Pro Snooker Blog

Name: Matthew Stevens

DOB: September 11th 1977

Nationality: Welsh

Turned Pro: 1994

Highest Ranking: #4 (2005/6)

Current Ranking: #25

Highest Break: 145×2 (1996 & 2001)

Career Highlights: 2003 UK Champion, 2000 Masters Champion, 2005 N.I. Trophy Champion, 2005 Pot Black Champion, 2000 and 2005 World Finalist

Website: http://www.matthew-stevens.com/

In short

At his best a player more than capable of beating anyone, it is fair to say that Matthew Stevens has not achieved as much success as was widely expected when he won the Masters and reached his first world final in 2000. He remains however a player to avoid in the draw and is more than capable of adding to his trophy cabinet over the next few seasons, particularly if he can reclaim a top 16 place.

A particularly good break builder, Stevens has a strong all-round game that makes him a very tough player to beat when on form. When considering his weaknesses there are two that spring to mind however. The first would be his ability with the rest, something that he appears reluctant to use, instead using a longer extension on his cue whenever possible, or even choosing to play shots left handed.

A second apparent weakness is that mentally he is perhaps not the strongest player out there, notably having lost six of his seven ranking event finals including two in the World Championship, both from a commanding position.

Early career

A promising amateur, Stevens turned professional in 1994 at the age of just 16 and immediately began to get a few wins under his belt. His most impressive result early on came when he won the Benson & Hedges Championship in his second season, qualifying for the prestigious Masters tournament in the process.

His ranking continued to steadily improve before he made a real step forward in the 1997/8 season, reaching two ranking event semi-finals as well as the quarter-finals of the World Championship at the first attempt. This he managed to repeat the following year, though the real highlight was to be his final appearance at the UK Championship where he was to lose to world number 1 John Higgins.

World final #1

Now up to a career high ranking of number 9, inside the elite top 16 for the first time, Stevens was to win his first major event at the Scottish Masters as well as making the final of the UK championship for the second year in a row. Indeed Matthew was to earn a reputation for being stronger in the longer format matches as at the UK and the Master which he won for the first time in January 2000.

He reinforced this view at the 2000 World Championship when he made the final for the first time. Heartbreak was to come however as having led fellow Welshman Mark Williams 10-6 overnight and 13-7 at one point, Stevens surrendered his advantage and slipped to an 18-16 defeat. Still his ranking was up to number six and the future looked bright.

Global Snooker

The next couple of seasons were not quite as good, though he always maintained his spot in the top 10 of the rankings. He again made the World semi-finals in 2001 and 2002 but the unfortunate death of his father and mentor Morrell undoubtedly had an effect on Stevens and his results in the other events were not as good as previously.

Things were to get worse in 2002/3 as he progressed beyond the last 16 stage in only one event. The following season was to be more successful however as it proved to be third time lucky in the UK Championship final against Stephen Hendry. Coming from 4-0 and 7-5 down

Matthew won the match 10-8 and secured a memorable win that he was to dedicate to his late father:

“I don’t know what to say,”
“I was 4-0 down and trying to make the score respectable, but then I relaxed after going 5-4 up.”
“I’ve won my first ranking tournament and am glad to have that out of the way.
“I’m enjoying the game a lot more.
“I lost my dad a few years ago and this is my first final since then. So I’d like to dedicate this to him.”

Unfortunately he failed to build on this result as the next 18 months were to be a fallow period which brought no further titles.

World final #2

Things were to change at the 2005 World Championship where Stevens fought through the field to reach his second final at the Crucible. Facing the unseeded Shaun Murphy in the final, Stevens was a strong favourite to finally fulfil his potential and take that first world title at last. Unfortunately for Matthew however, history was to repeat itself as Murphy brilliantly won the match 18-16 from 10-6 down, just as Williams had done five years previously.

Subsequent form

Despite being up to number four in the rankings and winning the invitational Northern Ireland Trophy at the start of 2005/6, Stevens’ form was to drop off dramatically and within two seasons he found himself out of the elite top 16 for the first time this decade. He had a chance to return immediately at the end of 2007/8 but following his first ever round one defeat at the Crucible to John Higgins in 2008, he fell just short of doing so and finished in 17th position.

2008/9

He did however have something of a return to form at the 2008 Bahrain Championship when he defeated Stuart Bingham, Ryan Day, Dominic Dale and Stephen Hendry to reach his seventh ranking event final, his first since 2005. Despite fighting back from 4-1 to lead his opponent Neil Robertson 7-6 though, he eventually lost out 9-7 and had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Having had such a good run many expected him to push on for the rest of the season and challenge strongly for a top 16 place once again but it just did not happen. The end of his season was summed up by his final match which saw him lose heavily to the in-form Martin Gould during the World Championship qualifiers, meaning that he would not be at the Crucible Theatre for the first time in 12 years. The result also ensured that he would finish the season ranked down in 26th place and as a consequence would have to qualify for events once again in 2009/10.

2009/10

Having struggled for consistency at the qualifiers during the previous two seasons, three wins from three matches played at Pontin’s during the first half of the 2009/10 season indicated that perhaps now he was beginning to acclimatise to the holiday venue. His best run was a last 16 appearance at the season-opening Shanghai Masters where he eventually lost out to compatriot Ryan Day.

Although he managed to repeat this feat at the Welsh Open to leave himself right in contention to move back up into the top 16, these hopes were to be dashed as he lost his opening China Open and World Championship matches, the latter a 10-9 defeat to Marcus Campbell following a nine hour match.

Tournament Victories:

Ranking Event wins (1)

Non-Ranking Event wins (5)