Finishes. CueTracker, accessed December 1, 2017 . 
2. ↑ 2000 Welsh Open. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 1, 2017 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Regal Welsh Open 2000. snooker.org, accessed on December 1, 2017 (English). 
4. ↑ Rankings - 1999-2000. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 1, 2017 .