PAUL HUNTERThe death of Paul Hunter onMonday 9 October, 2006, at the age of 27, robbed snooker of a major force in the game and a potential worldchampion.Mr Hunter became one of few snooker players totranscend the world of sport and celebrity, staking a claim to being snooker'sfirst "pin-up" in the process.On the table he was a fine competitor, winningthree Masters titles in four years and narrowly missing out on a worldchampionship final in 2003, losing 17-16 to Ken Doherty in one of the greatCrucible semi-finals.Paul Alan Hunter was born in Leeds on 14 October, 1978, andquickly became a fixture in local snooker halls, playing in numerous juniortournaments around the UK .He was only 13 when he became co-holder of theEnglish Amateur Pairs title, before turning professional at the age of 16 in1995.Within four months Mr Hunter was beating world number six Alan McManus 9-4 in the first round.Three years after turning professional hemade his first notable impact, winning the 1998 Regal Welsh Open,beating world champion-elect John Higgins, 9-5 in the final.He followed up that success by reaching thesemi-finals of the 1998 Liverpool VictoriaUK championship in Bournemouth andwas named the Snooker Writers Association's Young Player of the Year in thesame year.Wembley played host to Mr Hunter's finest momentsand 2001 saw him win his first Benson and Hedges Masters title.He reclaimed the title the following year and Mr Hunter's final, and possibly best, Masterstriumph came in 2004.Mr Hunter had an impressive start to the followingseason, reaching the semi-finals of the 2004 Totesport Grand Prix ,but it was to be the last time that the Yorkshireman would reach that stage ofa ranking event.In March 2005 he was diagnosed with dozens ofneuro endocrine tumours on the lining of his stomach, a rare form of cancer. Though he competed in the 2005 event, theaffects of his illness and treatment resulted in a first round defeat toanother close friend, Michael Holt.He refused to give in to ill health andcontinued to compete on the World Professional Billiards and SnookerAssociation tour whilst receiving treatment.Due to chemotherapy Mr Hunter won only one matchand fell from fifth to 34th in the rankings.Following an 18-month battle with cancer he died five days short ofhis 28th birthday at Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield.He left wife, Lindsey, and a daughter, Evie Rose, who had been born onBoxing Day 2005.In a career that spanned just 11 years Mr Hunter won £1,525,050in prize money, reached a world ranking high of four and won three Masterstitles, first prizes in the 2002 Welsh and British Opens, two other rankingfinals, 13 semi-finals and 23 quarters-finals.
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