2008 UK Championship

2008 Maplin UK Championship

Tournament information
Dates	13–21 December 2008 (2008-12-13 – 2008-12-21)
Venue	Telford International Centre
City	Telford
Country	England
Organisation	WPBSA
Format	Ranking 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)
Score	10–9
← 2007 2009 →

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.

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

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

Winner: £100,000 Runner-up: £46,000 Semi-final: £23,250 Quarter-final: £16,450 Last 16: £12,050 Last 32: £8,750 Last 48: £5,500 Last 64: £2,300

Stage one highest break: £500 Stage two highest break: £5,000 Stage one maximum break: £1,000 Stage two maximum break: £25,000 Total: £625,000

Main draw

^[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'Sullivan	5
						12	Joe Perry	9
	12	Joe Perry (ENG)	9
		Mark Davis (ENG)[n 1]	0
											12	Joe Perry	7
											14	Marco Fu	9
	14	Marco Fu (HKG)	9
		Barry Hawkins (ENG)	6
						14	Marco Fu	9
							Matthew Stevens	5
	8	Ryan Day (WAL)	5
		Matthew Stevens (WAL)	9
																14	Marco Fu	9
																7	Ali Carter	7
	7	Ali Carter (ENG)	9
		Ian McCulloch (ENG)[n 2]	2
						7	Ali Carter	9
						9	Peter Ebdon	5
	9	Peter Ebdon (ENG)	9
		Andrew Higginson (ENG)	8
											7	Ali Carter	9
												Mark Williams	8
	13	Graeme Dott (SCO)	9
		Ken Doherty (IRL)	4
						13	Graeme Dott	7
							Mark Williams	9
	4	Mark Selby (ENG)	7
		Mark Williams (WAL)	9
																					14	Marco Fu	9
																					3	Shaun Murphy	10
	3	Shaun Murphy (ENG)	9
		Martin Gould (ENG)	7
						3	Shaun Murphy	9
						16	Mark Allen	5
	16	Mark Allen (NIR)	9
		Stuart Bingham (ENG)	2
											3	Shaun Murphy	9
												Stephen Lee	3
	15	Mark King (ENG)	9
		Judd Trump (ENG)	8
						15	Mark King	5
							Stephen Lee	9
	6	Stephen Hendry (SCO)	7
		Stephen Lee (ENG)	9
																3	Shaun Murphy	9
																2	Stephen Maguire	4
	5	John Higgins (SCO)	9
		Joe Swail (NIR)	7
						5	John Higgins	9
						11	Ding Junhui	4
	11	Ding Junhui (CHN)	9
		Steve Davis (ENG)	6
											5	John Higgins	7
											2	Stephen Maguire	9
	10	Neil Robertson (AUS)	9
		Michael Holt (ENG)	7
						10	Neil Robertson	8
						2	Stephen Maguire	9
	2	Stephen Maguire (SCO)	9
		Jamie Burnett (SCO)	3

Final

Final: Best of 19 frames. Referee: Jan Verhaas. Telford International Centre, Telford, England, 21 December 2008.[9][11]
Marco Fu (14)  Hong Kong	9–10	Shaun 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
102	Highest break	99
1	Century breaks	0
4	50+ breaks	6

Qualifying

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 White	9			Jimmy White	8			Rory McLeod	9
	Scott MacKenzie (SCO)	9			Mark Davis (ENG)	9			Ricky Walden (ENG)	7			Nigel Bond (ENG)	2
	Vincent Muldoon (IRL)	4			Scott MacKenzie	2			Mark Davis	9			Mark Davis	9
	Jamie Jones (WAL)	9			David Gray (ENG)	4			Alan McManus (SCO)	9			Barry Hawkins (ENG)	9
	Robert Stephen (SCO)	8			Jamie Jones	9			Jamie Jones	4			Alan McManus	4
	Paul Davison (ENG)	9			Robert Milkins (ENG)	9			Marcus Campbell (SCO)	9			Matthew Stevens (WAL)	9
	Wayne Cooper (ENG)	5			Paul Davison	5			Robert Milkins	4			Marcus Campbell	3
	Daniel Wells (WAL)	3			Joe Delaney (IRL)	9			Mike Dunn (ENG)	6			Ian McCulloch (ENG)	9
	Li Hang (CHN)	9			Li Hang	7			Joe Delaney	9			Joe Delaney	1
	Matthew Couch (ENG)	9			Barry Pinches (ENG)	6			Andrew Higginson (ENG)	9			Anthony Hamilton (ENG)	4
	Stefan Mazrocis (NED)	7			Matthew Couch	9			Matthew Couch	5			Andrew Higginson	9
	James McBain (SCO)	6			Mark Joyce (ENG)	4			David Gilbert (ENG)	1			Ken Doherty (IRL)	9
	Liu Chuang (CHN)	9			Liu Chuang	9			Liu Chuang	9			Liu Chuang	4
	Rodney Goggins (IRL)	9			David Roe (ENG)	0			Gerard Greene (NIR)	9			Mark Williams (WAL)	9
	Declan Hughes (NIR)[n 3]	1			Rodney Goggins	9			Rodney Goggins	3			Gerard Greene	7
	Supoj Saenla (THA)	9			Martin Gould (ENG)	9			Tom Ford (ENG)	6			Dominic Dale (WAL)	6
	Andrew Pagett (WAL)	7			Supoj Saenla	1			Martin Gould	9			Martin Gould	9
	Peter Lines (ENG)	9			Stuart Pettman (ENG)	9			Jimmy Michie (ENG)	9			Stuart Bingham (ENG)	9
	Michael Georgiou (ENG)	3			Peter Lines	6			Stuart Pettman	7			Jimmy Michie	3
	Simon Bedford (ENG)	8			Rod Lawler (ENG)	6			Judd Trump (ENG)	9			Michael Judge (IRL)	6
	Jin Long (CHN)	9			Jin Long	9			Jin Long	8			Judd Trump	9
	Patrick Wallace (NIR)	9			Andy Hicks (ENG)	9			John Parrott (ENG)[n 4]	1			Stephen Lee (ENG)	9
	Stephen Craigie (ENG)	5			Patrick Wallace	7			Andy Hicks	9			Andy Hicks	6
	Lee Spick (ENG)	9			Andrew Norman (ENG)	7			Liang Wenbo (CHN)	9			Joe Swail (NIR)	9
	Chris McBreen (NZL)	6			Lee Spick	9			Lee Spick	1			Liang Wenbo	8
	Matthew Selt (ENG)	9			Liu Song (CHN)	8			Adrian Gunnell (ENG)	9			Steve Davis (ENG)	9
	Andy Lee (ENG)	3			Matthew Selt	9			Matthew Selt	4			Adrian Gunnell	7
	Kuldesh Johal (ENG)	9			Paul Davies (WAL)	5			Michael Holt (ENG)	9			Fergal O'Brien (IRL)	4
	Aditya Mehta (IND)	5			Kuldesh Johal	9			Kuldesh Johal	5			Michael Holt	9
	Lewis Roberts (ENG)	8			David Morris (IRL)	9			Jamie Burnett (SCO)	9			Jamie Cope (ENG)	7
	Atthasit Mahitthi (THA)	9			Atthasit Mahitthi	2			David Morris	4			Jamie Burnett	9

Century breaks

Televised stage centuries

^[9]

147, 130, 100 – Ding Junhui 143, 127, 117, 114, 110 – Ronnie O'Sullivan 139, 105, 103, 100 – Mark Selby 138, 136, 118, 116, 106, 104, 102, 101 – Marco Fu 136, 120, 109 – Stephen Lee 136, 115 – Shaun Murphy 136 – Mark Williams 132 – Ali Carter 131, 108, 102 – Rory McLeod 127, 103 – Peter Ebdon

127 – Ken Doherty 122, 115, 112, 104 – Stephen Maguire 120 – Graeme Dott 119, 100, 100 – Mark Allen 118 – Neil Robertson 113 – Jamie Burnett 109, 100 – John Higgins 105 – Joe Perry 102 – Joe Swail 100 – Matthew Stevens

Qualifying stage centuries

^[12]

143 – Matthew Selt 141 – Ricky Walden 137 – Chris McBreen 134, 105 – Joe Swail 134 – Jimmy White 129, 114 – Alan McManus 126 – Mike Dunn 123, 106 – Paul Davison 122, 101 – Liu Chuang 119, 116, 109 – Ian McCulloch 118, 107 – Ian Preece 116, 111, 106, 104 – Judd Trump 116, 108, 105 – Stuart Pettman 115 – Rodney Goggins 115 – Joe Delaney 114, 104, 104 – Lee Spick 113 – Atthasit Mahitthi 112, 102 – Jamie Jones

111, 109 – Rory McLeod 111, 101 – Mark Davis 108, 102 –Tom Ford 106, 105 – Matthew Couch 106, 102 – Michael Holt 104, 101 – Robert Milkins 104 – Barry Pinches 104 – Jin Long 101 – Patrick Wallace 101 – Kuldesh Johal 101 – Jamie Burnett 101 – Matthew Stevens 100 – Steve Davis

Notes

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

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 decision" (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. "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. "Maplin UK Championship 2008". Snooker.org. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
12. "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.