Welsh Open 2003

Welsh Open 2003
Tournament type:	World ranking tournament
Venue:	Cardiff International Arena , Cardiff , Wales
Opening:	January 22, 2003
Endgame:	January 26, 2003
Winner:	Stephen Hendry
Finalist:	Mark Williams
Highest Break:	140 ( Stephen Hendry )
← 2002   2004 →

The Welsh Open 2003 was a snooker tournament of the 2002/03 season that was held from January 22nd to 26th, 2003 in Cardiff . For the fifth time the tournament took place in the International Arena in the Welsh capital.

Defending champion Paul Hunter reached the semi-finals again, but then lost to Mark Williams . The world number two then lost against Vice World Champion Stephen Hendry in the final with 5: 9. For the Scots it was the third and last victory in Wales.

Prize money / world ranking points

Prize money and points for the world rankings remained unchanged compared to 2002.

	Prize money	World ranking points a
winner	£ 82,500	4,000
finalist	£ 42,500	3,000
Semi-finalist	£ 21,250	2,500
Quarter finalist	£ 11,700	2,050
Round of 16	£ 9,600	1,750
Last 32	£ 7,800	1,450
Last 48	£ 4,000	1,150
Last 64	£ 3,150	900
Last 80	£ 2,150	650
Last 96	£ 1,450	400
Last 128	-	200
Highest Break (Final Round)	£ 7,500
Highest Break (Qualification)	£ 1,800
All in all	£ 597,200

^a Seeded players who lost their first game in qualifying only received half the number of points.

Final round

32 players started in the main tournament: The winners of the qualification in September 2002 competed against the top 16 in the world rankings .

	Round 1 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
	53	Mark Selby	1
						1	Paul Hunter	5
							Leo Fernandez	1
	11	Mark King	2
		Leo Fernandez	5
											1	Paul Hunter	5
											6th	Ken Doherty	2
	16	Joe Swail	5
	56	Barry Pinches	3
						16	Joe Swail	4th
						6th	Ken Doherty	5
	6th	Ken Doherty	5
	25th	Steve Davis	2
																1	Paul Hunter	2
																4th	Mark Williams	6th
	5	John Higgins	5
	31	Ali Carter	4th
						5	John Higgins	1
						39	Robin Hull	5
	12	Graeme Dott	3
	39	Robin Hull	5
											39	Robin Hull	4th
											4th	Mark Williams	5
	13	Joe Perry	5
	51	Barry Hawkins	2
						13	Joe Perry	2
						4th	Mark Williams	5
	4th	Mark Williams	5
	19th	David Gray	2
																					4th	Mark Williams	5
																					7th	Stephen Hendry	9
	3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
	17th	Anthony Hamilton	4th
						3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	5
						28	Tony Drago	4th
	9	Matthew Stevens	1
	28	Tony Drago	5
											3	Ronnie O'Sullivan	3
											27	Marco Fu	5
	14th	Quinten Hann	2
	27	Marco Fu	5
						27	Marco Fu	5
						8th	Stephen Lee	0
	8th	Stephen Lee	5
	21st	Dave Harold	3
																27	Marco Fu	4th
																7th	Stephen Hendry	6th
	7th	Stephen Hendry	5
	20th	Dominic Dale	1
						7th	Stephen Hendry	5
						15th	Alan McManus	4th
	15th	Alan McManus	5
	44	Jamie Burnett	3
											7th	Stephen Hendry	5
												Rod Lawler	2
	10	Jimmy White	2
		Rod Lawler	5
							Rod Lawler	5
						35	Michael Holt	3
	2	Peter Ebdon	2
	35	Michael Holt	5

final

For the ninth time, Mark Williams and Stephen Hendry met in a professional final, the previous titles they had shared 4: 4. Williams was only in the lead once when he won the opening frame. Then Hendry drew 4-1 and 6-2. In four of the six frames won in the afternoon, he scored a century, including the highest tournament break with 140 points. In the evening session, the Welshman was able to shorten it again to 4: 6 and 5: 7, but then Hendry decided the match by winning the next two frames for himself. It was the 34th world ranking title for the Scot.

Final: Best of 17 frames referee / in: Eirian Williams International Arena ,  Cardiff , Wales , January 26, 2003
Mark Williams	5: 9	Stephen Hendry
Afternoon : 64 : 0 (62), 0: 127 (127), 26: 90 (89), 0: 140 (140), 25: 83 (64), 59 : 49, 0: 104 (104), 0: 108 (108); Evening : 87 : 0 (87), 65 : 1 (54), 51: 61 , 62 : 20 (50), 31: 79 (79), 0: 91 (91)
87	Highest break	140
-	Century breaks	4th
4th	50+ breaks	8th

qualification

The qualifying games took place from September 2nd to 20th, 2002 at the Pontin's Center in Prestatyn . In round 1, places 65 to 128 in the world rankings played against each other. From round 2, 32 players played against each other, with places 49 to 64 for round 3, numbers 33 to 48 for round 4 and numbers 17 to 32 for round 5.

Round 1

game Player 1 Result Player 2 1 Shaun Murphy  51: 51  David John 2 Joe Johnson  52: 52  Justin Astley 3 Martin Dziewialtowski  54: 54th  Leo Fernandez 4th Paul Wykes  54: 54th  Mark Gray 5 Troy Shaw  53: 53  Munraj Pal 6th Paul Davison  35 : 35  David McLellan 7th Neal Foulds  51: 51  Johl Younger 8th Craig Butler  15 : 15  Jimmy Robertson 9 Jeff Cundy  54: 54th  Jamie Cope 10 John Read  54: 54th  Peter Roscoe 11 Adrian Gunnell  4th5 : 45  David Gilbert 12 Peter Lines  4th5 : 45  Darren Clarke 13 Jason Ferguson  25 : 25  Stefan Mazrocis 14th Stephen Kershaw  05 : 05  Hugh Abernethy 15th Matthew Couch  05 : 05  Bob chaperone 16 Wayne Brown  51: 51  Pang Weiguo

game Player 1 Result Player 2 17th Lee Walker  35 : 35  Matthew Farrant 18th Luke Fisher  15 : 15  Nick Pearce 19th Tony Jones  35 : 35  Eddie Manning 20th Jason Prince  15 : 15  Manan Chandra 21st Phaitoon Phonbun  53: 53  Jason Weston 22nd Paul Davies  4th5 : 45  Jin Long 23 Ryan Day  35 : 35  James Reynolds 24 Sean Storey  05 : 05  Kwan Poomjang 25th Andrew Higginson  54: 54th  Lee Spick 26th Kristjan Helgason  25 : 25  Colm Gilcreest 27 Euan Henderson  15 : 15  Mario Wehrman 28 Alain Robidoux  53: 53  Simon Bedford 29 Rod Lawler  15 : 15  Atthasit Mahitthi 30th Andrew Norman  25 : 25  David Donovan 31 Rory McLeod  35 : 35  Matthew Selt 32 Antony Bolsover  54: 54th  Ricky Walden

	Round 1 (Top 96) Best of 9 frames				Round 2 (Top 80) Best of 9 frames				Round 3 (Top 64) Best of 9 frames				Round 4 (Top 48) Best of 9 frames
		David John	5			Mark Selby	5			Jonathan Birch	0			Drew Henry	3
		Justin Astley	4th			David John	4th			Mark Selby	5			Mark Selby	5
		Leo Fernandez	5			Dave Finbow	2			Terry Murphy	3			Fergal O'Brien	1
		Mark Gray	3			Leo Fernandez	5			Leo Fernandez	5			Leo Fernandez	5
		Munraj Pal	5			Barry Pinches	5			Billy Snaddon	4th			Nigel Bond	4th
		Paul Davison	2			Munraj Pal	2			Barry Pinches	5			Barry Pinches	5
		Johl Younger	3			Nick Walker	3			Robert Milkins	5			Steve Davis	5
		Craig Butler	5			Craig Butler	5			Craig Butler	4th			Robert Milkins	3
		Jamie Cope	5			Gerard Greene	5			Marcus Campbell	5			Ali Carter	5
		Peter Roscoe	2			Jamie Cope	3			Gerard Greene	3			Marcus Campbell	3
		Adrian Gunnell	5			Stuart Pettman	5			Robin Hull	5			Chris Small	3
		Peter Lines	4th			Adrian Gunnell	1			Stuart Pettman	2			Robin Hull	5
		Jason Ferguson	5			Barry Hawkins	5			Alfie Burden	4th			John Parrott	1
		Stephen Kershaw	2			Jason Ferguson	3			Barry Hawkins	5			Barry Hawkins	5
		Matthew Couch	5			Jimmy Michie	5			David Roe	3			David Gray	5
		Pang Weiguo	1			Matthew Couch	3			Jimmy Michie	5			Jimmy Michie	3
		Lee Walker	4th			Bradley Jones	3			Mark Davis	5			Anthony Hamilton	5
		Luke Fisher	5			Luke Fisher	5			Luke Fisher	0			Mark Davis	0
		Tony Jones	5			Darren Morgan	4th			Brian Morgan	5			Tony Drago	5
		Jason Prince	2			Tony Jones	5			Tony Jones	3			Brian Morgan	4th
		Jason Weston	4th			Bjorn Haneveer	2			Gary Wilkinson	5			Marco Fu	5
		Paul Davies	5			Paul Davies	5			Paul Davies	2			Gary Wilkinson	3
		Ryan Day	4th			Stuart Bingham	3			Shokat Ali	5			Dave Harold	5
		Sean Storey	5			Sean Storey	5			Sean Storey	1			Shokat Ali	2
		Lee Spick	5			Andy Hicks	5			Ian McCulloch	5			Dominic Dale	5
		Kristjan Helgason	4th			Lee Spick	3			Andy Hicks	1			Ian McCulloch	4th
		Euan Henderson	4th			Mike Dunn	5			Jamie Burnett	5			Michael Judge	1
		Simon Bedford	5			Simon Bedford	2			Mike Dunn	2			Jamie Burnett	5
		Rod Lawler	5			Stephen Maguire	4th			Patrick Wallace	4th			James Wattana	2
		Andrew Norman	4th			Rod Lawler	5			Rod Lawler	5			Rod Lawler	5
		Rory McLeod	3			Nick Dyson	5			Michael Holt	5			Anthony Davies	2
		Ricky Walden	5			Ricky Walden	4th			Nick Dyson	2			Michael Holt	5

Century breaks

12 players scored 20 breaks of at least 100 points in the main tournament, Stephen Hendry only played four of his six highest breaks in the final. There were 38 Centurys in the qualification divided between 28 players.

Main tournament

Stephen Hendry 140, 127, 124, 113, 108, 104 Robin Hull 139 Leo Fernandez 133 Ali Carter 132 Michael Holt 128 John Higgins 127

Anthony Hamilton 120 Mark Williams 116, 100 Paul Hunter 110 Ronnie O'Sullivan 109, 104 Marco Fu 109, 101 Alan McManus 109

qualification

Michael Holt 142 Robin Hull 141 Sean Storey 137, 126, 120 Anthony Hamilton 136, 108, 102 Jimmy Michie 128 Luke Fisher 129, 105 Ricky Walden 124, 110 Phaitoon Phonbun 122 Nick Dyson 119 Ryan Day 116, 101 Ali Carter 115 Tony Jones 112, 105 Dominic Dale 112 Brian Morgan 112, 104

Tony Drago 111 Barry Pinches 111 David John 110 Stuart Pettman 109, 106 Jason Ferguson 109 Shokat Ali 108 Leo Fernandez 107 Patrick Wallace 105 Darren Morgan 105 Rory McLeod 104 Kristjan Helgason 103 Munraj Pal 102 Paul Davison 101 Matthew Farrant 101

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} 2003 Welsh Open - Finishes. CueTracker, accessed December 1, 2017 . 
2. ↑ 2003 Welsh Open. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 1, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Regal Welsh Open 2003. snooker.org, accessed on December 1, 2017 (English). 
4. ↑ 2002 Regal Welsh Open. Global Cue Sports Ltd., archived from the original on December 8, 2006 ; accessed on December 1, 2017 (English). 
5. ↑ Rankings - 2002-2003. In: CueTracker Snooker Results & Statistics Database. Ron Florax, accessed December 1, 2017 .