Davis triumphs in snooker

Press, 9 May 1984, Page 64

Davis triumphs in snooker

NZPA-PA London Steve Davis has retained the world snooker title in one of the most gripping matches in snooker history. Davis, aged 26, beat Jimmy White, 18-16, after White made a phenomenal comeback from being down, 12-4. But the 22-year-old Londoner transformed the match by pulling back seven frames against Davis to trail, 13-11, at the end of the afternoon session. It was a superb exhibition of courage and brilliant potting, as White rekindled his dreams of becoming the youngest professional world champion, and checked Davis’s bid to become the first man to retain the title. Davis halted White’s charge by winning the first two frames of the evening

session, to be three away from victory, at 15-11. White bounced back again, taking the twentyseventh frame, 91-19, with a break of 41, but Davis stayed cool and waited for his chances as he picked off a vital twenty-eighth frame, 73-40, to go four up again at the mid-session interval. White refused to surrender, and took the next three frames to bring him to 1615, one frame behind for the first time since the beginning of the match yesterday. A 35 break by White in the thirty-second frame put Davis in desperate trouble again, as White led, 55-32, with only the colours left. But, with the capacity crowd holding its breath, the majority willing White on to draw level, it was Davis who held his nerve to

sink the yellow and mop up the colours to win, 59-55, and stand one frame from the title. He led, 60-0, in frame 33 and the title seemed his again, but he missed a straightforward blue and

White produced a series of miraculous shots to clear the table and win, 65-60, to go just a frame behind again. Davis wobbled after going 32-0 up on the thirty-fourth frame and White roared back to lead 40-32. But then Davis surged ahead, after potting a brilliant long red to lead 57-40. White struggled desperately to stay in touch but gave Davis the chance to sink the green, and go on to take the frame, 77-40, to make history as the first man to retain the championship. The win gives Davis, three times the world champion and holder of a record eight titles this season, another £44,000 ($NZ94,160) to add to this season’s prize money of £115,000 ($NZ246,100).