Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter ( born October 14, 1978 in Leeds, † October 9, 2006 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire ) was a British snooker player.
Career
Hunter managed at the age of 17 years, the leap into the professional class and, in his debut season, especially with the semi-finals of the Welsh Open 1996 attention.
After he was tested positive for cannabis during a tournament, he was punished with a fine and points deduction in the Snooker world rankings. However, he then in 1998 won the first ranking tournament of his young career by a 9:5 final against John Higgins in the Welsh Open.
After more good results - among other things he reached the semifinals of the 1998 UK Championship - he achieved the 1999/2000 season for the first time leap into the top 16 of the snooker world rankings. In addition, he was named Young Player of the Year.
The most successful period of his career he had at the beginning of the new millennium. Three times (2001, 2002 and 2004 ) he was the Masters, the most important invitational tournament in snooker win. He also won his second title at the 2002 Welsh Open and the British Open another ranking tournament. His best performance at a World Snooker Championship 2003, he scored the go with the semi-finals.
Above all, thanks to his spectacular comeback in the course of a match Hunter counted among the biggest crowd favorites in snooker. Exemplary his comeback at the Masters was in 2004, when he in the final against Ronnie O'Sullivan still able to prevail with 10:9 for a 2:7 residue. In addition, he made himself by his most extravagant hairstyles a name that encouraged comparisons with the equally popular footballer David Beckham.
In March 2005, several malignant carcinoids were detected in the small intestine with Paul Hunter. Hunter took still participate in the World Cup in April, where they lost his first round match. An initial chemotherapy did not hit on why he had to repeat the treatment. In the following season, he took part in all the world ranking tournaments, including entitled him to be ranked in the top 16. Because of the side effects of chemotherapy (including vision problems and numb limbs) Hunter won but in the season 2005/ 06 only a few games and fell in the official world rankings of the top 32
After another relapse he had to undergo a third chemotherapy, so he canceled the participation in the 2006/07 season. Earlier, the World Snooker Association had changed its constitution: players could now be frozen their season placement and number of points for serious diseases. This Hunter could run again as number 34 in the world.
However, on 9 October 2006, he succumbed to cancer.
Personal & posthumous honors
Paul Hunter was married to Lindsey Fell since 2004, their daughter was born on 26 December 2005 the world.
In his honor, the Fürth German Open was renamed the Paul Hunter Classic. Also the price of the newcomers WPBSA now bears his name.
After his death, his wife Lindsey wrote a book about her life, her love and her fight against the cancer. The book was published in September 2007 in English under the title Unbreakable. Was published in 2009, the German translation of Bertelsmann under the title My wonderful life with Paul.
Tournament Win
Ranking Tournaments
- Welsh Open - 1998, 2002
- British Open - 2002
Invitation Tournaments
- Masters - 2001, 2002, 2004
Other ( selection)
- Grand Prix Fürth - 2004