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TOURNAMENT HISTORIES - European Ranking & Major Invitation Events European Open, German Open, Irish Open & Malta Grand Prix
Due to logistical problems, only the last 32 normally travel to overseas events with the early rounds being played in the UK but on this occasion the last 64 qualifiers for the first European Open, to be sponsored by ICI, all travelled to Deauville in France at the end of January. Alain Robidoux had already made the event’s first maximum in the opening round at Blackpool against Jim Meadowcroft. A number of players, including Steve Davis, pulled out of the event but John Parrott met Terry Griffiths in the final and it was Parrott who took the £40,000 first prize with a 9-8 victory.
The event
remained in France in 1990 but moved to Lyons. John Parrott retained
his title without really being troubled, beating Stephen Hendry 10-6
in the final. Rotterdam in Holland provided the venue in 1991 and,
after many upsets, the somewhat surprising finalists were, Tony Jones,
ranked 36, and Mark Johnston-Allen ranked 60th.
Belgian company, Humo provided sponsorship for the next three seasons and in February 1993 in Antwerp, Steve Davis took the title for the only time with a 10-4 victory over Stephen Hendry. The tournament then moved to the first half of the season and so the next running was in December of the same year, again in Antwerp but at a different venue. Hendry reached the final again and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-7 in the final. At yet another Antwerp venue in 1994, Hendry won again, this time against John Parrott making his third appearance in a European final.
It returned to its March spot in the calendar for the 1995/96 season and was held in Malta for the first time. Local hero, Tony Drago, could not get further than the quarter-finals and John Parrott showed his liking for the event by winning for the third time against Peter Ebdon. He managed to reach the final again a year later but on that occasion, still in Malta, John Higgins emerged a 9-5 winner.
It is at this
point that the history of the event becomes somewhat confusing. In the
1995/96 season, the December place in the calendar, which the European
Open previously occupied went to the German Open which ran for three
seasons. John Higgins beat
In 1998 the ‘European’ spot went to Dublin and the event was named the Irish Open. Mark Williams beat Alan McManus 9-4 to take the £50,000 first prize. Sadly the event was not a success and so far, the ranking circuit had not returned to the Republic.
Since
1994/95, Rothmans had been sponsoring a successful invitation event in
Valletta, the M
A ranking event returned to Europe in 2001/ 02. Valletta in Malta was again the venue but the original name of European Open was revived. Stephen Hendry beat Joe Perry 9-2, the latter making his first appearance in a ranking final.
No continental venue was forthcoming in the 2002/3 season and Hendry defended his title at Plymouth Pavilions, where he lost in an outstanding final to Ronnie O'Sullivan
In the 2004 the event returned to Malta, where the home crowds went wild with delight as their hero Tony Drago reached the semi finals. But it was the up and coming Stephen Maguire who stormed to a 9-3 win over Jimmy White in the final.
Chris Turner - August 2002updated Janie Watkins November 2004 |
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Although
the world championship had twice been held in Australia, prior to the
1988/89 season no ranking events had been staged outside the U.K. In
fact they had all been held in England. There had been successful
invitation events in Canada and Australia for a number of years Barry
Hearn and his Matchroom team had set up events in both Europe and the
Far East. The WPBSA therefore decided to extend the tour to include
some overseas events and the first two chosen were Canada and Europe.
Tony
won 9-7 for is only major victory. Mark, against the odds, reached the
final again twelve months later. This time the venue was Tongeren in
Belgium and Jimmy White beat Mark 9-3 in the final.
Ken
Doherty to win the first of these in Frankfurt and Ronnie O’Sullivan
took the 1996 title in Osnabruck with Higgins reclaiming it at Bingen
in 1997, beating John Parrott making his sixth appearance in a
European ranking event final. Although that was the last of the German
Open as a ranking event, the German Masters invitation event was held
at the same venue for the following season only with John Parrott
winning yet another title.
alta
Grand Prix. For the first three years there was a field of twelve
which was reduced to eight in 1997/98. There were normally two or
three local players included. The prize money was very modest but it
attracted many of the very top players with Parrott, Ebdon, Bond,
Doherty and Hendry winning the first five. In 1999 this event became
the European ranking event for that season, retaining its name and
sponsorship. Ken Doherty beat Mark Williams 9-3 to take the title. The
following season this event returned to being invitation only and
there was no ranking event on the continent. The Grand Prix itself
changed its format. Twelve players played in four round robin groups
initially with group winners going into the semi-finals. Hendry beat
Williams in the final helped by his eighth maximum.