Dennis Taylor Player Profile
Dennis Taylor Stats
Date of birth: 19 January, 1949
Nationality: Northern Ireland
First turned professional: 1972
Highest ranking: 2
Ranking titles: 2
Triple Crown titles: 2
Crucible best: champion
Masters appearances: 17
147 breaks: 0
SHQ Stars:
★★★★★★
Summary
After turning professional in 1972, Dennis Taylor became one of the most familiar faces during snooker’s early rise in popularity.
The Northern Irishman regularly reached the business end of events during his first decade on the circuit.
But silverware was hard to attain and Taylor finished as a runner-up on numerous occasions, including at the 1979 World Championship in Sheffield.
However, in 1984 at the Grand Prix in Preston, Taylor finally outlasted everyone else to secure his biggest prize to date.
A 10-2 defeat of close friend Cliff Thorburn resulted in him landing a maiden ranking title, and the confidence gained from this victory helped spearhead a sustained run of success across the next few seasons.
His most memorable glory – arguably the most memorable moment in the sport’s history – took place a year later at the Crucible Theatre.
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Taylor reached his second world final in 1985 but quickly found himself 8-0 down to then three-time champion Steven Davis.
Conjuring a remarkable fight back Taylor forced a final-frame decider, and amid delightfully dramatic scenes he upset a stunned Davis 18-17 on the last black.
The concluding shots have been replayed umpteen times in the decades since, becoming a junction of folklore for the sport.
Not long after, Taylor won the Thailand, Canadian, and Australian Masters non-ranking tournaments.
But he saved his best invitational title for the Masters itself at the Wembley Conference Centre in London in 1987.
An all-Irish tie between Taylor and Higgins saw the former again battle back from the brink of defeat – winning the last four frames for a 9-8 victory against his countryman.
Alongside Higgins, Taylor also won a hat-trick of World Cup crowns in the same period, but the pair infamously fell out at the same tournament in 1990.
After slipping down the rankings, Taylor eventually retired in 2000 and these days is more commonly known as a commentator on the BBC.
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Ranking Event Victories
- 1984 Grand Prix
- 1985 World Snooker Championship
Other Notable Victories
- The Masters (1987)
- Matchroom Professional Championship (1987)
- Canadian Masters (1985, 1987)
- Carslberg/Carling Challenge (1986, 1987)
- Thailand Masters (1985)
- Australian Masters (1986)
- Tokyo Masters (1987)
- World Cup (1985, 1986, 1987)
Featured photo credit: Wikipedia
Dennis Taylor 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 |