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1988–89 snooker world rankings

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Steve Davis playing snooker
Steve Davis (pictured in 2008) was ranked in first place for the sixth consecutive year.
Jimmy White playing snooker
Jimmy White (pictured in 2011) retained second place in the rankings.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the governing body for professional snooker, first introduced a ranking system for professional players in 1976, with the aim of seeding players for the World Snooker Championship. The reigning champion would be automatically seeded first, the losing finalist from the previous year seeded second, and the other seedings based on the ranking list. Initially, the rankings were based on performances in the preceding three world championships.[1] The list for the 1986–87 snooker season was the first to only take account of results over two seasons, and the rankings for 1988–89 were also based on results from the preceding two seasons.[2][3]

Being ranked in the top 16 exempted players from the qualifying rounds for the World Snooker Championship and also meant inclusion in certain invitational events.[4] The top 32 ranked players were exempt from the early qualifying rounds of the other ranking tournaments.[5]

The top three players in the snooker world rankings 1987/1988 kept the same positions this season. Steve Davis was ranked first, with 59 points, ahead of Jimmy White with 44 and Neal Foulds with 34. In fourth place, with 33 points, was Stephen Hendry, who rose from 23rd position on the previous year's list. The other players to join the elite "top 16" were Peter Francisco, John Virgo, and Cliff Wilson. The players dropping out of the top 16 were Alex Higgins, Rex Williams, Dean Reynolds and Doug Mountjoy.[5]

Higgins had been banned from competing in the first two ranking tournaments of the 1987/1988 season, and this was the first year since the rankings were instituted in 1976/1977 that he was not among the top 16.[5] In May 1988, Cliff Thorburn had two ranking points deducted for "bringing the game into disrepute" due to failing a drugs test at the 1988 British Open. Thorburn had been found to have small traces of cocaine in his urine sample. Thorburn was also barred from the first two ranking events of the 1988/1989 season as part of his punishment.[6][7] Without the deduction of the two points, Thorburn would have been ranked a place higher, at fifth.[5]

Of the players who had only been competing professionally for one season, Martin Clark was the highest-ranked, at 41st.[5]

Points tariff and basis of ranking

[edit]
Stephen Hendry playing snooker
Stephen Hendry (pictured in 2010) won two ranking titles in the 1987–88 season.

The tournaments contributing to the 1988/89 rankings were the ranking tournaments held across two seasons, from 1986 to 1988.[5] From the 1986–87 season they were the 1986 International Open won by Foulds; the 1986 Grand Prix and 1987 British Open both won by White; and the 1986 UK Championship, 1987 Classic and 1987 World Championship all won by Davis.[8]

In the 1987–88 season, Davis won four of the six ranking titles:[4] the 1987 International Open, 1987 UK Championship, 1988 Classic and the 1988 World Championship.[9] Stephen Hendry won the other two, the 1987 Grand Prix and the 1988 British Open.[10]

The rankings were based on a system of points as per the tables below. Ranking was determined on points earned over the preceding two seasons. The ranking order was determined as follows:[5]

  • Most points
  • If a tie on points, the player who earned more points in the most recent season was given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player with more "Merit" points" was given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player who earned more "Merit" points was the most recent season is given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player who earned more "Merit" points was the most preceding season is given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player with more "A" points" was given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player with more frames won was given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player with the better performance in the previous World Championship was given the higher ranking
  • If still a tie, the player with the better performance in the previous ranking tournament was given the higher ranking, going back through ranking tournaments until the positions could be established.
Points tariff contributing to the Snooker world rankings 1988–89[11][5]
Placing 1987 and 1988 world championships Other ranking tournaments 1986–87 and 1987–88
Champion 10 6
Runner-up 8 5
Losing semi-finalist 6 4
Losing Quarter-finalist 4 3
Last 16 Loser 2 2
Last 32 Loser 1 ranking point or 2 merit points[a] 1
Final qualifying round loser 2 merit points 1 merit point
Penultimate qualifying round loser 1 merit point 1 A point
Antepenultimate qualifying round loser 1 A point Frames won counted
Preliminary round loser Frames won counted –

Rankings

[edit]

"(NT)" denotes a "non-tournament" player, i.e. a player who was permitted to enter the world championship but no other tournaments.

Snooker world rankings 1988–89[3][12][5]
Ranking Name 1986–87 season 1987–88 season Ranking points Merit A points Frames
IO GP UK Cl BO WC IO GP UK Cl BO WC
1  Steve Davis (ENG) 3 3 6 6 1 10 6 2 6 6 0 10 59 1 0 0
2  Jimmy White (ENG) 0 6 2 5 6 6 2 1 5 2 3 6 44 1 0 0
3  Neal Foulds (ENG) 6 4 5 0 5 6 1 0 0 1 2 4 34 3 0 0
4  Stephen Hendry (SCO) 1 3 0 4 0 4 4 6 0 3 6 2 33 2 1 0
5  Terry Griffiths (WAL) 2 2 2 3 2 4 1 2 3 3 1 8 33 0 0 0
6  Cliff Thorburn (CAN) 5 0 3 1 4 0 5 1 3 1 4 6 31[b] 3 0 0
7  John Parrott (ENG) 0 1 4 3 0 2 2 4 3 5 4 2 30 2 0 0
8  Tony Knowles (ENG) 2 3 3 0 4 0 2 3 2 4 1 4 28 3 0 0
9  Mike Hallett (ENG) 0 2 2 1 1 4 4 0 3 0 5 2 24 3 0 0
10  Dennis Taylor (NIR) 2 2 1 0 3 2 1 5 1 3 1 2 23 1 0 0
11  Joe Johnson (ENG) 1 0 1 1 2 8 0 1 4 1 2 2 23 2 0 0
12  Silvino Francisco (RSA) 3 4 1 3 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 0 22 2 0 0
13  Willie Thorne (ENG) 0 2 2 0 2 0 1 3 4 1 2 2 19 4 0 0
14  Peter Francisco (RSA) 4 1 1 2 1 0 0 4 1 2 1 1 18 3 0 0
15  John Virgo (ENG) 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 2 1 1 17 0 0 0
16  Cliff Wilson (WAL) 3 1 0 3 2 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 16 3 0 0
17  Alex Higgins (NIR) 1 2 4 1 0 2 – – 2 2 0 0 14 4 0 0
18  Rex Williams (ENG) 2 5 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 13 9 0 0
19  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 2 0 0 0 2 12 6 0 0
20  Tony Drago (MLT) 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 4 12 4 2 0
21  Eugene Hughes (IRL) 4 0 2 0 1 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 12 7 0 0
22  Dean Reynolds (ENG) 3 0 2 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 12 7 0 0
23  Dene O'Kane (NZL) 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 3 0 11 1 6 0
24  Doug Mountjoy (WAL) 1 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 11 5 0 0
25  Steve Newbury (WAL) 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 4 0 0 10 8 2 0
26  Barry West (ENG) 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 10 4 0 0
27  John Spencer (ENG) 0 0 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 10 8 0 0
28  David Taylor (ENG) 2 0 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 10 6 0 0
29  Bob Chaperon (CAN) 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 1 9 6 0 0
30  Steve Longworth (ENG) 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 9 5 0 0
31  Tony Meo (ENG) 0 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 9 8 0 0
32  Steve James (ENG) 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 8 2 4 7
33  John Campbell (AUS) 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 8 6 0 0
34  Wayne Jones (WAL) 0 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 5 2 0
35  Joe O'Boye (IRL) 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 7 7 2 0
36  Dave Martin (ENG) 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 9 0 0
37  Kirk Stevens (CAN) 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 – 1 7 6 0 0
38  Jim Wych (CAN) 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 7 4 1 0
39  David Roe (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 6 3 5 0
40  Ray Reardon (WAL) 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 5 1 0
41  Martin Clark (ENG) – – – – – – 2 1 0 2 0 0 5 2 0 8
42  Tommy Murphy (NIR) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 8 2 0
43  Danny Fowler (ENG) 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 5 7 3 0
44  Warren King (AUS) 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 4 3 0
45  Gary Wilkinson (ENG) – – – – – – 0 2 0 0 2 0 4 2 1 9
46  Graham Cripsey (ENG) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 10 1 0
47  Bill Werbeniuk (CAN) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 4 8 1 0
48  Murdo MacLeod (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 11 0 0
49  Tony Jones (ENG) 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 7 3 0
50  Steve Duggan (ENG) 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 5 0
51  Tony Chappel (WAL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 11 1 0
52  Mark Bennett (WAL) 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 6 2 12
53  Ken Owers (ENG) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 5 4 2
54  Paddy Browne (IRL) 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 8 0
55  Ray Edmonds (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 5 6 0
56  Nigel Gilbert (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 5 6
57  Dave Gilbert (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 10
58  Mick Fisher (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 5 13
59  Pat Houlihan (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 16
60  Roger Bales (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 10 0
61  Jon Wright (ENG) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 3 2
62  Les Dodd (ENG) 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 5 0
63  Marcel Gauvreau (CAN) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 6 0
64  Jack McLaughlin (NIR) 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 5 0
65  Graham Miles (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 7 4 0
66  Robby Foldvari (AUS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 6 0
67  Colin Roscoe (WAL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 4 7
68  Paul Medati (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 7 0
69  Paul Gibson (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 10
70  Brian Rowswell (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 7 1
71  Vic Harris (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5 10
72  Martin Smith (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 3 22
73  Jim Chambers (ENG) – – – – – – 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5
74  Jim Donnelly (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 7 15
75  Malcolm Bradley (ENG) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 5 0
76  Mark Wildman (ENG) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 5 0
77  Bob Harris (ENG) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 6 0
78  Geoff Foulds (ENG) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 1
79  Robbie Grace (RSA) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 13
80  Anthony Kearney (IRL) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 10
81  John Rea (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 5
82  Mario Morra (CAN) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 10
83  Fred Davis (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 7 0
84  Bill Oliver (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 7
85  Eddie Sinclair (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 11
86  Jim Bear (CAN) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 2
87  Jimmy van Rensberg (RSA) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 0
88  Matt Gibson (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 7
89  Ian Williamson (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 4
90  George Scott (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 0
91  Gino Rigitano (CAN) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 11
92  John Dunning (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 12
93  Eric Lawlor (ENG) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 9
94  Jim Meadowcroft (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 9
95  Glen Wilkinson (AUS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 10
96  Ian Black (SCO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 7
97  Bernie Mikkelsen (CAN) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0
98  Paul Watchorn (IRL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 14
99  Jackie Rea (NIR) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 16
100  Mike Darrington (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 24
101  Terry Whitthread (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 19
102  Alain Robidoux (CAN) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
103  Patsy Fagan (IRL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 10
104  Greg Jenkins (AUS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 13
105  Pascal Burke (IRL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 16
106  Frank Jonik (CAN) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 20
107  Ian Anderson (AUS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4
108  Mike Watterson (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 20
109  Jim Rempe (USA) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
110  Billy Kelly (IRL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 18
111  Dennis Hughes (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 12
112  Dave Chalmers (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 30
113  François Ellis (RSA) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 19
114  Jack Fitzmaurice (ENG) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 16
115  Dessie Sheehan (IRL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 35
116  Anthony Harris (ENG) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9
117  Steve Meakin (ENG) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9
118  Jason Smith (ENG) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 17
119  Robert Marshall (ENG) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6
120  Clive Everton (WAL) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14
121  Derek Mienie (RSA) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 19
122  John Hargreaves (ENG) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14
123  Derek Heaton (ENG) (NT) – – – – – – 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13
124  Paul Thornley (CAN) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13
125  David Greaves (ENG) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28
126  Mike Hines (RSA) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
127  Maurice Parkin (ENG) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
128  Bert Demarco (SCO) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
129  Bernard Bennett (ENG) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
130  Joe Cagianello (CAN) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
131  Eddie McLaughlin (SCO) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
132  Steve Mizerak (USA) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
133  Gerry Watson (CAN) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
134  Paddy Morgan (AUS) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
135  James Giannaros (AUS) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
136  Lou Condo (AUS) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
137  Manuel Francisco (RSA) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
138  Wayne Sanderson (CAN) (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Preceded by
1987/1988 		1988/1989 Succeeded by
1989/1990

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Players who qualified received a ranking point. Players exempted until this round received two merit points.[5]
  2. ^ Fined two points for failing a drugs test[12][13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Morrison 1987, p. 107.
  2. ^ Everton 1986, p. 9.
  3. ^ a b "WPBSA world rankings". Snooker Scene. Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. July 1986. pp. 16–17.
  4. ^ a b Acteson, Steve (19 April 1988). "Higgins slips off edge of the world". The Times. London. p. 47.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Smith 1988, pp. 20–29.
  6. ^ Acteson, Steve (13 May 1988). "Thorburn sentence ridiculed as lenient". The Times. London. p. 44.
  7. ^ "Snooker: three players fail drugs tests but remain anonymous". The Independent. 10 April 1998. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  8. ^ Hale, Janice (1987). Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1987–88. Aylesbury: Queen Anne Press. pp. 13–21. ISBN 0356146901.
  9. ^ Barnes, Simon (26 April 1988). "Why Davis is hooked on winning". The Times. London. p. 44.
  10. ^ Hayton & Dee 2004, pp. 41–46.
  11. ^ Hale, Janice (September 1985). "How the rankings work". Snooker Scene. Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. p. 14.
  12. ^ a b "WPBSA world rankings". Snooker Scene. Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. June 1988. pp. 24–25.
  13. ^ Acteson, Steve (13 May 1988). "Thorburn sentence ridiculed as lenient". The Times. London. p. 44.

Books

  • Everton, Clive, ed. (1986). Benson and Hedges Snooker Year (Third ed.). Aylesbury: Pelham Books. ISBN 978-0-86369-166-9.
  • Hayton, Eric; Dee, John (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.
  • Morrison, Ian (1987). The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker (Revised ed.). Twickenham: Hamlyn Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-600-55604-6.
  • Smith, Terry, ed. (1988). Benson and Hedges Snooker Year. Aylesbury: Pelham Books. pp. 20–29. ISBN 0720718309.
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