The Mighty Mita

By Elliott West

Introduction

Devised by Barry Hearn and held in January 1991 at the NEC in Birmingham, the Mita/Sky World Masters was a tournament that was based on the Grand Slam format in tennis, billed as ‘the Wimbledon of Snooker’. Comprising of men’s singles, doubles, women’s singles, doubles, mixed doubles and a junior event, players had to win a match by two clear frames. If the players were still level, there would be a tie break deciding frame with just one red and all the colours.

The Tournament

Broadcast on the original Eurosport and presented by Dickie Davis, this event was initially overshadowed by the news that Alex Higgins was allowed to participate in it despite a ban after punching an official. Some of the players participating in it threatened to boycott it in protest of the decision. However, in the end, Alex bowed to pressure and withdrew, being replaced by Stephen Hendry.

With a record prize fund of £1000,000, the winner of the men’s singles stood to win £200,000, a payout that was more than the winner of the World Championship at the time. During the tournament, James Wattana made the ninth official maximum break in his match against Paul Dawkins but ironically it was not televised. Additionally, the later controversial figure, Quinten Hann, then a mere thirteen years old, became the youngest player to make a century break.

Comprised of a commentary team of Robby Foldvari, Peter Brackley, Mike Watterson, Jim Wych, Paul Wade, Willie Jameson and Phil Yates and a roving reporter, Matthew Lorenzo, this tournament had the makings to run and run. It was also broadcast across Europe with Rolf Kalb being the German commentator. This was the first time they used technology called Telestrator to draw lines on the screen when players were attempting shots, surprising the audience of the time. Practically all the familiar faces of the day were there and were joined by the youthful John Higgins and Mark Williams. However sadly, in the end, this non-ranking event became a one-hit-wonder with the tournament being scrapped after the first after failing to secure a sponsor. It was also considered to be too complicated and expensive to run.

The Final

Men’s Singles

Jimmy White v Tony Drago 10-6

Women’s Singles

Karen Corr v Stacey Hilliyard 6-2

Men’s Doubles

Mike Hallett/Stephen Hendry v Brady Gollan/Jim Wych 8-5

Women’s Doubles

Allison Fisher/Stacey Hilliyard v Karen Corr/Anne-Marie Farren 5-2

Mixed Doubles

Steve Davis/Allison Fisher v Jimmy White/Caroline Walch 6-3

Juniors (under-16s) John Higgins v Mark Williams 6-1

Summary

This tournament had the potential to be very successful but for some reason, has become a standard joke amongst players with some players refusing to play in it. Attractive prize money may have contributed to its demise, paying out a hefty prize to the winner of the Men’s Singles but the failure to secure a sponsor was the final nail in the coffin. The event showcased some famous faces but also featured names like Danny Fowler, Steve Longworth and Steve Newbury that are sadly forgotten by the modern audience. A snooker golden nugget that deserves to be brought back or at least, aired again.