Matthew Stevens Player Profile
Matthew Stevens Stats
Date of birth: 11 September, 1977
Nationality: Wales
First turned professional: 1994
Highest ranking: 4
Ranking titles: 1
Triple Crown titles: 2
Crucible best: runner-up
Masters appearances: 11
147 breaks: 1
SHQ Stars:
★★★★★
Summary
It may come as a surprise to some newer snooker fans, but there was a 10-year period when Matthew Stevens was among the very best players in the world.
A long format specialist, the Welshman regularly featured at the business end of the World Championship and the UK Championship, which used to incorporate matches across two sessions.
Between making his debut at the Crucible Theatre in 1998 and his defining moment in a ranking event at the 2003 UK Championship, Stevens was an almost ever-present at the latter stages of those two prestigious events.
For some reason, however, Stevens nearly always struggled to translate that form into regularly acquiring silverware.
After first turning professional in 1994, Stevens first caught the attention of a wider audience at the 1997 UK Championship by reaching the semi-finals.
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But it was during the 1999/2000 term that he truly established himself as one of the world’s very best.
Upon winning the Scottish Masters invitational with victories over the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, and John Higgins, Stevens reached the final of the UK Championship for the second year in succession.
He lost a close encounter to Williams, but just a couple of months later Stevens beat Ken Doherty 10-8 to claim the Masters crown at the Wembley Conference Centre.
In May, Williams again denied his countryman in a major final with a dramatic 18-16 success at the World Snooker Championship.
Stevens didn’t seem to have the mettle when it mattered most, but he finally captured his maiden ranking title in 2003 with victory over Stephen Hendry in the final of that year’s UK Championship.
That it represents his sole triumph at that level remains one of the great mysteries in snooker.
Stevens’ record in ranking finals – played eight, lost seven – speaks for itself, and in 2005 he was pipped in another World Championship title decider by qualifier Shaun Murphy.
These runs helped him to reach a career-high of number four in the world rankings, but in the 15 or so years since he has generally struggled to replicate the same standard.
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Ranking Event Victories
- 2003 UK Championship
Other Notable Victories
- Masters (2000)
- Scottish Masters (1999)
- Northern Ireland Trophy (2005)
- Championship League (2011)
- Pot Black (2005)
- Belgian Masters (1996)
- Nations Cup (1999)
Featured photo credit: WST
Matthew Stevens Player Profile
SHQ Stars: How it works
| Rating | SHQ Stars | Career Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Black | ★★★★★★★ | multiple world champion; 30+ ranking titles; career triple crown; world no.1 (at least 3) |
| Pink | ★★★★★★ | world champion; 10+ ranking titles; multiple winner of triple crown events; member of top 2; 15+ seasons in top 16 (at least 3) |
| Blue | ★★★★★ | winner of triple crown event; 5+ ranking titles; member of top 4; 12+ seasons in top 16 (at least 2) |
| Brown | ★★★★ | 2+ ranking titles; member of top 8; triple crown event finalist; 8+ seasons in the top 16 (at least 2) |
| Green | ★★★ | ranking title; member of top 16 (at least 1) |
| Yellow | ★★ | member of top 64 |
| Red | ★ | professional |
