Dominc Dale - 2007 Shanghai Masters
Dominc Dale beat fellow Welshman Ryan Day 10-6 in the Roewe Shanghai Masters to win his second ranking event and his first since he won the 1997 Grand Prix.
Dale came back from 6-2 down to win an amazing eight consecutive frames at the Grand Stage venue, the opening event of the 2007-08 season.
Playing in a vivid pink shirt and peroxide blonde hair the eccentric Welshman, nicknamed 'The Spaceman' received a cheque for £48,000 plus an extra £2,000 for his high break of 143 in the 10th frame and his name on the trophy of this inaugural event which has been underwritten by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association, with the East Asia Group as the officially appointed promoter.
The commercial agreement signed between the CBSA and World Snooker guarantee's the staging of the Roewe Shanghai Masters and its partner tournament in China, the China Open, for at least the next five years.
It was the first all-Welsh ranking final since the 2000 World Championship when Mark Williams beat Matthew Stevens.
Day dominated the match looking for his first ranking victory in the second ranking final of his career, but although he raced 6-3 ahead in the first session he could not keep up the momentum in the final session and Dale won all the remaining frames.
In the opening frame of the evening Dale made a superb 143 total clearance to win the high break prize, beating the previous mark of 133 set by Ian McCulloch.
At 9-6 the pressure grew more intense for both players, following a few scrappy frames without any significant breaks which had seen Dale slowly claw his way back as Day made several unforced errors.
In the 16th frame a 33 break from Dale gave him the advantage and after gaining a snooker on the penultimate red and then potting it, the victory was sealed.
Dale now jumps to No 16 in the provisional rankings a climb of 16 places. 'To be back in the winner’s podium after ten years is more than I could have wished for. It was an amazing final, it just shows you what can happen when you get some confidence,' said the 35-year-old from Neath.
| Date | 1030 | 1500 | 1945 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 29 September | WC1, WC2, WC3, WC4 | Q1, WC5, WC6, WC7 | |
| Tuesday 30 September | Q2 | 1, 12, 15, 5 | 16, 4, 3, 6 |
| Wednesday 1 October | 2, 8, 13, 10 | 7, 9, 11, 14 | |
| Thursday 2 October | 17, 18, 19, 20 | 21, 22, 23, 24 | |
| Friday 3 October | QF1, QF2 | QF3, QF4 | |
| Date | 1300 | 1945 | Saturday 4 October | SF1 | SF2 |
| Sunday 5 October | FINAL | FINAL | |
All matches up to and including the quarter-finals are the best of 9 frames. The semi-finals are the best of 11 frames. The final is the best of 19 frames (9/10). | |||
THE SHANGHAI MASTERS - TOURNAMENT HISTORY
In 2007 The Shanghai Masters - a brand new tournament - was staged for the first time at the Grand Stage in Shanghai. A few months before the start of this inaugural tournament a title sponsor was announced in Roewe, the Chinese motor vehicle company.
The tournament was underwritten by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association, with the East Asia Group as the officially appointed promoter. The commercial agreement signed between the CBSA and World Snooker guaranteed the staging of the Roewe Shanghai Masters and its partner tournament in China, the China Open, for at least the next five years.
The tournament produced the first surprise of the 2007-08 season when outsider Dominic Dale lifted the trophy, ten years after capturing his first ranking event in the 1997 Grand Prix. He won eight successive frames to beat fellow Welshman Ryan Day 10- 6 and take the title and the prize of £48,000, plus an extra £2,000 for his high break of 143 in the 10th frame.
| 2008 - Ricky Walden bt R.O'Sullivan 10-8 | 2007 - Dominic Dale bt R.Day 10-6 |
