A good, if not outstanding, amateur. Mark King was one of hundreds of hopefuls who joined the professional ranks for the beginning of the 1991/2 season. His career as a pro started slowly compared to others who have achieved less subsequently. The best he did that first season was to reach the last 128 of one event. He was ranked at 209 and the next season, after making it to the last 64 of the European Open, he only moved up to 169th. Season number three ended with a first visit to the Crucible for the world championships which was also the first time he had reached the last 32. His ranking climbed to 89 but he was finding all it a bit of a struggle.

He continued to make slow progress in 1994/5 going one stage further and reaching the last 16 in the UK championship. His ranking moved up to 52 but at least he was improving season by season. If he followed the pattern he had set he was due for a quarter final in 1995/96 but it was not to be. However four times in the last 64 including a second last 16 finish moved him up again to 39th.

In 1996/97 he got to the quarter-final of the non-ranking B&H Championship and then came the big breakthrough. In the Regal Welsh Open he made it all the way his first ranking final. He had not had to meet a seeded player until the semis but there he put out the holder, Mark Williams and although he lost heavily to Hendry in the final, his cheque for £21,000 was just what he needed. He moved into the top 32 last at 20th.

With his confidence boosted he went from strength to strength in 1997/8 with a semi-final in the Regal Welsh and a quarter final in the UK plus two other last 16 finishes including at the Crucible where he beat world No.8, Nigel Bond to reach the second round. He moved up to 16th and among the game's elite. It had taken him seven seasons, longer than many but he had made it - so many don't. In 1998/9 he was consistent but did not get beyond the last 16 in any tournament, just doing enough to consolidate his position, moving up to 14th.

Competition was tough in 1999/2000 and although he reached one quarter final, he went to Sheffield needing some good results to hank on to his place. Things did not work out. He lost his opener and dropped out of the top 16 to 22nd. He never really looked like getting his place back in 2000/01 but other results went his way and a quarter-final plus four other last sixteen finishes combined with a bad world championship for some of his rivals, ensured that he regained that priceless spot in the games elite at number 13, his best to date.

In 2001-02 he began with a semi-final spot in the British Open and although he did not get beyond the last 16 in any other event he consistently reached that stage and managed to move up to a best ever 11th. Sadly the following season was a bit of a disaster. Having failed to win a match in the opening four events, he did reach the Regal Welsh quarter finals but that was as good as it got and after he lost his opener at the Crucible, and with it his top 16 place, he declared that he hated the game and never wanted to play again. We shall see!

Whatever his decision as to his future, Mark is a tough player to beat when he has his mind right and there is no doubt that he has the ability to regain his place on the game's elite even though competition for places is intense. His prize money total at the end of the 2002/03 season stood at over £500,000.

Since that Crucible outburst King has bounced back and has enjoyed good runs in several events. At the end of the 2003-4 season he reached the final of the Irish Masters, losing out to Peter Ebdon and during 2004-5 he reached the semi finals of the 2004 UK Championship and the 2005 Welsh Championship, which has helped him back up to number 20 in the rankings.

King still embraces the amateur ethic and competes in many pro-am and invite events and he has added the Pontin's Open title and the Austrian Open title to his c.v.
 

Achievements:

2005 Austrian Open Champion

2005 Welsh Open Semi Final

2004 UK championship Semi Final

2003 Pontins Autumn Open Champion

2004 Irish Masters Final

2001 British Open Semi Final

2001 World Professional Championship Last 16

2000 British Open Quarter Final

2000 Thailand Masters Quarter Final

1999 World Professional Championship Last 16

1998 World Professional Championship Last 16

1998 Regal Welsh Open Semi Final

1997 Regal Welsh Open Final

1997 UK Championship Quarter Final

Chris Turner
Revised June 2005