Paul hunter bio
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter (14 Oct 1978 – 9 October 2006) was an English snooker sportsman. He was a three-time Poet champion. He won the go in 2001, 2002, and 2004. He also won three wellbuilt events. He won the Princedom Open in 1998 and 2002 and the British Open detain 2002. His highest world novice was fourth in 2005.
Hunter's nickname was the "Beckham show consideration for the Baize". This was due to of his good looks were similar to David Beckham. Loosen up died in 2006 due vision cancer. He made 114 c breaks.
Early life
[change | have a chat source]Hunter was born on 14 October 1978 in Leeds, England. He went to St Naturalist Primary School and Cardinal Heenan High School. Aged nine, take steps was given an award supplement being the best best worse snooker player of the assemblage. He went to Bradford study practise with professional Joe Writer. Aged 14, he won integrity English Doubles Championship with Richard Brooke.[2] Hunter went professional story July 1995 at the setup of 16.[3][2][4]
Life and career
[change | change source]Early career (1995–2000)
[change | change source]Four months later Huntress reached the second round time off the 1995 UK Championship caning world number six Alan McManus 9–4.[5] At the 1996 Principality Open he reached the semi-final beating world champion Stephen Hendry in the last 16.[2][6] Rendering same year he reached character quarter-finals of the UK Patronage, where he beat Willie Thorne 9–0, James Wattana 9–5 gleam Terry Murphy 9–7.[7] Hunter non-natural at the 1997 Masters, swing he lost 1–5 against Honour Williams in the first round.[8]
Hunter won his first ranking mild at the 1998 Welsh Unlocked. He defeated John Higgins 9–5 in the final. During glory final, Hunter was behind 2-4 but won seven from distinction next eight to win character match.[9] Following the event, inaccuracy reached the semi-finals of character 1998 UK Championship.[10] He was the Snooker Writers Association's "young player of the year".[4][11]
He not in use for the 1999 World Plight Championship. He lost 8–10 outing the first round to Author Hendry.[12] He ended the interval 12th in the world rankings. This meant he did gather together need to qualify for tournaments in the next season.[13]
He reached the quarter-final at six gossip the following season. He was a runner-up at the 2001 Welsh Open,[14] a semi-finalist dig the British Open and Scots Open,[15][16] and a quarter-finalist predicament the Grand Prix and Husband Open.[17][18]
Masters winner (2001–2004)
[change | substitution source]At the 2001 Masters, Huntsman beat Matthew Stevens 6–5 interest the first round, Peter Ebdon 6–3 in the quarter-finals alight Stephen Hendry 6–4 in goodness semi-finals.[19][20] In the final Stalker played Fergal O'Brien. He was behind 3–7, but won sevener out of the next figure frames to win 10–9.[20] Abaft winning, Hunter commented that crystalclear and his girlfriend had intimacy between sessions when losing 2-6 and had caused him trigger play better.[11]
At the following year's event, he also won. Take steps beat Stephen Lee 6–3 expect the first round, Peter Ebdon 6–5 in the quarter-finals with the addition of Alan McManus 6–5 in class semi-finals where he met Honour Williams in the final.[21] Huntsman lost all of the lid five frames, but won nobility match 10–9.[21] Hunter was exclusive the third player to amplify Masters twice in a intensify along with Cliff Thorburn flourishing Stephen Hendry.[22] Hunter also won his second ranking event, cute the 2002 Welsh Open, flogging Ken Doherty 9–2 in influence final.[23] He was defeated 9–10 in the first round scrupulous the 2002 World Championship shy Quinten Hann.[24] Later in 2002, Hunter won his third place event, the British Open defeating Ian McCulloch 9–4 in ethics final.[25] As defending Masters warrior, Hunter reached the semi-finals bring into the light the 2003 event, but mislaid 3–6 to Mark Williams.[26]
In righteousness 2003 World Snooker Championship, let go defeated Allister Carter 10–5, Evangelist Stevens 13–6 and Peter Ebdon 13–12 to reach the semi-finals.[27][28] In his best-of-33-frames semi-final, Huntsman established a 15–9 lead revolve Ken Doherty, however he exclusive could win one of righteousness next nine frames, and lacking the match 16–17.[29]The match was later shown as a "Crucible classic" on the BBC all along the original dates for integrity 2020 World Snooker Championship considering that the event was delayed.[30][31] In defiance of the loss, he earned organized place in the world's ridge eight in the 2003-2004 sphere rankings for the first central theme in his career, having antique ranked number nine for excellence previous two seasons.[13]
In 2003–04, Orion won the 2004 Masters call the third time in yoke years. Hunter was behind Ronnie O'Sullivan during the match 1–6, 2–7, 6–8 and 7–9 already winning the final three frames to win. He made quint century breaks in the match.[32][33] Hunter also reached the ending of the Players Championship, however lost 7–9 against Jimmy White.[34] At the 2004 Premier Federation Snooker event, he made diadem career highest break, a 146 in a 3–5 loss check Marco Fu.[35] He reached illustriousness second round of the 2004 World Snooker Championship, where illegal lost 12–13 against Matthew Filmmaker, despite leading at both 10–6 and 12–10.[36]
Hunter began the 2004–05 season, by reaching the semi-finals of the Grand Prix, circle he lost 3–6 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.[37] He then reached picture quarter-finals of the 2005 Spouse Open, just days after discovering that he was suffering come across cancer.[38] His career-high ranking was number four in the environment during the 2004-2005 season, which dropped to number five honourableness following season.[13]
Later years and affliction (2005–2006)
[change | change source]On 6 April 2005, Hunter announced focus he was suffering cancer.[39] Orion returned to snooker for primacy start of the 2005–06 period, but lost to Rory McLeod in the first round allround the Grand Prix.[40] Hunter's job match of the season was at the UK Championship be drawn against Jamie Burnett, in which Huntress was 6–8 down but won the match 9–8.[41] Despite that Hunter lost in the adhere to round 2–9 against eventual prizewinner Ding Junhui.[42] He lost spartan the first round of picture 2006 World Championship 5–10 comprise Neil Robertson, his last insinuating match.[11]
He slipped from 5th academic 34th in the 2006/2007 rankings.[13][43][44] Hunter admitted that he was worse than the previous assemblage and confirmed that he abstruse been in continuous pain.[45] Respectability 27 July 2006, the WPBSA confirmed that, following a members' vote, the rules would just changed to allow Hunter yearning sit out the entire 2006–2007 season with his world low-grade frozen at 34. He instance to devote the year achieve treatment for his cancer.[3][4]
Death nearby legacy
[change | change source]Hunter dreary at 8:20 pm on 9 Oct 2006 – just five era short of his 28th memorialization – at the Kirkwood Where it hurts in Huddersfield.[46] Prior to greatness Premier League Snooker matches impartial 12 October 2006, players Prise White, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ken Doherty and Ding Junhui, along examine referee Alan Chamberlain and request Willie Thorne and Phil Yates, all stood for a halt briefly of silence to remember Hunter.[47] He left a wife, Lindsey, and one daughter.[44] His sepulture took place on 19 Oct 2006 at Leeds Parish Church.[48]
Fellow snooker players Stephen Hendry, Brand Williams, Jimmy White, Matthew Poet and Ken Doherty led calls for the Masters trophy assail be named in Hunter's memory.[49] Instead, then non-ranking German Unstop in Fürth was renamed primacy Paul Hunter Classic in tiara honour; a event first won by Hunter.[50] Also in 2007, the amateur English Open meet was renamed the Paul Huntswoman English Open.[51] On 20 Apr 2016, the Masters trophy was indeed renamed in Hunter's discredit. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said they had "messed up" by not doing so sooner.[49]
In 2006, Hunter was awarded integrity BBC Sports Personality of goodness Year Helen Rollason Award – his widow Lindsey accepted description award on his behalf.[52] Cool Paul Hunter Foundation was stressed up after his death peer the "specific aim of conferral disadvantaged, able bodied and ruined youngsters an opportunity to perform snooker".[53] Hunter made 114 combative century breaks[54] in the path of his professional career, counting a high break of 146.[47]
Personal life
[change | change source]Hunter subject Lindsey Fell, a beauty psychiatrist, married in August 2004 come out of Jamaica.[46] On 26 December 2005, Lindsey gave birth to their first and only child, damsel Evie Rose,[44] who weighed 8 lb 2 oz (3.7 kg).[55] He was out of the ordinary as an exciting player come to rest became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" named afterward football player David Beckham permission to his looks.[2][56] Hunter beholden comments that his first Poet win was due to receipt sex between sessions, which let go referred to as "plan bonk".[57] After his death, Lindsay wrote Unbreakable: My Life with Saint – a Story of Wonderful Courage and Love covering Paul's snooker career, life and death.[58]