Liam Highfield
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Liam Highfield (born 1 December 1990) is an English professional
snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sport played on a rectangular Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets: one at each corner and ...
player. He turned professional in 2010 after finishing second in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. He plays left-handed.


Career


Amateur years

In the 2007/2008 season, Highfield won the last event of
International Open Series The International Open Series (often referred to as Pontins International Open Series or PIOS for sponsorship reasons), was a series of snooker tournaments that ran from the 2001–02 season until the 2009–10 season. It was originally called t ...
, and finished 12th in the rankings. The following season he finished as number 33. In the 2009/2010 season, he won the second event and was runner-up in the first and sixth event of the International Open Series and finished second in the rankings. Thus, Highfield received a place on the 2010/2011 professional Main Tour.


2011/2012 season

At the beginning of this season, Highfield was ranked number 68 in the world, meaning he was required to win four qualifying matches to reach the main stage of the ranking events. He did not manage this throughout the season, coming closest in the first event of the year, the
Australian Goldfields Open The Australian Goldfields Open was a professional Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament. The final champion was John Higgins in 2015. History Australia had previously hosted the 1971 World Snooker Championship, 1971 and 1975 World ...
. He beat
Simon Bedford Simon Bedford (born 8 February 1976) is an English former professional snooker player. Career Bedford's best performance in a professional ranking event was to qualify for the 1998 World Championship; he beat Gary Wilkinson 10–9, before l ...
and
Xiao Guodong Xiao Guodong (; born 10 February 1989) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championships. He won his first ranking event 17 years after first turning professional at the 202 ...
both by deciding frames and received a bye through to the final qualifying round because
Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...
withdrew. There he lost to
Dominic Dale Dominic Dale (born Christopher Dale; 29 December 1971) is a Welsh retired professional snooker player, as well as a current snooker commentator, pundit and presenter for BBC Cymru Wales and TNT Sports (United Kingdom), TNT Sports (formerly Eur ...
3–5. He could only win three more matches in qualifying for the remainder of the season and finished it ranked number 66, out of the top 64 who retained their places for the 2012/2013 season. However, Highfield's performances in the 10 PTC events he played in (where he reached the last 16 twice) were enough to ensure him a spot on the tour for next year.


2012/2013 season

Highfield reached the final qualifying round of ranking events on two occasions during the 2012/2013 season. The first of these was in World Open qualifying in December, where he beat Daniel Wells 5–2,
Barry Pinches Barry Pinches (born 13 July 1970 in Catton, Norwich) is an English former professional snooker player, recognisable for his bright and flamboyant waistcoats, which usually feature the yellow and green colours of Norwich City F.C. He is a form ...
5–1 and
Liang Wenbo Liang Wenbo ( zh, s=梁文博; born 5 March 1987) is a Chinese former professional snooker player. During his playing career, he won one ranking title at the 2016 English Open, twice won the World Cup for China in 2011 and 2017 with teammate ...
5–4. He faced
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
world champion
Peter Ebdon Peter David Ebdon (born 27 August 1970) is an English retired professional snooker player who is a former world champion and current coach. Ebdon won nine ranking titles during his career, placing him in joint 14th position (with John Parrott ...
in the final round and, in a match which lasted five hours and 40 minutes, Highfield was edged out 4–5. His other run to the last round was in World Championship qualifying, which saw him defeat
Simon Bedford Simon Bedford (born 8 February 1976) is an English former professional snooker player. Career Bedford's best performance in a professional ranking event was to qualify for the 1998 World Championship; he beat Gary Wilkinson 10–9, before l ...
10–6, Pinches and Jamie Jones both by 10–9 scorelines, before losing 4–10 to
Marcus Campbell Marcus Campbell (born 22 September 1972) is a Scottish former professional snooker player. He was ranked within the world's top 64 for 15 consecutive seasons. Career Campbell is most famous for whitewashing Stephen Hendry 9–0 in the 1998 L ...
. Throughout the season Highfield played in nine of the ten
Players Tour Championship The Players Tour Championship was a series of snooker tournaments comprising some minor-ranking events played in Europe, and an Asian leg comprising some minor-ranking events in Asia. The series concluded with a Players Championship Grand Final, ...
events, with his best result coming in the sixth European Tour Event, where he saw off
Yu Delu Yu Delu (; born 11 October 1987) is a former professional snooker player from the People's Republic of China. He is currently serving a 10 years and 9 months ban for match-fixing from 25 May 2018 until 24 February 2029. The ban was announced on ...
,
Tony Drago Tony Drago ( ; born 22 September 1965) is a Maltese former professional snooker and pool player. Known for his speed around the table, during his snooker career he won two professional titles: the 1993 Strachan Challenge Event 3 and the 1996 ...
and
Dominic Dale Dominic Dale (born Christopher Dale; 29 December 1971) is a Welsh retired professional snooker player, as well as a current snooker commentator, pundit and presenter for BBC Cymru Wales and TNT Sports (United Kingdom), TNT Sports (formerly Eur ...
, but then lost 1–4 to
Kurt Maflin Kurt Graham Maflin (born 8 August 1983) is an English-Norwegian former professional snooker player. A strong break-builder, Maflin has compiled more than 200 century breaks during his career and has made two 147 breaks in professional competit ...
in the last 16. He was placed 69th on the PTC Order of Merit and dropped 10 places in the world rankings during the season to end it world number 76.


2013/2014 season

In his opening match, Highfield defeated
Barry Pinches Barry Pinches (born 13 July 1970 in Catton, Norwich) is an English former professional snooker player, recognisable for his bright and flamboyant waistcoats, which usually feature the yellow and green colours of Norwich City F.C. He is a form ...
5–2 to qualify for the
2013 Wuxi Classic The 2013 Sports Lottery Cup Wuxi Classic was a professional ranking snooker tournament held between 17 and 23 June 2013 at the Wuxi City Sports Park Stadium in Wuxi, China. It was the first ranking event of the 2013/2014 season. The tournamen ...
in China where narrowly lost 5–4 to Mark Williams in the first round. He also qualified for the Indian Open but withdrew from the event before it began. Highfield received automatic entry into both the Welsh Open and
UK Championship The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
as all 128 players on the snooker tour began these events in the first round, but he lost on both occasions. His disappointing season saw him finish 83rd in the world rankings and, as Highfield had now been relegated from the main tour, he played in the 2014 Q School to regain his place. Highfield beat Canada's Alex Pagulayan in his final match of the second event to earn a new two-year tour card for the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons.


2014/2015 season

Highfield won four matches to qualify for the 2014 Australian Goldfields Open, but lost 5–2 to
Xiao Guodong Xiao Guodong (; born 10 February 1989) is a Chinese professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championships. He won his first ranking event 17 years after first turning professional at the 202 ...
in the first round. He also made his debut at the
International Championship The International Championship is a professional Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament. The reigning champion is Ding Junhui. History The event was introduced in the 2012–13 snooker season, 2012/2013 season. It was named as the ...
where he was beaten 6–4 by
Marco Fu Marco Fu Ka-chun (; born 8 January 1978) is a Hong Kong professional snooker player. He is a three-time snooker world rankings, ranking event winner, having won the 2007 Grand Prix (snooker), 2007 Grand Prix, the 2013 Australian Goldfie ...
in the first round. Highfield's first win at a ranking event of his career came at the
UK Championship The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
when he defeated Jamie Jones 6–3, before losing 6–4 to Mark Davis in the second round. He saw off Fu 5–2 to qualify for the
German Masters The German Masters is a professional Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament held at the Tempodrom in Berlin, Germany since 2011, except for 2021, when it was held at Milton Keynes in England because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An ear ...
and was 4–3 ahead of Xiao in the opening round, but lost 5–4 having led 47–0 and 50–0 in the last two frames. Highfield had his best run in a
European Tour The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
event this season at the
Gdynia Open The Gdynia Open was a pro–am minor-Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament, which was part of the Players Tour Championship. The tournament in the Snooker season 2012/2013, 2012/2013 was split in two parts, with the first part takin ...
when he knocked out the likes of
Stuart Bingham Stuart Bingham (born 21 May 1976) is an English professional snooker player who is a former World Champion and Masters winner. Bingham won the 1996 World Amateur Championship but enjoyed little sustained success in the early part of his pro ...
and
Mark Selby Mark Anthony Selby (born 19 June 1983) is an English professional snooker player. Ranked List of world number one snooker players, world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 24 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the all ...
to reach the last 16, where Mark Williams beat him 4–2. This helped Highfield finish 38th on the Order of Merit. Highfield's sixth and final appearance at a ranking event this year was the China Open and he lost 5–1 to Ryan Day in the first round.


2015/2016 season

Highfield advanced to the final qualifying round for the Shanghai Masters by beating Michael Wild 5–0,
Robin Hull Robin Hull (born 16 August 1974) is a Finnish former professional snooker player. For some time, he was the sole Nordic countries, Nordic player on the game's Snooker world rankings, main tour. He is known as a solid -builder, having compiled o ...
5–2 and
Ken Doherty Kenneth Joseph Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player who also works as a commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts. From Ranelagh in Dublin, he is the sport's only World Snooker Championship, wor ...
5–0, but he lost 5–2 to
Martin Gould Martin Gould (born 14 September 1981) is an English former professional snooker player from Pinner in the London Borough of Harrow. He has appeared in four ranking finals and won one ranking title, the 2016 German Masters. Career Gould began ...
. However, he could only pick up one match win between August until the
Gdynia Open The Gdynia Open was a pro–am minor-Snooker world rankings, ranking snooker tournament, which was part of the Players Tour Championship. The tournament in the Snooker season 2012/2013, 2012/2013 was split in two parts, with the first part takin ...
in February 2016. There, Highfield defeated
Anthony McGill Anthony McGill (born 5 February 1991) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is a practice partner of retired snooker player Alan McManus. McGill turned professional in 2010, after finishing fourth in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. He ...
4–2,
Stuart Carrington Stuart Carrington (born 14 May 1990) is an English former professional snooker player. He practises frequently with Steven Hallworth and Ian Glover in Grimsby. In May 2011, Carrington qualified for the 2011–12 professional Main Tour as on ...
4–0 and
Robin Hull Robin Hull (born 16 August 1974) is a Finnish former professional snooker player. For some time, he was the sole Nordic countries, Nordic player on the game's Snooker world rankings, main tour. He is known as a solid -builder, having compiled o ...
4–3 (on the final black after being 3–0 down). He lost in the last 16 4–1 to Gould, but by finishing 65th on the
Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...
he earned the final two-year tour card on offer to players outside of the top 64 in the world rankings. 10–2 and 10–8 victories over Luke Simmonds and
Luca Brecel Luca Brecel (; born 8 March 1995) is a Belgian professional snooker player. A four-time snooker world rankings, ranking event winner, Brecel is a former World Snooker Championship, World Snooker Champion, having won the 2023 World Snooker Champ ...
respectively saw Highfield stand one match away from qualifying for the
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
. He was 4–0 down to
Sam Baird Sam Baird (born 17 June 1988) is an English former professional snooker player. He first entered the professional tour for the 2009/10 season, by winning the EBSA Pro-Ticket Tour Play-offs. Career 2011/2012 season Baird reached the main draw o ...
but recovered to be just 5–4 behind and would go on to narrowly lose 10–9.


2016/2017 season

By eliminating
Luca Brecel Luca Brecel (; born 8 March 1995) is a Belgian professional snooker player. A four-time snooker world rankings, ranking event winner, Brecel is a former World Snooker Championship, World Snooker Champion, having won the 2023 World Snooker Champ ...
4–2 and Sean Harvey and
Ricky Walden Ricky Walden (born 11 November 1982) is an English professional snooker player from Chester. Walden turned professional in 2000 and it took him eight years to win his first ranking title at the Shanghai Masters. He has since won the 2012 Wuxi ...
both 4–3, Highfield reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time at the
Paul Hunter Classic The Paul Hunter Classic is a non-ranking snooker tournament. It changed from a ranking event to a 16-man invitational event in 2019. From 2010 to 2015 it was part of the Players Tour Championship. Barry Hawkins is the reigning champion. After los ...
, where he lost the final two frames against Mark Davis to be beaten 4–3. Another last 16 appearance came at the
UK Championship The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is usually held at the Barbican in York, England. Ronnie O'Sull ...
by defeating
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (, ; born 18 April 1985) is a Thai professional snooker player. He has won one ranking event, the 2019 Snooker Shoot Out, and finished as runner-up in the 2019 World Open. He is regarded as one of the fastest snooker players ...
6–5, Wang Yuchen 6–5 and Peter Lines 6–2. Highfield had a chance of reaching the quarter-finals when he led Mark Williams 5–4, but lost 6–5. Highfield had a 4–1 win over
Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...
at the Scottish Open, before losing by a reversal of this scoreline in the second round to
Marco Fu Marco Fu Ka-chun (; born 8 January 1978) is a Hong Kong professional snooker player. He is a three-time snooker world rankings, ranking event winner, having won the 2007 Grand Prix (snooker), 2007 Grand Prix, the 2013 Australian Goldfie ...
.


2017/present

At the 2018 World Championship, Highfield lost 510 to
Mark Allen Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...
in the opening round.
Judd Trump Judd Trump (born 20 August 1989) is an English professional snooker player who is a former List of World Snooker Championship winners, world champion and the current List of world number one snooker players, world number one. He is currently in ...
defeated Highfield 410 in the first round of the 2021 World Championship and at the 2022 World Championship Highfield was defeated in the first round 710 by
Anthony McGill Anthony McGill (born 5 February 1991) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is a practice partner of retired snooker player Alan McManus. McGill turned professional in 2010, after finishing fourth in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. He ...
.


Performance and rankings timeline


Career finals


Amateur finals: 7 (5 titles)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Highfield, Liam 1990 births Living people English snooker players Sportspeople from Swindon