Martin Smith (born 12 June 1961) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

former 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.

Career

Smith turned professional in 1985. In his first season on the main tour he won his first competitive match 5–2 against Dessie Sheehan, but earned only £984 in prize money, at the 1986

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

, where he lost 4–5 to

Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans (25 October 1940 – 13 September 2023) was a South African professional snooker player. He first won the South African Professional Championship in 1965 and lifted the title 20 times. Mans won the Benson & Hedges Masters ...

in the last 64. Beginning the 1986/1987 season ranked 94th, he lost 5–0 to Tony Jones in the Grand Prix - earning £150, his only prize money this season, in doing so - and reached the last 48 at the English Professional Championship, where

Les Dodd Les Dodd (born 11 February 1954) is an English former professional snooker player. He was runner-up in the 1987 English Professional Championship. Career Dodd was born on 11 February 1954 in Southport, and turned professional in 1982. In hi ...

beat him 6–3. However, the following season brought runs to the last-32 stage of two tournaments; at the

1987 UK Championship The 1987 UK Championship (officially the 1987 Tennent's UK Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England. The event started on 13 November 1987 and the televised stages we ...

, he defeated

Frank Jonik Francis "Frank" Jonik (2 December 1957 – 31 March 2019) was a Canadian professional snooker player. Career Born in 1957, Jonik first played competitive snooker in 1978 at the Canadian Professional Championship, and turned professional in 1979 ...

Paddy Browne Paddy Browne (born 1 April 1965) is an Irish former professional snooker player. Career Born in 1965 in Dublin, in 1979 he won the Irish National U-16 Championship and was invited to appear on the BBC’s Junior Pot Black where Paddy played ...

and

Doug Mountjoy Douglas James Mountjoy (8 June 1942 – 14 February 2021) was a Welsh snooker player from Tir-y-Berth, Gelligaer, Wales. He was a member of the professional snooker circuit from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, and remained within t ...

before losing 8–9 to John Campbell, and in the English Professional Championship, he recorded a 6–1 win over

Graham Miles Graham Miles (11 May 1941 – 12 October 2014) was an English snooker player. Career Miles turned professional in 1971. He first gained recognition in 1974, when he reached the final of the World Championship, losing 12–22 to Ray Reardon. As ...

prior to losing 5–6 to Dave Martin. These performances enhanced Smith's ranking to 72nd, a career best, and further positive results came during 1988/1989; he reached the last-16 in a non-ranking tournament, with victories over Mick Price and Ken Owers, losing at that stage 1–5 to Craig Edwards. At the 1989 International Open, he defeated Dennis Hughes, Martin and veteran

Rex Williams Desmond Rex Williams (born 20 July 1933) is an English retired professional billiards and snooker player. He was the second player to make an official maximum break in snooker, achieving this in an exhibition match in December 1965. Williams ...

to reach the last 32 for the second time in his career, but again, he lost at this stage, 3–5 to Steve James. Several last-64 finishes followed from 1990 to 1992, and during the 1992/1993 season, he played in only three tournaments. Having lost to the young prospect Stephen Lee in the UK Championship, he entered the 1993 World Championship, but was eliminated 1–5 in qualifying by Darren Guest. Concluding the season ranked 114th, he was relegated from the tour immediately thereafter.

References

English snooker players 1961 births Living people {{England-snooker-bio-stub