2008 UK Championship

The 2008 UK Championship (officially the 2008 Maplin UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 13 and 21 December 2008 at the Telford International Centre in Telford, England. It was the 32nd edition of the event.

2008 Maplin UK Championship
Tournament information
Dates13–21 December 2008 (2008-12-13 – 2008-12-21)
VenueTelford International Centre
CityTelford
CountryEngland
OrganisationWPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£625,000
Winner's share£100,000
Highest break Ding Junhui (CHN) (147)
Final
Champion Shaun Murphy (ENG)
Runner-up Marco Fu (HKG)
Score10–9
2007
2009

World Snooker, the sports governing body, opened an investigation into allegations of match fixing, after Stephen Maguire beat Jamie Burnett 9–3 in the first round. Several bookmakers had stopped taking bets on the match before it even started, when reports of a number of large sums having been placed on the same correct score began to circulate within the industry.[1] Just prior to the 2009 World Championship, where Maguire and Burnett were drawn together the first round, it was announced that Strathclyde Police had opened an official enquiry into the match.[2] The enquiry was closed in 2011 with no criminal charges against either of them, and a World Snooker disciplinary enquiry was announced,[3] which ended without any regulatory action.[4] In September 2013 it was announced, that Stephen Lee was found guilty of agreeing to lose the first frame of his first and second round matches.[5]

Shaun Murphy won the title with a 10–9 victory over Marco Fu.[6][7]

Prize fund edit

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:[8]

Main draw edit

[9][10][11]

Last 32
Best of 17 frames
Last 16
Best of 17 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 17 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 17 frames
Final
Best of 19 frames
               
1  Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)9
 Rory McLeod (ENG)6
1 Ronnie O'Sullivan5
12 Joe Perry9
12  Joe Perry (ENG)9
 Mark Davis (ENG)[n 1]0
12 Joe Perry7
14 Marco Fu9
14  Marco Fu (HKG)9
 Barry Hawkins (ENG)6
14 Marco Fu9
Matthew Stevens5
8  Ryan Day (WAL)5
 Matthew Stevens (WAL)9
14 Marco Fu9
7 Ali Carter7
7  Ali Carter (ENG)9
 Ian McCulloch (ENG)[n 2]2
7 Ali Carter9
9 Peter Ebdon5
9  Peter Ebdon (ENG)9
 Andrew Higginson (ENG)8
7 Ali Carter9
Mark Williams8
13  Graeme Dott (SCO)9
 Ken Doherty (IRL)4
13 Graeme Dott7
Mark Williams9
4  Mark Selby (ENG)7
 Mark Williams (WAL)9
14 Marco Fu9
3 Shaun Murphy10
3  Shaun Murphy (ENG)9
 Martin Gould (ENG)7
3 Shaun Murphy9
16 Mark Allen5
16  Mark Allen (NIR)9
 Stuart Bingham (ENG)2
3 Shaun Murphy9
Stephen Lee3
15  Mark King (ENG)9
 Judd Trump (ENG)8
15 Mark King5
Stephen Lee9
6  Stephen Hendry (SCO)7
 Stephen Lee (ENG)9
3 Shaun Murphy9
2 Stephen Maguire4
5  John Higgins (SCO)9
 Joe Swail (NIR)7
5 John Higgins9
11 Ding Junhui4
11  Ding Junhui (CHN)9
 Steve Davis (ENG)6
5 John Higgins7
2 Stephen Maguire9
10  Neil Robertson (AUS)9
 Michael Holt (ENG)7
10 Neil Robertson8
2 Stephen Maguire9
2  Stephen Maguire (SCO)9
 Jamie Burnett (SCO)3

Final edit

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Jan Verhaas.
Telford International Centre, Telford, England, 21 December 2008.[9][11]
Marco Fu (14)
 Hong Kong
9–10Shaun Murphy (3)
 England
Afternoon: 34–74, 56–48, 0–99 (99), 103–17 (102), 4–70, 0–73 (73), 143–0 (69, 74), 31–66
Evening: 1–77 (77), 66–51, 75–52 (59), 58–45, 0–109 (54), 6–87 (87), 73–39, 73–40, 93–23, 1–69 (64), 24–69
102Highest break99
1Century breaks0
450+ breaks6

Qualifying edit

The qualifying took place from December 1 to 8 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, England.[12][13]

Round 1
Best of 17 frames
Round 2
Best of 17 frames
Round 3
Best of 17 frames
Round 4
Best of 17 frames
 Jimmy White (ENG)9  Ian Preece (WAL)8  Rory McLeod (ENG)9  Dave Harold (ENG)6
 David Grace (ENG)8 Jimmy White9 Jimmy White8 Rory McLeod9
 Scott MacKenzie (SCO)9  Mark Davis (ENG)9  Ricky Walden (ENG)7  Nigel Bond (ENG)2
 Vincent Muldoon (IRL)4 Scott MacKenzie2 Mark Davis9 Mark Davis9
 Jamie Jones (WAL)9  David Gray (ENG)4  Alan McManus (SCO)9  Barry Hawkins (ENG)9
 Robert Stephen (SCO)8 Jamie Jones9 Jamie Jones4 Alan McManus4
 Paul Davison (ENG)9  Robert Milkins (ENG)9  Marcus Campbell (SCO)9  Matthew Stevens (WAL)9
 Wayne Cooper (ENG)5 Paul Davison5 Robert Milkins4 Marcus Campbell3
 Daniel Wells (WAL)3  Joe Delaney (IRL)9  Mike Dunn (ENG)6  Ian McCulloch (ENG)9
 Li Hang (CHN)9 Li Hang7 Joe Delaney9 Joe Delaney1
 Matthew Couch (ENG)9  Barry Pinches (ENG)6  Andrew Higginson (ENG)9  Anthony Hamilton (ENG)4
 Stefan Mazrocis (NED)7 Matthew Couch9 Matthew Couch5 Andrew Higginson9
 James McBain (SCO)6  Mark Joyce (ENG)4  David Gilbert (ENG)1  Ken Doherty (IRL)9
 Liu Chuang (CHN)9 Liu Chuang9 Liu Chuang9 Liu Chuang4
 Rodney Goggins (IRL)9  David Roe (ENG)0  Gerard Greene (NIR)9  Mark Williams (WAL)9
 Declan Hughes (NIR)[n 3]1 Rodney Goggins9 Rodney Goggins3 Gerard Greene7
 Supoj Saenla (THA)9  Martin Gould (ENG)9  Tom Ford (ENG)6  Dominic Dale (WAL)6
 Andrew Pagett (WAL)7 Supoj Saenla1 Martin Gould9 Martin Gould9
 Peter Lines (ENG)9  Stuart Pettman (ENG)9  Jimmy Michie (ENG)9  Stuart Bingham (ENG)9
 Michael Georgiou (ENG)3 Peter Lines6 Stuart Pettman7 Jimmy Michie3
 Simon Bedford (ENG)8  Rod Lawler (ENG)6  Judd Trump (ENG)9  Michael Judge (IRL)6
 Jin Long (CHN)9 Jin Long9 Jin Long8 Judd Trump9
 Patrick Wallace (NIR)9  Andy Hicks (ENG)9  John Parrott (ENG)[n 4]1  Stephen Lee (ENG)9
 Stephen Craigie (ENG)5 Patrick Wallace7 Andy Hicks9 Andy Hicks6
 Lee Spick (ENG)9  Andrew Norman (ENG)7  Liang Wenbo (CHN)9  Joe Swail (NIR)9
 Chris McBreen (NZL)6 Lee Spick9 Lee Spick1 Liang Wenbo8
 Matthew Selt (ENG)9  Liu Song (CHN)8  Adrian Gunnell (ENG)9  Steve Davis (ENG)9
 Andy Lee (ENG)3 Matthew Selt9 Matthew Selt4 Adrian Gunnell7
 Kuldesh Johal (ENG)9  Paul Davies (WAL)5  Michael Holt (ENG)9  Fergal O'Brien (IRL)4
 Aditya Mehta (IND)5 Kuldesh Johal9 Kuldesh Johal5 Michael Holt9
 Lewis Roberts (ENG)8  David Morris (IRL)9  Jamie Burnett (SCO)9  Jamie Cope (ENG)7
 Atthasit Mahitthi (THA)9 Atthasit Mahitthi2 David Morris4 Jamie Burnett9

Century breaks edit

Televised stage centuries edit

[9]

Qualifying stage centuries edit

[12]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Mark Davis retired at 0–2 due to illness
  2. ^ Ian McCulloch retired at 2–6 due to illness.
  3. ^ Declan Hughes conceded the match due to illness.
  4. ^ John Parrott withdrew due to illness.

References edit

  1. ^ "Scots snooker stars Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett in betting probe". Daily Record. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Police investigate snooker match". BBC Sport. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  3. ^ Everton, Clive (18 May 2011). "No charges against Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett over fixing claims". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  4. ^ "WPBSA Statement on Maguire/Burnett Case". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  5. ^ "World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and Stephen Lee decisison" (PDF). Sport Resolutions (UK). 16 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Murphy defeats Fu to clinch title". BBC Sport. 22 December 2008. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  7. ^ "World Snooker News: Murphy Takes Glory In UK Thriller". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  8. ^ "Prize Money". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  9. ^ a b c "UK Championship 2008 Results". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Maplin UK Championship results". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Maplin UK Championship 2008". Snooker.org. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  12. ^ a b "Maplin UK Championship 2008 Qualifying". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  13. ^ "Qualifying (Draw)". worldsnooker.org. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2011.