Steve Davis Player Profile
Steve Davis Stats
Date of birth: 22 August, 1957
Nationality: England
First turned professional: 1978
Highest ranking: 1
Ranking titles: 28
Triple Crown titles: 15
Crucible best: champion (6 times)
Masters appearances: 27
147 breaks: 1
SHQ Stars:
★★★★★★★
Click here to see more Player Profiles.
Summary
Steve Davis first turned professional in 1978, becoming the youngest player on the Main Tour at the age of 21.
It didn’t take very long for the Englishman to make his mark, and less than three years after joining the circuit he was a world champion.
Known as The Nugget, Davis proceeded to carve out a decade of domination during a period when snooker was making headline news on both the front and back pages of newspapers.
The game was being opened up, with an increased number of playing opportunities being created and prize money soaring.
As the undisputed best player in the world, Davis seized his chance and mopped up title after title in a remarkable spell of success.
Between 1981 and 1989, he failed to reach the World Championship final on only one occasion – when he memorably succumbed to the Curse of the Crucible in a first-round defeat in 1982.
Davis won six World Championship crowns in total – adding triumphs in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989 to his maiden effort in 1981.
MORE PLAYER PROFILES:
However, his defeat in the 1985 title decider proved to be the most famous of them all as he squandered an 8-0 lead and missed the final black in a dramatic 18-17 reverse to Dennis Taylor.
Still, it was a momentary blip in an otherwise prolonged period of perfection for the man who held the number one spot in the world rankings for seven successive seasons.
During the 1987/88 term, Davis became the first player to win the sport’s biggest three titles in the same season – adding the UK Championship and Masters crowns to that of the World Championship.
This achievement and snooker’s overall popularity at the time helped him to win the BBC Sport’s Personality of the Year in 1988.
Soon after and with the arrival of a young hotshot from Scotland named Stephen Hendry, things began to change.
Davis lost the 1989 and 1990 UK Championship finals to Hendry, signalling a changing of the guard, and while there were still many more memorable moments, his overall form began to decline.
Davis added six ranking titles in a mid-90s rally to bring his career total to 28 – a record at the time.
Then in 1997, he fought back from 8-4 behind to defeat Ronnie O’Sullivan in a thrilling Masters final amid a raucous atmosphere in London.
Davis continued to battle and valiantly maintained a position inside the top 16 until 2008 before eventually putting away his cue in 2016 at the age of 58 – ending one of the sport’s greatest careers.
Click here for the latest news on Steve Davis
Ranking Event Victories
- 1981 World Snooker Championship
- 1983 World Snooker Championship
- 1983 International Open
- 1984 The Classic
- 1984 World Snooker Championship
- 1984 International Open
- 1984 UK Championship
- 1985 Grand Prix
- 1985 UK Championship
- 1986 British Open
- 1986 UK Championship
- 1987 The Classic
- 1987 World Snooker Championship
- 1987 International Open
- 1987 UK Championship
- 1988 The Classic
- 1988 World Snooker Championship
- 1988 International Open
- 1988 Grand Prix
- 1989 World Snooker Championship
- 1989 International Open
- 1989 Grand Prix
- 1992 The Classic
- 1992 Asian Open
- 1993 European Open
- 1993 British Open
- 1994 Welsh Open
- 1995 Welsh Open
Other Notable Victories
- UK Championship (1980, 1982)
- The Masters (1982, 1988, 1997)
- The Classic (1980, 1983)
- Irish Masters (1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994)
- World Matchplay (1988)
- Matchroom League (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
- Scottish Masters (1982, 1983, 1984)
- China Masters (1985, 1986)
- Hong Kong Masters (1984, 1987)
- Tolly Cobbold Classic (1982, 1983, 1984)
- Pot Black (1982, 1983, 1991, 1993)
- Thailand Masters (1991)
- Canadian Masters (1986)
- China International (1997)
- World Seniors Championship (2013)
- World Doubles Championship (1982, 1983, 1985, 1986)
- World Cup (1981, 1983, 1988, 1989)
- World Mixed Doubles Championship (1991)
- World Masters Mixed Doubles (1991)
Featured photo credit: WSS
Steve Davis 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 |
