World Seniors Snooker Championship – Dennis Taylor announces retirement after 49-year playing career

Updated 07/05/2021 at 22:55 GMT

Dennis Taylor has officially hung up his snooker cue at the age of 72 after a 3-0 defeat by Barry Pinches in the World Seniors Championship first round. The Northern Irishman most famously lifted the world title in 1985 with an 18-17 victory over Steve Davis that was watched by a record 18.5 million viewers on BBC Two and was settled with Taylor slotting the final black ball after midnight.

Dennis Taylor

Image credit: Reuters

1985 world champion Dennis Taylor has brought the curtain down on his 49-year career after a 3-0 defeat to Barry Pinches at the World Seniors Championship.

Taylor – who turned professional in 1972 – ended his 28-year stint on the main World Snooker Tour in 2000, but combined his TV punditry work with exhibitions and part-time appearances on the World Seniors circuit.

World Seniors Championship

Former world champion Thorburn, 73, retires from snooker after Seniors defeat

05/01/2022 at 18:35

The 72-year-old Northern Irishman most famously lifted the world title in 1985 with an 18-17 victory over six-times winner SteveDavis that was watched by 18.5 million viewers on BBC Two and was settled with Taylor slotting the final black ball after midnight at the Crucible.

World number 100 Pinches – 22 years younger than the double ranking event winner – made a break of 74 in the second frame on his way to securing a meeting with Patrick Wallace in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

"That match against Barry was my last competitive match ever," said Taylor, who later kissed the world trophy amid a socially distanced round of applause inside the Sheffield venue. "And what a way to finish here in the Crucible Theatre.

I've enjoyed every minute of the seniors tour. The standard is getting so high. There's no way I can compete with these youngsters these days.

Defending champion Jimmy White was a 3-0 winner against Tony Knowles. White enjoyed a break of 72 in the second frame in securing a quarter-final with Darren Morgan.

1997 world champion Ken Doherty – who lost last year's final 5-4 to Jimmy White having led 4-0 – contributed breaks of 102 and 55 in a 3-0 triumph against 1986 Crucible winner and Eurosport pundit Joe Johnson.

Can Jimmy White recreate Judd Trump's 'genius' shot?

He will meet David Lilley in the last eight at the Sheffield venue.

Brazil's Igor Figueiredo will face Stephen Hendry in the quarter-finals after completing a 3-0 success against 1991 world champion John Parrott.