Name: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
DOB: 18th April 1985
Nationality: Thai
Turned Pro: 2009
Highest Ranking: #N/A
Highest Break: 138 (2009 UK Championship Last 48)
Career Highlights: 2008 IBSF World Champion, 2008/9 PIOS Event Seven Winner, 2009 UK Championship last 48
Amateur Career
Thepchaiya first came to the attention of the snooker world in 2002 when he won the national students championship, but it was not to be until 2008/9 that he would really begin to deliver on his potential.
His first big victory was to come in the Korat Cup in July 2008 as he swept aside main tour professional Supoj Saenla in the semi-finals, aided by a seven minute break of 142, before he defeated former world number three James Wattana in the final by a 5-2 scoreline. Thepchaiya stated after the event:
“This easily is the greatest victory of my career, not because it is the first time that I have won a ranking tournament, but because of the way I won it.
“I am sure not many people would have given me a chance of winning against a player of Phi Tong’s [James Wattana's] calibre and stature, but I am glad that I defied the odds and did better than my own expectations.”
As it was to turn out however, better was soon to come as he entered the 2008 IBSF World Amateur Championship, staged in Austria late that year. Having come through his qualifying group in second place, dropping just five frames during his seven matches played, he then managed to beat Wattana again in the last 16 before seeing off other more experienced players such as Yu Delu, Xiao Guodong and Colm Gilcreest to take the title. To read my full match report on the final click here.
As well as being an important title in its own right, this ensured that Thepchaiya would be able to compete on the professional circuit in 2009/10 and in anticipation of this, he was invited to come over to the UK and participate in the final three events of the PIOS season.
Although in his first event he managed to win just one match (albeit against former professional Ben Woollaston), his second was to be brilliant as he managed to go all the way and take the event title with a 6-3 final victory over Lee Page. This was slightly controversial as some onlookers felt it unfair that he could participate at such a late stage despite already having a main tour place secured, but this was not his fault and took nothing away from his performances.
2009/10
Thepchaiya’s season got off to a slow start at Pontin’s when he lost out in a deciding frame against Xiao Guodong in qualifying for the Shanghai Masters. His first professional win however came against countryman Atthasit Mahitthi at the subsequent Grand Prix qualifiers, before he had an outstanding run to the final qualifying round of the UK Championship qualifiers, defeating Chris Norbury, Rod Lawler and Alan McManus before losing out to Gerard Greene.
From here however his fortunes were to dip as he won just one match during the season’s remaining three events. The biggest disappointment was to come during his opening World Championship match against Matt Selt when having led 6-3 at the end of the first session, he lost the next five frames and eventually the match, 10-8.
This meant that as a result Thepchaiya was to lose his place on the main tour after just a single season.
2010/11
Having been relegated from the main tour the previous season, Thepchaiya nevertheless managed to make a mark during 2010/11 as he became the only amateur player to qualify for the televised stages of the World Open tournament in Glasgow where he lost out 3-1 to Ali Carter.
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Armbrust
Twitter: ArmbrustOnWiki
July 28, 2009 at 4:52 pm (UTC 0)
DOB: 18 April 1985 (http://www.worldsnooker.com/player_list-10111.htm)
MUSIC
November 28, 2009 at 6:03 am (UTC 0)
highest break 147 vs m. HOLT
MUSIC
December 19, 2009 at 6:03 am (UTC 0)
sorry no HOLT
147vs NIGEL BOND
World Championship 2010: Qualifiers Preview Part 1 « Pro Snooker Blog
February 20, 2010 at 1:57 pm (UTC 0)
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