Steve Davis will make his 30th appearance at the Crucible Theatre next month after producing a highly determined performance to beat Adrian Gunnell 10-4 in the final qualifying round of the Betfred.com World Championship in Sheffield tonight.
The 52 year-old, who won the last of his six world titles in 1989, cued very nicely and retained a positive frame of mind to enhance his chances of remaining in the top 32 for another season.
And Davis admitted he is thinking of history as he prepares to play at the Crucible in a fifth decade.
He believes by defying the years he may set a record that even his great friend and rival Stephen Hendry will find hard to beat.
“There was a time in the 1980s when I thought I was unbeatable, a bit like Phil Taylor probably feels now in darts,” Davis said.
“I thought, nobody will ever come along and beat my standard. And then I quickly had that thought rammed down my throat by a young man from Scotland and plenty of others after that.
“From then on, you look at your career differently. It’s not been a case of clinging on but it has been tough against good opposition.
“So to still be doing it – wow. I’m chuffed that I can still compete at any level because in a way you’re not supposed to. To be at the Crucible in your 50s is hard to do.
“I was trying to think of my objective after I stayed in the top 16 at the age of 50. My long term ambition now is that Stephen Hendry doesn’t beat my record of playing at the Crucible. To beat me, he’ll have to play there at 53.
“He’s won more tournaments than anyone else and is the best player who ever lived but I’ve still got one record that he’ll find it hard to beat and I’ve just put another year on it.”
37 comments:
Well said Steve. Stephen Hendry is the best player that ever lived.
Chuffed you qualified !!
WELL DONE Steve. Superb! Stevo is a legend and in my opinion, he's up there with the best sportsman Britain has ever produced. I also feel he deserves further public recognition for his achievements and contribution to the sport. Does anyone else agree I wonder? He was my hero growing up (not a footballer, a SNOOKER player!). Again, well done Steve!
Table, Studio, Commentary Box. it is more than interesting. Great to see you there again Davis. As it is your 30h appearance there as a player, I beleieve this should be marked in some way. Well done old pall. Great result and good luck in the tournament. It will be great to hear from you again in the Studio and Commntary box and see u on the table. As Willie Thorne and John Virgo would say,"Every credit" mate. All the best from me, a great ALL-ROUND SNOOKER FAN AT HEART.
JAMIE!
He’s won more tournaments than anyone else and is the best player who ever lived but I’ve still got one record that he’ll find it hard to beat and I’ve just put another year on it
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Dont do yourself an injustice Steve, he may have more rankers than you but thats only cos so many of your early wins were in events that only became classed as rankers later on as the rankings system became more important in snooker, so Hendry had an unfair advanatge in this measure.
However i think you are actually ahead by 73-66 (thats a major guess so aplogies if wrong) in terms of overall professional snooker titles so thats another record you have over Hendry.
Fantastic achievement and proves what a class act he was.
Its also great that he extends to Hendry the respect the man deserves by confirming that Hendry is the greatest player who ever lived.
Its never been doubted by the vaste majority of fans but Steve at times has muddied the water and perhaps it would have been better to let the players cue decide where that crown belongs and not with flawed opinion.
It works in other sports.
Unless Tiger beats Jacks record of majors then history will list him the second best.
Steves a shadow of his former self but at this venue where a players career will be judged, many matches become dogfights and the arm is just a little tighter, then who is to say he wont make the last 16.
dont talk mince witz
you could easily say that hendry won many tournaments that werent rankers that could have been
thing is, they werent
even steve can recognise this. pity you cant.
again, well done steve davis on being both brilliant at snooker and very gracious too, unlike SOME!
Amazing. This is like christmas for me. I can't wait to see him in April.
Well done Steve!
I'm having problems publishing comments so please be patient if yours hasn't appeared
I'm only having trouble reading the ones that aren't here Dave.
Keep up the good work!
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Hello Dave
How are you! Congratulations Steve for “Thirty not out”. That record will never be equalled, or ever attempted. Steve’s strength lies in the love of competition. Plus of course the “Lolly”
Stephen Hendry is a much better scorer than Steve but not a better player. Stephen is much more afraid of failure; therefore will probable bale out rather than show his muscles against the young bucks of the future.
This lovely game “Snooker” has X plus number of World Champions yet still the game is still in its infancy. The game has thousands of players that “Know how to Score” but not how to play.
The game will come alive Dave when the top men and snooker idols speak up and admit there limitations as well as parade with pride there “Prizes and Accomplishments”.
To say again! Every top player “Shows us how to break build” but not one single player shows or explains “How to break Build”? Sadly the game is built on a “Copycat” system and deprived of any detailed teaching and coaching worthy of a copyright symbol. Mr hey you
Hooray for Steve! And it's looking good for Ken too.
Davis said Hendry is the greatest ever, but at the last two BBC events he said Higgins and O'Sullivan, it would be nice if he clarified this once and for all.
Anon 8.27am
Im not 'talking mince'
When Steve first started playing the only ranking event was the Worlds and when he started winning regularly a lot of these tournaments werent rankers but would become so later in the 80s as Hendry emerged.
Anyway, one fact that cant be altered is that Davis has won MORE professional snooker titles than Hendry.
Moondan, glad you swallowed your pride and acknowleged Davis's achievment in qualifying aged 52. He was the best of his generation and is now the last man standing.
Well done Steve D!
Should point out to Steve that although it's a marvellous achievement to be at The Crucible at 52, he's far from being the oldest to play there, as his comments suggest he thinks.
Fred Davis was 64 when he reached the semi finals, and he was still playing there for a few years after that. Rex Williams played there when he was 55, and Cliff Wilson was about that age when he last appeared in Sheffield.
Still though, great achievement for Steve to still be at that level after all this time. Hope he draws Hendry on Thursday.
Jamie i'm sure Steve said O'Sullivan is the greatest talent ever..
Do-her-ty. Not Dock-er-ty!!!
another tangent post wity
and jamie, personally, great though davis was, i couldnt care less if his OPINION wasnt factually correct or otherwise.
i like every other normal person would know the only reasonable way to compare players, through meaningful titles.
...and i wouldnt say that if Davis had more rankers to play in hed have won them...thats like saying if he didnt lose ones he lost in hed have more....facts are facts lads.....no matter how you like to grasp at straws.
also see mr hey u posting more rubbish. boring how every blog you put up is almost 'worhty' of this guys thinly veiled push at the fine art method. poor show!
Witz, you know as well as I do that nobody has stuck up for the eighties player more than me.
As a pundit I think Davis is useless and should never get beyond kids tv but as a player--well thats different.
For me he creates confusion and nonsense in equal measure, in fact the complete opposite of his game.
He has said that, everyone says that, but at the Masters he said Higgins and O'Sullivan were the best players ever to lift a cue and he referenced Hendry when he said that.
anonymous person slagging off me, jamie, Davis, and Nr hey u....
at least we dont spout our views behind the facade of anonymous.
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Dear Dave Den Bloggers.
To settle a running discussion lads on Steve’s forked tongue. If it was in Steve’s interest; Steve would say that your Granny was the greatest and most glamorous Lady Player he ever played.
Please carry on lads as it makes Dave’s blog interesting. Steve Davis has more than once said that Ronnie O is a “Genius”. We all know this is rubbish talk for the camerys.
To a top snooker player a “Genius” is a fellow player that plays shots he can’t play nor understand. To be “Generous in Thought” is a trick of the true professional. Mr hey you
So your real name is Witz78 and his he really called mr hey you???
LMAO!!
Hope Davis does better than his 2009 1st round loss of 2-10 to Robertson!
Wity, my name is Craig
make you feel any better?
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Dear Dave
How are you! Thanks lad for the posts; I must say again Dave; you are very brave. You have published free many snippets of “Snooker Know How” that was denied hire else where.
About nom de plumes dear friends! They are generally used to allay possible crank phone calls from fellow “Blog Members” that haven’t had his/her little “Liver Pill”.
For the record lads! “Mr hey you” is known to the entire “Snooker Establishment”, principle with “Nuisance Value” as the “Fine Art” know where the bodies are buried.
Snooker presentation on TV took a dramatic turn a few years back with the introduction of an “Alternative” coaching method to an imaginary or non existent original method.
The Fine Art method is absolutely Free to the whole world to copy! But not for commercial use or to enhance a reputation. Mr hey you
Fantastic achievement for Steve to make it through for his 30th appearance! I hope he plays better than last year. Much as I hope not, this could be his last hurrah at the Crucible..so, please, make it a good one Steve!
wtH has the fine art got to do with Davis making the crucible?
i dont know why you give this....person...his chance to continually post off topic dave while winding up the good folk who just want to read your great blog and occasionally post about each one, on topic.
was a much better blog before having to try to ignore this...person
I agree with the previous contributor...'Shakespeare' or 'Mr Hey You' or 'Mr Repetitive Tedious' as I call him should display his real name & comment mostly on the topic/debate at hand!
Sticking with the 'Nuggets' qualification for the Crucible, I much doubt if Davis has another 2005 UK Championship type run left in him, but I hope his performance in the Worlds 2010 is more than just making up the numbers.
i can't believe i'm going write this....Mr Ho Hum is right !
There is no greater worshipper of the Nugget than myself but i'm afraid Davis has said at various times that the greatest player ever has been Higgins (John), Hendry, Joe Davis, Ray Reardon, O'Sullivan, Higgins (Alex), Jimmy etc...
The problem is simply the day / time or context in which he was asked the question...on any given day the answer he gave would be different.
The point is that all the above are, or were, great players of their time but to get all angry about a pointless and ultimately impossible to ever prove debate seems just a tad silly.
I do however, apologise to every other poster about agreeing with Mr Ho Hum...i promise it won't happen again...i'm off for a lie down and wait for my medication to kick in.
theres mr hey yous only friend posting again to back him up....only appeared on here with any regularity to do such....hmmm...zzz
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Hello again Dave
Thanks for the posts! I’m a wee bit sorry I haven’t annoyed more punters Dave as we are on a very controversial subject the “Steve Davis” currant opinion on Geniuses.
Thanks Dear IanW for your kind words of support. I hope that you haven’t annoyed the other blog members of the “We Hate” (Something) brigade.
Most animals even “Some” humans know the value in hunting in packs. I am surprised that Dave has not already received an ultimatum.
Please note Fellow Bloggers that the subject is always “Snooker” not Steve, Jimmy or Stephen, just the beautiful game Snooker.
If any of these top players were to say that the best snooker players were born on Sunday Afternoons you would believe them without question.
Yet none of these players, nor any other player has written a single article on Snooker Technique that is entitled to a copyright © symbol. Maybe you lads are looking through a “Green” haze?
Mr hey you
Snooker © The Fine Art Method
A secret is wasted if not shared
Hi Dave, with your permission.
Dear Mr IanW. I have no intentions of contradicting or finding fault with your posts. Most school boys and genuine people generally know that know that nature dictates our personality with either a “Hereditary” or a “Congenital” gene or make up.
You have shown yours Sir as I have shown mine. Mr hey you
PS A snooker tip! The player that needs lots of “Insa and Outsies” is holding a balance.DM
oh don't get me wrong Mr Ho Hum...i still think that 99.9% of everything you write is total toffee and that you are clearly 'away with the fairies' but on that particular subject you happen to be right and i'm gracious enough to acknowledge it (even though i had to stick forks in my leg while typing).
It just amazes me that people get into stupid slanging matches on a subject that everyone knows can never ever be proven one way or another and then try to back up their 'correct answer' with meaningless statistics.
Oh, and btw, the reason everyone bangs on about the 'personalities' of the 80's is simple; THERE WERE ONLY 4 BLEEDING TV CHANNELS !! In those days if BBC1 put 2 flys crawling up the wall you would have had to watch it. Therefore the same players were on TV week in week out and the audience got to know them and because they were on TV so often the press wrote about their lifestyles. Celebs still sold copy even in the 80's.
These days if ya don't like snooker you've got 1) a billion other channels to choose from 2) The internet 3) Playstation / Wii etc.....
There you go...2 pointless subjects solved that never should be written about again....
IanW - Yes,snooker has suffered more than most sports since the multi-channel era took effect in the early 1990s onwards.
However,viewing figures were steadily decreasing in the late 1980s before all that anyway through a combination of things.
1)Players had to revert back to bowtie dresscode for all sessions,
which was a mistake,the colour ties & matching suits (afternoon dress)gave the players some distinction & style previous to that.
2)The booming economy which snooker was much associated with started to slowdown.
3)Alex Higgins or Jimmy White not appearing in every Final decreased viewing figures.
4)ITV stopping their best of 25 frame Sunday afternoon finishes (in 1989)
5)The late 1980s featured many Finals which Davis or Hendry won at a canter (Mike Hallett & Dean Reynolds should know)
So,the multi-channel era only quickened the pace of the casual follower decline in that period.
At least anoraks like me still follow snooker to put the record straight to the primitive multi-channel argument coming from the likes of IanW!
Much is gonna be made of it being the 25th anniversary since THAT 1985 blackball Final (including a new documentary I believe)
However,I must have seen that Final frame in various formats on video,DVD or YouTube hundreds of times over the years - What more can this documentary tell us ?
Also,the 1985 World Final was followed up only afew months later by the Davis-Taylor sequel,namely the autumn 1985 Rothmans Grand Prix Final,which ALSO went to a decider.
As infamous as the 1985 World Champs Final was,it was,after all,part of a duality package with the Grand Prix Final that followed.
BBC/YouTube really should upload footage of the 'forgotten'85 Grand Prix Final sooner rather than later too.
Also,why does 'modest' Davis never refer to his 'modicum' of revenge victory either ? - Anyway,another valid set of contribtuions made ...aaahhh,that feels better!
i'll give you the ITV one but come on..."..exchanging ties for bow ties made snooker less popular"...good grief..
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