Date of Birth

10 August 1982

Home Town

Rotherham

Club

Ecclesfield

High Match Break

147 (2001 B&H Championship)

High Practice Break

147

67 (end 2004-5)

£407,225 (end 2004-5)

Ranking

2004-5 World No 48, 2005-6 No. 21

2006-7 No 5 , 05/6-21, 04/5-48, 03/4-64, 02/3-63, 01/2-72,

1997

Steve Davis

Achievements

PROFESSIONAL RECORD

2006-7

2007 Malta Cup Champion

2007 China Open Quarter Final

2007 Welsh Open Quarter Final

2005-6

2006 888.com World Championship Quarter Final

2005 Northern Ireland Trophy Quarter Final

2004-2005

2005 Embassy World Champion

2005 Irish Masters Last 48

2005 China Open Last 48

2005 Malta Cup Last 32

2004 Grand Prix Last 64

2004 UK Championship Last 64

2004 British Open Semi Final

2003-2004

2004 Embassy World Championship Last 64

2003 LG Cup Last 16

2003 British Open Last 32

2003 Irish Masters Last 48

2002-2003

2003 Embassy World Championship Last 32

2003 Regal Scottish Last 48

2001-2002

2002 Embassy World Championship Last 32

2002 Regal Welsh Open Last 48

2001-2 WSA Open Tour Event 1 Final

2001 Benson & Hedges Championship 147 break

2001 B&H Championship Semi Final

WSA Young Player of Distinction

World Snooker Newcomer of the Year Award

2000-2001

2001 Benson & Hedges Masters Last 16

2000 Benson & Hedges Championship Winner

2000-1 UK Tour Event 1 Winner

2000-1 UK Tour Event 4 Winner

1997-2000

1998 World Youth Games Moscow - Cue Sports Demonstration

1998 World Ranked No. 147

1997 WPBSA UK Tour Event - R/Up

1997 WPBSA Main Tour Qualifier - UK Tour Top 20

AMATEUR RECORD

2000 English Open Champion

2000 IBSF World Championship Semi Finalist

1999 German International Runner Up

1998 English Under 21 Championship Finalist

1997 England Team Captain
1997 English Under 21 Championship Finalist

1996 Strykers Pro Am Winner

1995 English Junior Champion

1994, 1995, 1996 UK Junior Champion
1994 Under 17 Ranking Event Winner
1994 England - Home Internationals

1993 Willie Thorne SC Open Winner

1993 Heathfield SC Pro-Am Winner

1992 Northamptonshire Junior Snooker & Billiards Champion
 

Biography

When Shaun turned professional in July 1997, he was still a few weeks short of his sixteenth birthday, making him the game's youngest professional.

By that time though he was already a seasoned veteran, having played competitively since the age of eight and winning his first tournament aged just ten.

Shaun started playing purely by accident, he asked for a computer for Christmas but received a small snooker table instead. From there he graduated onto a full size tables at Rushden Snooker Centre, then the practice base of Peter Ebdon. He made his first century break in the club, aged ust ten and his first maximum in club pro-am in April 2000.

He gained invaluable experience playing in the warm-up frames on the Premier League, a chance which gave him both experience of venues, crowds and television, but the opportunity to play all the leading players.

Supported by his father he travelled the length and breadth of the country practicing against players older and more experienced, often taking a hammering, but returning home to learn from the experience.

He worked his way up through World Snooker's qualifying tour, winning two events in the 2000-1 season and made his Main Tour debut in the 2001 season.

In 2000 he won the prestigious B&H Championship, earning himself a trip to the Masters at Wembley. He relished that occasion beating Marco Fu 6-1 and leading Stephen Hendry, before experience won over youth and Hendry beat him 6-4, having trailed 4-1.

In the following season he compiled a maximum break in the B&H Championship, but bowed out in the semi finals, so no return to Wembley, nor could he become the only man to win the event in successive seasons.

He faced Hendry again in 2002 when he made his Crucible debut, losing 10-4 on that occasion.

He was back the following season, narrowly losing 10-9 to Ken Doherty, who went on to the final.

He missed out in 2004, losing to Stuart Pettman in the Last 64, but he was steadily if not rapidly climbing the rankings, reaching venues and generally making a name for himself. all he lacked was turning in those performances consistently through the long hard slog of the qualifying rounds.

In 2004 he broke through again, reaching the semi finals of the British Open, before getting a drubbing by John Higgins.

He then qualified for his third Crucible appearance, beating Marcus Campbell and Joe Swail to qualify.

Hobbies & Interests

Shaun left school able to speak fluent Spanish, play the cornet and the piano.

He is a single-handicap golfer, following in the footsteps of his father, a former pro golfer. He also enjoys football, tennis and music, including Robbie Williams.

He lists his favourite player as Steve Davis, whom he admires greatly, so greatly in fact that he once pursued him half way Sheffield as a nine-year old, to get the great man's autograph.

Not surprisingly Shaun bills the Crucible as his favourite snooker venue.

Having spent most of his formative snooker years in the Northampton area, Shaun recently moved to Rotherham, home town of his fiancé, where the pair are closely connected with their local church and community activities. They will get married during the summer.