Sam Baird
Baird at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic
Born (1988-06-17) 17 June 1988 (age 35)
Uffculme, England
Sport country England
Nicknamethe Blade[1]
Professional2009/2010, 2011–2020
Highest ranking43 (July 2016)[2]
Best ranking finishQuarter-final (x2)

Sam Baird (born 17 June 1988) is an English former professional snooker player. He first entered the professional tour for the 2009/10 season, by winning the EBSA Pro-Ticket Tour Play-offs.

Career

2011/2012 season

Baird reached the main draw of a ranking event for the first time in 2012 by coming through four qualifying matches, concluding with a 4–2 win over Dominic Dale, to make the 2012 Welsh Open.[3] He played against world number 1, Mark Selby in the first round of the event and almost pulled off the result of his career as he led the best-of-seven match, 3–2. Baird then missed a blue off the spot with two balls remaining when he required just the blue and pink for the match and, despite chances in the decider, he would lose the game 3–4.

Baird also qualified for the 2012 World Open in Haikou, China. He again won four matches, sealing his place with a 5–4 victory over Mark Davis.[4] He was required to play in a wild-card round in China to make the last 32 of the event and was beaten 3–5 by Jin Long.[5]

Baird failed to win a match in qualifying for the final three ranking events and finished the season ranked world number 76, out of the top 64 who retain their places on the tour.[6][7] Baird therefore entered the 2012 Q School in a bid to play in the 2012/2013 season and succeeded at his first attempt by winning each of his five matches 4–0 to gain a two-year spot on the main tour.[6]

2012/2013 season

Baird produced his best snooker towards the end of the 2012/2013 season as he beat Luca Brecel and Martin Gould to reach the main draw of the Welsh Open for the second successive year.[8] He whitewashed Gerard Greene 4–0 in the first round, before losing 2–4 to Robert Milkins.[9] In qualifying for the World Championship, Baird defeated Chen Zhe 10–7, Peter Lines 10–9 and Rory McLeod 10–9 to find himself just one match away from playing in the biggest tournament on the snooker calendar.[8] He faced world number 20, Joe Perry, but it was world number 83, Baird who played by far the better as he won 10–3 and in the 12th frame made a break of 142, the highest of the whole qualifying tournament.[10][11] Baird played Stuart Bingham in the first round, losing 2–10 to finish the year ranked world number 81.[12][13]

2013/2014 season

Baird had a very successful year in European Tour events as he reached at least the last 16 stage in five of the eight events. At the Kay Suzanne Memorial Cup he won through to the quarter-finals where he lost 4–1 to Ben Woollaston and he went one better at the Gdynia Open, losing 4–1 against Fergal O'Brien in the semifinals.[14] This helped Baird finish 11th on the Order of Merit to qualify for the Finals for the first time.[15] He faced Anthony Hamilton in the opening round and was edged out 4–3.[14] Baird's only win in a full ranking event match this season came at the Welsh Open by beating Robbie Williams 4–2 before being defeated 4–3 by reigning champion, Stephen Maguire, having led 3–1.[16] Baird ended the year ranked world number 67, just outside the top 64 who keep their playing rights for the coming season.[17] However, his impressive displays on the European Tour handed him the first of eight spots available to non-qualified players for a new two-year place on the tour.[15]

2014/2015 season

Baird at 2014 Paul Hunter Classic

Baird's five appearances at ranking events this season represents the most he has ever played in during a single season. At the 2014 Wuxi Classic he defeated Fraser Patrick 5–3, but lost 5–2 to Michael Holt in the second round.[18] Baird gained some revenge over Holt by beating him to qualify for the International Championship and then saw off Kyren Wilson 6–2 and Mark Davis 6–5 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the second time in his career. Baird built up a 4–3 and a 61–0 points lead, but Mark Williams made a 71 break to level and won the last two frames to progress.[19] At the Welsh Open, he overcame Fergal O'Brien 4–3 and Dave Harold 4–0, before losing 4–2 to Stephen Maguire and he was knocked out in the first round of the Indian Open following a 4–0 defeat against Rod Lawler.[20] In the second round of World Championship qualifying, Baird missed the final pink when on a 147 against Adam Duffy and his season would end in a 10–7 loss.[18]

2015/2016 season

A poor start to the season was halted when Baird overcame Rory McLeod, Zhang Anda and Chris Melling all without dropping a frame at the Bulgarian Open, and then beat Jimmy Robertson 4–3 and Judd Trump 4–1 to make the semi-finals of an event for the second time. He was defeated 4–2 by Ryan Day. He lost 4–0 to John Higgins in the second round of the Welsh Open, but a further last 16 showing to add to his semi-final in the European Tour events saw him placed 25th on the Order of Merit to qualify for the Grand Final, but he lost 4–2 to Mark King in the first round.[21] He qualified for the China Open and went 2–0 up on Stuart Bingham before conceding 547 points without reply, a record in ranking events, and went on to lose 5–3.[22] Baird qualified for the televised stages of the World Championship for the second time, and first for three years, courtesy of wins over Thor Chuan Leong, Tom Ford, and Liam Highfield.[23] In the first round, Baird earned his first victory at the Crucible by defeating seeded player Michael White 10–7, making two century breaks in the process.[24] He won four successive frames to level at 11–11 in the second round against Mark Selby, but Selby recovered to eliminate Baird 13–11.[25] Baird finished the year 46th in the world ranking, his highest position to date.[26]

2016/2017 season

Baird got to the last 16 of a ranking event for fourth time by seeing off Daniel Ward 4–2, Gary Wilson 4–1 and Liang Wenbo 4–2 at the Paul Hunter Classic. He was unable to make it to his first quarter-final as Mark Selby defeated him 4–2. He soon reached the last 16 stage again as he beat Michael White 6–2 and Marco Fu 6–4 at the International Championship, but he lost 6–1 against Shaun Murphy.[27] He won a match at the UK Championship for the first time by eliminating Sean O'Sullivan 6–2 and then lost by a reversal of this scoreline to Mitchell Mann.[28] Baird had a 4–2 victory over John Higgins in the first round of the Welsh Open, before losing 4–1 to Craig Steadman.[29]

He dropped off the tour at the end of the 2017/18 season but entered 2018 Q School in an attempt to win back a place, and secured his return to the tour at the first event.[30]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament 2009/
10 		2010/
11 		2011/
12 		2012/
13 		2013/
14 		2014/
15 		2015/
16 		2016/
17 		2017/
18 		2018/
19 		2019/
20
Ranking[31][nb 1] [nb 2] [nb 3] [nb 2] [nb 4] 81 [nb 5] 72 46 51 [nb 4] 71
Ranking tournaments
Riga Masters Tournament Not Held Minor-Ranking 1R 3R LQ LQ
International Championship Tournament Not Held LQ LQ 3R LQ 3R LQ 1R LQ
China Championship Tournament Not Held NR 1R LQ 1R
English Open Tournament Not Held 1R 1R 2R 1R
World Open[nb 6] LQ LQ WR LQ LQ Not Held LQ LQ LQ LQ
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Not Held 3R 1R 2R 2R
UK Championship LQ A LQ LQ 1R 1R 1R 2R 1R 2R 1R
Scottish Open Tournament Not Held MR Tournament Not Held 1R 1R QF 1R
European Masters Tournament Not Held LQ 1R LQ LQ
German Masters NH A LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R LQ
World Grand Prix Tournament Not Held NR DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
Welsh Open LQ A 1R 2R 2R 3R 2R 2R 1R 1R 1R
Shoot-Out NH Non-Ranking Event 1R 1R QF 1R
Players Championship[nb 7] NH DNQ DNQ DNQ 1R DNQ 1R DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ
Gibraltar Open Tournament Not Held MR 1R 1R 1R 1R
Tour Championship Tournament Not Held DNQ DNQ
World Championship LQ LQ LQ 1R LQ LQ 2R LQ LQ LQ LQ
Non-ranking tournaments
The Masters LQ A A A A A A A A A A
Championship League A A A A A A A A A A RR
Former ranking tournaments
Wuxi Classic[nb 8] Non-Ranking Event LQ LQ 2R Tournament Not Held
Australian Goldfields Open Not Held LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ Tournament Not Held
Shanghai Masters LQ A LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ Non-Ranking
Paul Hunter Classic[nb 9] PA Minor-Ranking Event 4R 2R 3R NR
Indian Open Tournament Not Held LQ 1R NH 2R 2R 1R NH
China Open LQ A LQ LQ WR LQ 1R LQ 1R 1R NH
Former non-ranking tournaments
Shoot-Out NH A A A A 3R 1R Ranking Event
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) 		QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi–finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Held means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.
MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
PA / Pro-am Event means an event is/was a pro-am event.
  1. ^ From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.
  2. ^ a b New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking
  3. ^ He was an amateur
  4. ^ a b Players qualified through Q School started the season without ranking points
  5. ^ Players qualified through European Tour Order of Merit started the season without prize money ranking points
  6. ^ The event was called the Grand Prix (2009/2010)
  7. ^ The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
  8. ^ The event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2009/2010)
  9. ^ The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)

References

  1. ^ "Sam Baird". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  2. ^ "WORLD RANKINGS After 2016 Indian Open". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 26 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Selby & Williams sneak through in Wales - RTÉ Sport". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Fu Through with a 147". WPBSA. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Baird and Bond ousted at World Open". Eurosport. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Sam Baird 2011/2012". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Official World Ranking List for the 2012/2013 Season" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Sam Baird 2012/2013". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  9. ^ "Rising Devon snooker star Sam Baird ready for Crucible test". This Is North Devon. Retrieved 18 April 2013.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "White Denied By Milkins". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Betfair World Championship Qualifiers Centuries". worldsnookerdata.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  12. ^ "Bingham Blasts into Second Round". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Official World Snooker Ranking List For The 2013/2014 Season" (PDF). World Snooker. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Sam Baird 2013/2014". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  15. ^ a b "European Order of Merit 2013/2014". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Welsh Open: Stephen Maguire survives second round scare in Newport". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  17. ^ "World Snooker Rankings After the 2014 World Championship" (PDF). World Snooker. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Sam Baird 2014/2015". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  19. ^ "O'Sullivan and Williams into Quarters". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Welsh Open: Ronnie O'Sullivan knocked out by Matthew Stevens". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  21. ^ "European Order of Merit 2015/2016". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Sam Baird 2015/2016". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  23. ^ "Uffculme's Sam Baird qualifies for World Snooker Championships". Tiverton Gazette. Retrieved 24 May 2016.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Michael White v Sam Baird: Baird knocks out White with stunning four-frame blitz". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  25. ^ "World Snooker Championship: Mark Selby holds off Sam Baird". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Historic Seedings After 2016 World Championship". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  27. ^ "Sam Baird 2016/2017". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  28. ^ "UK Championship: Sam Baird was 'desperate' to reach round two". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  29. ^ "Sam Baird shocks former champion John Higgins in Welsh Open first round". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  30. ^ "Craigie Clinches Tour Card as Pros Bounce Back - World Snooker". Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  31. ^ "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2011.

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