Fergal O’Brien

Ranking titles: One (1999 British Open)

Career highlights:

1999: Wins his first and only ranking title at the British Open in Plymouth. Wins four out of six matches in the deciding frame to reach the final, then sees off Anthony Hamilton 9-7.
2000: Reaches the quarter-finals of the World Championship, beating Chris Small and Stephen Lee at the Crucible before losing to Mark Williams. Climbs to a career-high ranking of ninth.
2001: Reaches the final of the Masters by beating Mark Williams, Ken Doherty and Dave Harold at Wembley. Leads Paul Hunter 7-3 in the final but eventually loses 10-9 after a gripping deciding frame.
2007: Enjoys a superb run to the final of the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast, knocking out John Higgins, Barry Hawkins, Mark Allen and Ronnie O’Sullivan before being denied the title by Stephen Maguire.
2014: Reaches the final of the Gdynia Open in Poland, losing to Shaun Murphy.
2016: Beats Barry Hawkins 6-5 in reaching the last 32 of the UK Championship, making five centuries – a record for a best-of-11 match. Makes his first official 147 at the Championship League.
2017: Qualifies for the final stages of the World Championship by winning the longest frame in pro snooker history. The deciding frame of his match against David Gilbert lasts 123 minutes and gives him a 10-9 win. Loses to Mark Selby at the Crucible.
2021: Beats Mark Selby, Simon Lichtenberg and Michael White to reach the last 16 of the German Masters before losing to Joe O’Connor.
2022: Relegated from the tour after 31 years as a pro, but immediately bounces back via Q School to earn a new two-year tour card.