1986 Masters (snooker)

Benson & Hedges Masters

Tournament information
Dates	26 January–2 February 1986
Venue	Wembley Conference Centre
City	London
Country	England
Organisation(s)	WPBSA
Format	Non-ranking event
Total prize fund	£175,000
Winner's share	£45,000
Final
Champion	Cliff Thorburn
Runner-up	Jimmy White
Score	9–5
← 1985 1987 →

The 1986 Benson & Hedges Masters took place between 26 January and 2 February 1986 at the Wembley Conference Centre. The top 16 ranked players took part in the competition.

Cliff Thorburn made history in the competition when he became the first player to retain the title when he beat Jimmy White 9-5 in the final. It was also Thorburn's third and last Masters title.^[1]

Earlier in the tournament the last 16 match between Eddie Charlton and Kirk Stevens, which took place on the afternoon of 28 January, had to stop play at 7.20 when the players were level at 4-4 to make way that day's evening match between Jimmy White and Tony Meo, which was due to start at 7.30. That match started an hour later when a big crowd attended and had to se settled in. The White/Meo ended 5-4 to the Whirlwind and then the Charlton/Stevens match resumed just after midnight with Charlton taking the last frame to a 5-4 win, taking him to play Tony Knowles in the quarter-finals, which he lost in another final frame decider 4-5. This was to be Charlton's last Masters appearance as he went out of the ranking at the end of the season which was the same too for David Taylor who lost to Steve Davis in the last 16.

Main draw

^[2][3]

	Round of 16				Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	Cliff Thorburn	5
	Joe Johnson	3
					Cliff Thorburn	5
					Terry Griffiths	2
	Terry Griffiths	5
									1 February
	Alex Higgins	4
									Cliff Thorburn	6
									Tony Knowles	4
	Tony Knowles	5
	Silvino Francisco	1
					Tony Knowles	5
					Eddie Charlton	4
	Eddie Charlton	5
													2 February
	Kirk Stevens	4
													Cliff Thorburn	9
													Jimmy White	5
	Jimmy White	5
	Tony Meo	4
					Jimmy White	5
					Dennis Taylor	3
	Dennis Taylor	5
									1 February
	Doug Mountjoy	2
									Jimmy White	6
									Steve Davis	3
	Willie Thorne	5
	Ray Reardon	4
					Willie Thorne	4
					Steve Davis	5
	Steve Davis	5
	David Taylor	4

References