1968 World Open Match Play Snooker Championship Explained

Tournament Name:	1968 World Open Match Play Snooker Championship
Venue:	St George's Leagues Club
Location:	Sydney
Country:	Australia
Winners Share:	AUD1,000
Highest Break:	, 110
Score:	43–30
Previous:	1967

The 1968 World Open Match Play Snooker Championship was a snooker match between Rex Williams and Eddie Charlton for the title won first won by Fred Davis at the 1960 World Open Snooker Championship and then by Williams in the 1967 World Open Snooker Championship. Despite the name of the competition, Williams and Charlton were the only contestants in 1968. Charlton took the title by winning 43 to Williams' 30, a winning margin having been achieved at 37–20.^[1]

Summary

Fred Davis had won the 1960 World Open Snooker Championship, which was held in Australia with eight players competing in a round-robin.^{[2] [3]} Davis and Rex Williams arranged to play a series of 51 five- matches from November 1966 to April 1967, with the winner taking the title, billed as the World Open Snooker Championship.^{[4] [5] [6]} Williams reached a winning margin at 26–23, after which Davis won the last two matches to make the final score 26–25.^{[7] [8]}

In July 1968, in a match sanctioned by the Billiards Association and Control Council, Charlton challenged Williams for the title, now referred to as the World Open Match Play Snooker Championship, and AUD1,000.^[9] The match took place at the St George's Leagues Club, Sydney, as the best of 73, with twelve frames played on each day except the last, when thirteen were played.^[10] The start of the match was delayed for two days as Williams was suffering from tonsilitis, and started on 24 July, with Charlton taking a 7–5 lead on the first day, overturning Williams' 4–2 lead from the afternoon by winning five of the six frames in the evening.^[11] Charlton extended this to 14–10 by the end of the second day, and by the end of play on 28 July, had reached a winning margin, at 37–23.^[12] The last day, 29 July, finished with Charlton 43–30 ahead.

The highest of the match was 110, compiled by Charlton in the 61st frame. Williams' highest break, and the second-highest of the match, was 89.

Notes and References

1. Fryer . Bob . World Open Match Play Championship: Eddie Charlton 43, Rex Williams 30 . Billiards and Snooker . . October 1968 . 18.
2. World Open Snooker Championship . The Billiard Player . . May 1960 . 15.
3. Australian Open Snooker Tournament . The Billiard Player . . May 1960 . 3, 8.
4. Charlton takes title . Billiards and Snooker . . August 1968 . 3.
5. Book: Everton, Clive . 2012 . Black farce and cue ball wizards . Mainstream . Edinburgh . 9781780575681 . 41.
6. News: World snooker champion plays at Swadlincote . Burton Observer and Chronicle . 19 January 1967 . 11.
7. (Untitled article) . Billiards and Snooker . Billiards and Snooker Control Council . Birmingham . May 1967 . 12.
8. News: Williams wins world snooker title . The Times . London . 10 April 1967 . 18.
9. News: Spooner . Peter . Secrets of a snooker champ . The Sydney Morning Herald . 28 July 1968 . 25.
10. News: An odd way to make a living . The Sydney Morning Herald . 20 July 1968 . 11.
11. News: Snooker lead to Charlton . The Sydney Morning Herald . 25 July 1968 . 24.
12. News: World snooker title to Charlton . The Sydney Morning Herald . 29 July 1968 . 20.