The 1989 World Championship was held at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Worl ... ampionshiphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SheffieldWorld number 1 Steve Davis won the Championship, and that probably doesn't sound surprising. In the context of the season though it perhaps was. Although Steve had won the first two events of the season, he missed out in the subsequent 5 ranking events. In fact, there had been all kinds of shocks and surprises in the events leaing up to this, something that hadn't really happened in the earlier 80s when prizes tended to be shared by an elite few.
People who watched Davis win, and win so emphatically against John Parrott, would probably not have guessed that it was to be his last world final. But perhaps the signs had been there.
This was also a breakthrough event for Darren Morgan. He had shown some promise as a new player on the tour, but this was the first time he had reached the latter stages, making the last 32.
It was also confirmation of a return to form for Tony Meo. A regular member of the top 16 for most of the 80s, Meo had been off his game for quite some time before suddenly winning the British Open from nowhere. His run to the semis in the World Championship saw him rise from 73rd in the rankings only two events ago, back into the top 16 at number 10.
A few interesting names popped up in qualifying that we haven't seen before:
Joe Grech; Mannie Francisco; Sam Frangie; Vladimir Potasznyk
Last 32:
Steve Davis (1) 10-5 Steve Newbury (26)
Cliff Wilson (35) 1-10 Steve Duggan (39)
Mike Hallett (8) 10-7 Doug Mountjoy (7)
Tony Knowles (17) 6-10 David Roe (19)
Terry Griffiths (5) 10-6 Bob Chaperon (41)
Silvino Francisco (49) 10-6 Joe O'Boye (36)
Willy Thorne (11) 10-5 Paddy Browne (61)
Stephen Hendry (2) 10-9 Gary Wilkinson (32)
Neal Foulds (21) 9-10 Wayne Jones (14)
Peter Francisco (34) 7-10 Dean Reynolds (13)
Joe Johnson (9) 5-10 Tony Meo (20)
Cliff Thorburn (6) 9-10 Eddie Charlton (42)
John Parrott (4) 10-9 Steve James (15)
Dennis Taylor (10) 10-3 Eugene Hughes (52)
John Virgo (16) 10-4 Darren Morgan (78)
Jimmy White (3) 10-7 Dene O'Kane (30)
L16:
Davis (1) 13-3 Duggan (39)
Hallett (8) 13-12 Roe (19)
Griffiths (5) 13-9 S Francisco (49)
Hendry (2) 13-4 Thorne (11)
Reynolds (13) 13-3 Jones (14)
Meo (20) 13-8 Charlton (42)
Parrott (4) 13-10 Taylor (10)
White (3) 13-12 Virgo (16)
QFs:
Davis (1) 13-3 Hallett (8)
Hendry (2) 13-5 Griffiths (5)
Meo (20) 13-9 Reynolds (13)
Parrott (4) 13-7 White (3)
SFs:
Davis (1) 16-9 Hendry (2)
Parrott (4) 16-7 Meo (20)
Final:
Davis (1) 18-3 Parrott (4)
Following the event:
Top 4
Davis
Parrott
Hendry
White
Top 16
In: Tony Meo
Out: Steve James
Top 32
In: Steve Duggan; Eddie Charlton
Out: Alex Higgins; Warren King
Top 64
In: Darren Morgan; Brian Rowswell; Ian Graham
Out: Steve Longworth; John Spencer; Graham Cripsey
Top 128
In: Paul Thornley; Joe Grech; Derek Mienie
Out: Pascal Burke; Frank Jonik; David Greaves