The Masters snooker tournament is a Triple Crown event, and one of the most highly-coveted titles in the sport. From Ronnie O’Sullivan to Alex Higgins, Steve Davis to Stephen Hendry – some of snooker’s greatest players have been victorious at the Masters (sometimes, more than once) and the historic competition remains a true test of mental strength and snooker skill.
In 2024, the Masters will bring up its half-century when the next edition of the tournament takes place between 7–14 January at Alexandra Palace in London. As excitement builds for more classic encounters across the baize, here’s a rundown of some of the competition’s most iconic incidents and magical moments:
5. Battle of the Best
The 2006 Masters Final was an epic worthy of the great tournament. Featuring Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, 2 of the best to play the game, the contest was decided in a dramatic final frame that saw momentum flow back and forth before Higgins stepped up to make a 64 clearance and wrangle the Masters title away from the Rocket.
4. The Rocket Sets a Speed Record
Unsurprisingly, Ronnie O’Sullivan features in a number of these Masters memories and in 2014 he was at his very best. An unstoppable force, the Rocket faced Ricky Walden at the Quarterfinal stage and won the match in just 58 minutes. O’Sullivan’s 556 unanswered points set a professional record and put him on the path to securing another Masters title.
3. The Hurricane Whips Up a Storm
Although he wouldn’t win the tournament that year, Alex Higgins’ presence was enough to send fans wild at the 1985 Masters. In a classic Last 16 match against Steve Davis, the inimitable Northern Irishman was at his charismatic best in victory, while Englishman Davis was booed by his home crowd. Fans in attendance erupted for Higgins as he sealed the match, solidifying the Hurricane’s status as one of the best loved, and most important, players to have ever taken up a cue.
2. Davis Scores a Hat Trick
Nine years after his second Masters title, 39-year old Steve Davis rolled back the clock when he reached the Masters Final in 1997. Up against a 21-year old Ronnie O’Sullivan, Davis battled to stay in the match before mounting a comeback and overcoming the odds to win his third Masters title. An emotional victory for one of snooker’s true legends.
1. Hunter Becomes a Legend
Nicknamed “Beckham of the Baize”, Paul Hunter was a young and stylish breath of fresh air for snooker in the early 2000s. Hunter’s matches were always exciting and he regularly overcame deficits to claim victory. In 2006, the snooker world was shocked and saddened to learn of Hunter’s death at the age of just 28 after a battle with cancer, but his name lives on forever thanks to his performances at the Masters. Winner of the tournament in 2001 and 2002, Hunter faced Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2004 Final, and after going 7–2 down, won 8 of the last 10 frames to claim a third Masters victory. Hunter would no doubt have won many more Masters titles, and in 2016 the Masters trophy was renamed the Paul Hunter Trophy in honor of the greatly missed former champion.
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