Quick Facts
CancerBiography
Mike Hallett (born 2 July 1959) is an English former professional snooker player and television sports commentator.
Career
Hallett was a consistently solid snooker player, but never reached the very top ranks. After winning the national under-16 title in 1975, his world ranking peaked at number six in 1989–90, after his only ranking tournament victory at the 1989 Hong Kong Open in which he beat Dene O'Kane 9–8.
In a semi-final match against John Parrott in the 1988 Benson & Hedges Masters, he recovered from needing four snookers to win the decider 6–5. However, he lost 9–0 to Steve Davis in the final, the only whitewash in the Masters final.
Three years later, in 1991 he reached the Masters Final again at Wembley where, in the best-of-17-frame match, he surged to a 7–0 lead over Stephen Hendry and missed a pink which would have put him 8–0 ahead. He then moved into an 8–2 lead and needed just the pink and black to clear for the match in the eleventh frame, but missed the shot with the rest. Hendry took that frame and managed to spring a comeback to win the match 9–8.Hallett would go on to win two invitational World Series of Snooker events later in the year, but did not win another professional title after 1991.
Hallett did reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship twice, but never progressed further. His final season on the main tour was in 2004–05, after which he went on to play in the Pontin's International Open Series. During his career he won approximately £920,000. In 2017 he entered the Q school with the aim to resume his pro career on the main tour once again.
Hallett has been commentating on Premier League Snooker for Sky Sports, and all major snooker events on Eurosport. At the start of the 2011/12 season Hallett entered the Players Tour Championship and after winning his first two matches against Duane Jones 4-3 and Elliot Slessor also 4-3, he played Ronnie O'Sullivan and managed to take two frames in losing 4-2.
Performance and rankings timeline
| Tournament | 1979/80 | 1980/81 | 1981/82 | 1982/83 | 1983/84 | 1984/85 | 1985/86 | 1986/87 | 1987/88 | 1988/89 | 1989/90 | 1990/91 | 1991/92 | 1992/93 | 1993/94 | 1994/95 | 1995/96 | 1996/97 | 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 2000/01 | 2004/05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 29 | 31 | 32 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 34 | 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Prix | Not Held | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | 2R | 2R | F | SF | 2R | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 2R | 3R | QF | 1R | QF | 2R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Cup | Tournament Not Held | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | NH | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | Non-ranking Event | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Open | Tournament Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | QF | 2R | QF | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | F | 1R | 1R | F | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League | Tournament Not Held | A | Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters | NR | Not Held | Non-Ranking | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong Open | Non-Ranking Event | NH | W | Tournament Not Held | NR | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | SF | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open | NH | 1R | MR | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai Classic | Tournament Not Held | NR | 1R | QF | 1R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Open | Tournament Not Held | LQ | LQ | NR | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | Not Held | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open | Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | 1R | SF | 2R | 2R | Not Held | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bass & Golden Leisure Classic | Not Held | SF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | LQ | RR | LQ | LQ | LQ | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa Del Sol Classic | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fosters Professional | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | A | W | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Professional Championship | NH | 1R | Not Held | 2R | SF | QF | QF | W | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand Masters | Tournament Not Held | A | Not Held | F | QF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International League | Tournament Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| London Masters | Tournament Not Held | A | QF | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwich Union Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | A | QF | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Tournament Not Held | 3R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong Challenge | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH | QF | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | Tournament Not Held | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | 1R | 1R | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Challenge | Tournament Not Held | A | SF | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Tournament Not Held | 1R | A | F | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | NH | QF | 1R | W | QF | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | NH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | F | QF | F | F | QF | SF | QF | QF | QF | QF | QF | QF | 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 |
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| MR / Minor-Ranking Event | means an event is/was a minor-ranking event. | |||
- ^ He was an amateur.
- ^ New players on the Main Tour do not have a ranking.
- ^ The event ran under a different name as Professional Players Tournament (1982/1983 to 1983/1984).
- ^ The event was known as British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982 to 1983/1984).
- ^ The event ran under different names such as European Open (1988/1989 to 1996/1997) and Irish Open (1998/1999).
- ^ The event ran under different names as China International (1997/1998 and 1998/1999)
- ^ The event was also called the Professional Snooker League (1983/1984), the Matchroom League (1986/1987–1991/1992) and the European League (1992/1993–1996/1997)
- ^ The event run under the name Canadian Open (1979/1980 to 1980/1981)
- ^ The event ran under different names as Australian Masters (1979/1980 to 1987/1988 and 1995/1996) and Australian Open (1994/1995).
- ^ The event run under different names as Dubai Masters (1988/1989), Thailand Classic (1995/1996) and Asian Classic (1996/1997)
- ^ The event ran under different names such as Asian Open (1989/1990 to 1992/1993) and Thailand Open (1993/1994 to 1996/1997).
- ^ The event ran under different names such as International Open (1981/1982 to 1984/1985, 1986/1987 to 1996/1997) and Goya Matchroom Trophy (1985/1986).
- ^ The event was known as British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982 to 1983/1984)
Career finals
Ranking finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1988 | British Open | Stephen Hendry | 2–13 |
| Winner | 1. | 1989 | Hong Kong Open | Dene O'Kane | 9–8 |
Non-ranking finals: 14 (4 titles, 10 runners-up)
| Legend |
| The Masters (0–2) |
| Other (4–8) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1984 | Costa Del Sol Classic | Dennis Taylor | 2–5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1987 | Australian Masters | Stephen Hendry | Aggregate Score |
| Runner-up | 3. | 1988 | The Masters | Steve Davis | 0–9 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 1988 | Pontins Professional | John Parrott | 1–9 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 1988 | New Zealand Masters | Stephen Hendry | 1–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 1988 | Fosters Professional | Stephen Hendry | 8–5 |
| Winner | 2. | 1989 | English Professional Championship | John Parrott | 9–7 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 1990 | Pontins Professional | Stephen Hendry | 6–9 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 1990 | Shoot-Out | Darren Morgan | 1–2 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 1991 | The Masters | Stephen Hendry | 8–9 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 1991 | Pontins Professional | Neal Foulds | 6–9 |
| Winner | 3. | 1991 | Belgian Masters | Neal Foulds | 9–7 |
| Winner | 4. | 1991 | Scottish Masters | Steve Davis | 10–6 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 1993 | Pot Black | Steve Davis | 0–2 |
Team finals: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team/partner | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1986 | World Doubles Championship | Stephen Hendry | Steve Davis Tony Meo | 3–12 |
| Winner | 1. | 1987 | World Doubles Championship | Stephen Hendry | Cliff Thorburn Dennis Taylor | 12–8 |
| Winner | 2. | 1991 | World Masters Doubles | Stephen Hendry | Brady Gollan Jim Wych | 8–5 |