World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates21 February – 7 May 1949 (1949-02-21 – 1949-05-07)
VenueLeicester Square Hall
CityLondon
CountryEngland
OrganisationBilliards Association and Control Council
Highest break Walter Donaldson (SCO) (115)
Final
Champion Fred Davis (ENG)
Runner-up Walter Donaldson (SCO)
Score80–65
← 1948
1950 →

The 1949 World Snooker Championship was a snooker tournament held at the Leicester Square Hall in London, England.[1]

For the third year running the final was contested by Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson. Davis became the second player to defend his first world title after Joe Davis in 1928 by defeating Donaldson 80–65 in the final,[1] although he had taken a winning lead of 73–58 on the previous day. The match was still in the balance with the score at 63–58 before Davis won 10 frames in a row to take the title.[2] Donaldson made the highest break of the tournament with 115 on the last day of his semi-final match against John Pulman.[3][4]

Schedule

Schedule of matches for the 1949 World Snooker Championship
Match Dates Venue, city
Walter Donaldson v Conrad Stanbury 21–26 February 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
Sidney Smith v Alec Brown 28 February–5 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
Fred Davis v Kingsley Kennerley 7–12 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
John Pulman v Albert Brown 14–19 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
Walter Donaldson v John Pulman 28 March–2 April 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
Fred Davis v Sidney Smith 4–9 April 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London
Fred Davis v Walter Donaldson 25–30 April, 2–7 May 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London

Final

For the third consecutive year, the final was contested by Donaldson and Davis.[5] The match started on 25 April, as the best-of-145 frames.[6] Donaldson took a 7–5 lead on the first day.[6] He was still two frames ahead, 13–11, after the second day,[7] but the third day finished with the players level at 18–18.[8] Donaldson regained a two-frame lead (25–23) the next day,[9] and increased his lead to 34–26 on 29 April.[10]

Davis had reduced his deficit, at 33–39, by the end of day 6, and made a break of 102 in the last of those frames;[11] It was the only century break of the match.[12] Donaldson maintained a six frame lead (45–39) after the next day of play.[13] Davis then took eight of twelve frames on 3 May, including all six frames in the earlier of the two sessions, to lead 49–47.[12][14] He moved a further two frames ahead on both of the next two days, and led 63-57.[15][16] By taking ten of the twelve frames on 6 May, in what the reporter for The Times called "his best form of the match", Davis achieved a decisive lead of 63–58.[17] After 13 dead frames on 7 May, the final score was 80–65 to Davis.[18]

The championship trophy was presented by Aubrey Ellwood, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command.[19] Richard Holt of the Billiards Association and Control Council's magazine The Billiard Player felt that Davis was "the 'compleat' snooker player", who emonstrated skill in potting, safety play and tactics.[20] Snooker historian Clive Everton later noted that several of the sessions took more than three hours and wrote that "caution was the watchword".[12]

Main draw

Results of the main tournament were are follows.[21][22][23]

Quarter-finals
71 frames 		Semi-finals
71 frames 		Final
145 frames
England Fred Davis 50
England Kingsley Kennerley 21 England Fred Davis 42
England Sidney Smith 41 England Sidney Smith 29
England Alec Brown 30 England Fred Davis 80
Scotland Walter Donaldson 58 Scotland Walter Donaldson 65
Canada Conrad Stanbury 13 Scotland Walter Donaldson 49
England Albert Brown 29 England John Pulman 22
England John Pulman 42

Qualifying

John Barrie withdrew for business reasons, giving Herbert Holt a bye into the final of the qualifying event.[24] Conrad Stanbury beat Herbert Francis 18–17 in his first round match played from 10 to 12 February 1949[25] and then beat Jackie Rea by the same score in a match played from 14 to 16 February. Stanbury then played Holt in the final of the qualifying from 17 to 19 February and recorded his third 18–17 victory, winning the exciting final frame.[26] All three matches were at Leicester Square Hall.[27]

Round 1
Best of 35 frames 		Round 2
Best of 35 frames 		Round 3
Best of 35 frames
England Herbert Holt w/o
England John Barrie w/d
England Herbert Holt 17
Canada Conrad Stanbury 18 Canada Conrad Stanbury 18
England Herbert Francis 17 Canada Conrad Stanbury 18
Northern Ireland Jackie Rea 17

References

  1. ^ a b Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  2. ^ "Snooker title for Fred Davis". Nottingham Evening Post. 7 May 1949. Retrieved 21 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "2004 Embassy World Championship Information". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 8 December 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 4 April 1949. p. 2.
  5. ^ "Professional snooker". The Times. 9 April 1949. p. 2.
  6. ^ a b "Snooker". The Times. 26 April 1949. p. 6.
  7. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 27 April 1949. p. 2.
  8. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 28 April 1949. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 29 April 1949. p. 2.
  10. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 30 April 1949. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 2 May 1949. p. 6.
  12. ^ a b c Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-85225-013-3.
  13. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 3 May 1949. p. 6.
  14. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 4 May 1949. p. 6.
  15. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 5 May 1949. p. 6.
  16. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 6 May 1949. p. 2.
  17. ^ "Snooker: F. Davis again champion". The Times. 7 May 1949. p. 6.
  18. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 9 May 1949. p. 6.
  19. ^ "Sir Aubrey B. Ellwood, KCB, DSC". The Billiard Player. June 1949. p. 7.
  20. ^ Holt, Richard (June 1949). "World's Professional Snooker Championship". The Billiard Player. p. 4.
  21. ^ "World Championship 1949". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  22. ^ "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  23. ^ Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. p. 143. ISBN 0-9548549-0-X.
  24. ^ "J Barrie". The Times. 15 October 1948. p. 6.
  25. ^ "C Stanbury". The Times. 14 February 1949. p. 2.
  26. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 21 February 1949. p. 6.
  27. ^ "World Snooker Championship". The Billiard Player. March 1949. p. 3.
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