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Intro | Irish snooker player | |
Places | Ireland | |
is | Cue sports player Snooker player | |
Work field | Sports | |
Gender |
| |
Birth | 8 March 1972, Dublin | |
Age | 52 years |
Biography
Fergal O'Brien (born 8 March 1972) is an Irish professional snooker player.
A member of snooker's main tour since turning professional in 1991, O'Brien has been ranked within the world's top 64 players since 1994, reaching his highest position, 9th, for the 2000/2001 season. He has won one ranking title - the 1999 British Open, where he defeated Anthony Hamilton 9–7 in the final - and reached two other major finals, notably in the 2001 Masters.
Career
O'Brien is the only player to score a century in his first frame at the World Championships in the Crucible, which he achieved against Alan McManus in 1994 (though he lost the match 10–7 and did not qualify again until 1998). His greatest achievement was winning the British Open in 1999, beating Anthony Hamilton 9–7 in the final. Hamilton opened with two centuries, but O'Brien won five frames on the final black to defeat the Nottingham man.
O'Brien also came close to winning the Masters title in 2001. After beating Mark Williams, Ken Doherty and Dave Harold, he lost in the final to Paul Hunter after leading 7–3. He has reached one further ranking final, and three semi-finals
O'Brien peaked at No. 9 in the rankings following his sole title, but nosedived after this. He narrowly retained his top 16 place for the 2001/2002 season, but dropped out a year later – and then out of the top 32 a year later. Three further falls down the rankings left him at No. 45, before beginning to recover.
O'Brien's best run at the World Championship is the quarter-final and 2005 he became the first player to beat John Parrott in a World Championship qualifier.
O'Brien started the 2007/2008 campaign in Shanghai where he had beaten Paul Davies and Barry Hawkins in qualifying rounds, however, he lost to Steve Davis in the first round. O'Brien also qualified for the Grand Prix but lost four of his group matches to finish 5th in his group ahead of only Graeme Dott.
After qualifying for the main draw of the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy by beating Barry Pinches in a deciding frame, O'Brien went on to beat Dave Harold in the first round of the main draw. Victories over John Higgins (in a decider), Barry Hawkins and Ronnie O'Sullivan, before he reached the second ranking-event final of his career by beating Mark Allen by 6 frames to 3. He lost the final to Stephen Maguire, 5–9. This run helped him return to the top 32 of the Snooker world rankings 2007/2008, but the early part of the 2008/2009 season proved disappointing, O'Brien not reaching the last sixteen of any of the first four tournaments.
As of the end of 2009 O'Brien had compiled 101 competitive century breaks in his career.
He qualified for the Players Tour Championship 2011/2012 – Finals held in Galway but lost his Last 24 match 0–4 to Joe Perry.
Fergal made a record of five century breaks for a best of 11 frames match in the second round of the UK championship 2016
Performance and rankings timeline
Tourname | 1991/ 92 | 1992/ 93 | 1993/ 94 | 1994/ 95 | 1995/ 96 | 1996/ 97 | 1997/ 98 | 1998/ 99 | 1999/ 00 | 2000/ 01 | 2001/ 02 | 2002/ 03 | 2003/ 04 | 2004/ 05 | 2005/ 06 | 2006/ 07 | 2007/ 08 | 2008/ 09 | 2009/ 10 | 2010/ 11 | 2011/ 12 | 2012/ 13 | 2013/ 14 | 2014/ 15 | 2015/ 16 | 2016/ 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | UR | 192 | 100 | 42 | 38 | 36 | 23 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 33 | 41 | 44 | 46 | 37 | 24 | 31 | 47 | 37 | 34 | 36 | 31 | 27 | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Riga Masters | Tournament Not Held | MR | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indian Open | Not Held | 2R | 1R | NH | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Open | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 3R | LQ | 1R | 2R | RR | RR | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | Not Held | 1R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paul Hunter Classic | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shanghai Masters | Not Held | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 2R | WR | LQ | QF | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Masters | LQ | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | Not Held | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | 2R | NR | Not Held | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
English Open | Tournament Not Held | 3R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International Championship | Not Held | 1R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | LQ | Tournament Not Held | 3R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK Championship | LQ | 1R | 1R | 3R | LQ | LQ | 2R | QF | 3R | QF | 2R | 1R | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 3R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Open | NH | 2R | LQ | LQ | 2R | LQ | SF | 3R | 5R | 2R | 2R | 1R | LQ | Not Held | MR | Not Held | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German Masters | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | NR | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | NR | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Welsh Open | LQ | LQ | 3R | 3R | 2R | QF | 4R | 3R | QF | 2R | QF | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | LQ | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Players Championship | Not Held | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | 2R | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
China Open | Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | WR | LQ | 2R | 1R | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Championship | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | 2R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Masters | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | F | QF | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship League | Not Held | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | RR | RR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Seniors Championship | A | Not Held | A | A | A | A | F | 1R | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Variant format tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shoot-Out | Not Held | 3R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classic | LQ | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strachan Open | LQ | MR | NR | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dubai Classic | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Malta Grand Prix | Not Held | Non-ranking | 2R | NR | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thailand Masters | LQ | 3R | LQ | LQ | LQ | QF | 2R | LQ | LQ | 2R | QF | NR | Not Held | NR | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
British Open | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | 3R | 1R | 2R | W | 5R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 3R | LQ | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | LQ | LQ | LQ | NH | NR | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Ireland Trophy | Not Held | NR | LQ | F | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bahrain Championship | Not Held | LQ | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wuxi Classic | Not held | Non-ranking | 2R | 1R | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Goldfields Open | Not held | NR | Not held | LQ | LQ | 2R | 2R | 2R | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Malta Grand Prix | Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | R | SF | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Champions Cup | Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | RR | A | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scottish Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irish Masters | A | A | SF | A | A | A | QF | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | Ranking Event | NH | SF | Not Held |
Performance Table Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
DQ | disqualified from the tournament |
NH / Not Held | event was not held. | |||
NR / Non-Ranking Event | event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
R / Ranking Event | event is/was a ranking event. | |||
MR / Minor-Ranking Event | event is/was a minor-ranking event. |
Career finals
Ranking event finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Legend |
World Championship (0–0) |
UK Championship (0–0) |
Other (1–1) |
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Winner | 1. | 1999 | British Open | Hamilton, AnthonyAnthony Hamilton | 9–7 |
Runner-up | 1. | 2007 | Northern Ireland Trophy | Maguire, StephenStephen Maguire | 5–9 |
Non-ranking event finals: 7 (2 titles, 5 runners-up)
Legend |
Masters (0–1) |
Premier League (0–0) |
Other (2–4) |
Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 2001 | Masters | Hunter, PaulPaul Hunter | 9–10 |
Runner-up | 2. | 2007 | Irish Professional Championship | Doherty, KenKen Doherty | 2–9 |
Runner-up | 3. | 2007 | Irish Classic | Morris, DavidDavid Morris | 3–5 |
Runner-up | 4. | 2008 | Irish Classic (2) | Doherty, KenKen Doherty | 2–5 |
Runner-up | 5. | 2009 | Irish Classic (3) | Swail, JoeJoe Swail | 0–5 |
Winner | 1. | 2010 | Irish Classic | Judge, MichaelMichael Judge | 5–1 |
Winner | 1. | 2011 | Lucan Racing Classic (2) | Doherty, KenKen Doherty | 5–2 |