Kirk Stevens
| Born | August 17, 1958 |
|---|---|
| Sport country |
 Canada |
| Nickname | Captain, The Starship Trooper, White Magic |
| Professional | 1978– |
| Highest ranking | 4 (1984/85) |
| Highest break | 147 (1984 Masters) |
| Best ranking finish | Semi-finalist, World Snooker Championship (1980, 1984) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Non-ranking | 3 |
Kirk Stevens (born August 17, 1958) is a Canadian professional snooker player.
Stevens started playing young, achieving his first century break aged just 12. He turned professional aged 20, and reached the semi-finals of the World Championship aged 21. In 1984, he achieved a televised maximum 147 break in a match against Jimmy White in the Benson & Hedges Masters, which remained the only such break ever made in the competition until Ding Junhui achieved the same feat in 2007.[1][2] Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry came close to repeating the feat. His stylish choice of attire and his youthful 'popstar' good looks made him a ladies' favourite.
His career ran into problems in 1985 when he met South African Silvino Francisco in the Dulux British Open final. After Stevens lost 9–12, Francisco accused him of taking stimulants during the match.[3] Francisco was subsequently fined by the world snooker association for the comments.[3] Stevens never failed a drug test during his professional career; but, shortly after the comments were made public, Stevens admitted to an addiction to cocaine.[3]
Although he underwent treatment, his career never really recovered. He dropped out of the top 16 in 1986/87, but continued to play on until 1992/93, before returning home to Canada and retiring from professional tournament play on the world circuit. He returned to the game and won a place on the professional tour again in 1998/99, but never qualified for the following season. He almost returned for the 2000/01 season, but lost in the North American qualifying final to fellow Canadian Bob Chaperon.
He continues to play snooker in various Canadian events, including charity events. He has won the Canadian Open Championship in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2008. In 2011 he returned to the Crucible Theatre for the first time since 1988 to play in a pre-World Championship "Legends" tournament.
Non-ranking wins: (3)
- Canadian Professional Championship – 1979, 1981, 1983
References
- ↑ Yates, Phil (2007-01-15). "Snooker: Inscrutable Ding takes maximum break in his stride". The Times. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
- ↑ "Ding claims second 147 break in Masters history". Daily Mail. 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Snooker Association acquits Stevens over drug addiction". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1985-10-08. p. 41. Retrieved 2011-05-01.