Stevens takes UK Crown.

November 2003

...Every time I went into a press conference, I had to answer the question
why I had never won a ranking tournament before. Now I don't need to.
(Matthew Stevens).

Prior to the final, all the talk had been about how the 26-year-old Matthew Stevens was the finest player not to win a world ranking event. Even his opponent Hendry had this week confessed his surprise at Stevens' failure to overcome that hurdle. And no one was more relieved than Matthew himself to finally get rid of such an unwanted tag. Beaten in two UK finals and one world, he recovered from the shock of losing the first four frames to beat Stephen Hendry 10-8 and pocket a cheque for J84,500.

In so doing, the 26-year-old from Carmarthen became the fourth Welshman to be crowned UK champion after Doug Mountjoy, Terry Griffiths (now Hendry's coach) and Mark Williams.

Ninth seed Stevens is the last member of the world's top 12 players to win a ranking event. He has had to wait nine years as a professional to break his duck, although he did win the Masters (an invitation event) in 2000.

The death of his father and mentor, Morrell, in February, 2001, coincided with a marked downturn in his fortunes on the table. But, this season, he has regained his appetite for the game and made a steady return to form. He reached the semi-finals of the British Open earlier this month, losing 6-3 to Hendry on that occasion.

Stevens had to do it the hard way after making a nightmare start to the final. Hendry, bidding to equal Steve Davis's record of winning six UK titles, had threatened to run away with the match when he opened up a 4-0 lead.

Unbelievably, Stevens won the next five to finish the first session 5-4 ahead, then staged another fightback after Hendry had taken the first three frames of the final session to lead 7-5. The pivotal point of the first session came in frame five when Hendry, 4-0 and 40-5 up, missed a middle-range red to the top left-hand pocket. Stevens stepped in with a 66 clearance and never looked back after that as breaks of 50, 137, 99 and 76 gave him five frames in a row and an unlikely 5-4 lead.

The interval between afternoon and evening sessions definitely came at the right time for Hendry. It gave him the chance to regain his composure and normal service was resumed when the players returned to the arena.

Stevens failed to make the most of a fluke on the yellow at the start of the tenth frame and Hendry punished him with runs of 40 and 67 to level things up at 5-5. He followed that with breaks of 93 and 101 - his second century of the final and eighth in the tournament - to surge 7-5 in front.

Once again, Matthew Stevens was in danger of losing touch. Hendry was bang in the balls in the 13th frame until he overcut the pink to the top left-hand pocket and Stevens compiled a decisive 61 to narrow the gap to 7-6.

Frame 14 provided another twist in the tale. Stevens led 30-0 but then missed an awkward red to a corner pocket. Hendry seemed sure to clear up when he reached 61 but, inexplicably, fluffed a frame-ball black off its spot. Stevens ran out of position on the yellow but played a good recovery shot and stole it on the black to draw level again at 7-7.

Hendry, perhaps shaken by that blunder, made several uncharacteristic errors in the next and a poor safety shot on the second-last red enabled Stevens to go ahead for only the second time in the match at 8-7.

The tension appeared to be getting to both players and the unforced errors were coming thick and fast. Hendry held a handy lead in the 16th frame only to leave the final red and an ice-cool clearance of 30 gave Stevens his fourth successive frame and a 9-7 lead.

Hendry, in typical fashion, refused to throw in the towel. He has already made three maximums in finals and was in with a chance of another in the 17th frame, taking blacks with all 15 reds, only to run out of position on the yellow, having already played a number of breathtaking shots.

The drama was not over yet. Hendry missed a long red to the baulk pocket at the start of the 18th frame to provide Stevens with the opening for a break of 49 before he missed a red to the centre pocket. Back came Hendry with a break of 54 but he then missed the yellow.

Stevens's moment of truth had finally arrived and he was up to the challenge, clearing to the pink before clenching his fist in triumph.

"I don't know what to say, - said a stunned Matthew Stevens. - I was 4-0 down and trying to make the score respectable, but then I relaxed after going 5-4 up... I've won my first ranking tournament and am glad to have that out of the way... I'm enjoying the game a lot more".

His cheques, including Sunday's £84,500 prize, now look likely to be spent on his girlfriend, who is pregnant with the couple's first child. But at the end of the weekend the father-to-be, however, seemed happier to have overcome a mental challenge than picking up the money.

Matthew Stevens concluded: "With me, it has all been upstairs because the ability has always been there. Now they can't take my name off the trophy".

The Tredegar potting legend, six-time world champion Ray Reardon says that Matthew Stevens' UK Championship win keeps Welsh snooker at the top of the world game. But even he admits he was surprised to see Matthew fight.

"I didn't expect him to come back from 4-0 down to lead 5-4, then he went 7-5 down and I thought, 'Oh dear', - Reardon told BBC Sport Wales. - But he did it and I'm very pleased for him and his family - they deserve it. I loved it and it was a great triumph for Wales".

Reardon also said that Matthew Stevens has emerged from a fertile snooker-talent producing area in south Wales.

"Wales has always been a hotbed of snooker talent. We've produced some good players there over the years, - said Reardon. - There's been Terry Griffiths, Doug Mountjoy, current world champion Mark Williams - and I won a few myself! Now there are two Welshmen holding the two major titles in world snooker".

Terry Griffiths, another legendary Welsh, coaches Hendry, but invariably supports his fellow Welshman too. When Morrell Stevens invited him to look at nine-year-old Matthew's cue action, he saw nothing to change.

"Matthew's practised at my club (in Llanelli) for 10 or 12 years, but I've never worked with him. He needed a new start and it's been good for him."

tevens now practises at the Jubilee Club in his native Carmarthen and the baby he and his girlfriend expect in the Christmas period has heightened his sense of direction and responsibility.

Based on BBC Snooker materials.