Dave Harold
Name: Dave Harold
DOB: December 9th, 1966
Nationality: English
Turned Pro: 1991
Highest Ranking: #11 (1996-7)
Current Ranking: #19
Highest Break: 143 (2007 Grand Prix)
Career Highlights: 1993 Asia Open Champion, 1994 Grand Prix Finalist, 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy Finalist, 1998 UK Championship Semi-Finalist
In short
One of the oldest players on the main tour, Stoke’s Dave Harold has always been a tough man to beat as his superb tactical game and distinctive cue action have helped him to be an effective, if not the most exciting player to watch. Unfortunately however it has taken him a number of years to fully recover from the broken wrist he suffered back in 2003 which contributed significantly to him dropping out of the top 32 in the rankings.
Now though he is currently playing some of the best snooker of his career and he confirmed this by reaching the final of the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy, his first in a ranking event for some 14 years. Dave has since continued this form and it is more than possible that he might move back into the top 16 for a third time, at the age of what would be 42.
Early career
An impressive amateur, Dave turned professional for the 1991/2 season and immediately began to record some strong results, highlighted by a run to the last 32 of the Grand Prix which helped him up to 93rd in the rankings.
His second season though was to be spectacular as he became the lowest ranked player to win a ranking event at the 1993 Asian Open in Bangkok. Having already won four matches to qualify for the event, he defeated Dene O’Kane, Stephen Hendry, Paul Tanner and Paul Davies to reach the final where he would thrash Darren Morgan 9-3 to take glory. A tremendous achievement that is unlikely to ever be beaten, he followed this up with a semi-final in the next event and moved up to 50th in the rankings.
1993/4 was not to bring more silverware, but consistent results including a Welsh Open quarter-final and a debut at the Crucible where he beat David Roe to reach the last 16 moved him up to the world top 20 where he would remain for several years.
Top 16
His second ranking event final was to come at the Grand Prix in the next season, though he lost out to future world champion John Higgins who took his first title that night. This, along with other strong results did at least move him up into the elite top 16 for the first time in his career at 13th position.
In 1995/6 he built on this by reaching two semi-finals and three quarter-finals, including a career best run at the Crucible which was ultimately ended by eventual finalist Nigel Bond. Although he was now up to a career high ranking of 11th, things started to go downhill after this as he endured a couple of difficult seasons, resulting in him dropping of the top 16.
1998/9 however saw a return to form for the Stoke Potter as he reached the semi-finals of both the Grand Prix and UK Championship to put himself in the frame for a return to the elite group. Unfortunately this was ended when he failed to qualify for the World Championship, but another strong season in 1999/2000 saw him move up to 13th the following year as Dave played what he has said to be the best snooker of his career.
Masters run and subsequent decline
While his fortunes were to again suffer on the ranking circuit, Dave enjoyed a spectacular run to the semi-finals of the invitational Benson and Hedges Masters tournament in 2001. Having defeated John Higgins in the opening round, he then played out a dramatic quarter-final with John Parrott where he came back from the brink of defeat at 5-1 to snatch a 6-5 win on the final black. Dave celebrated this match as much as any in his career and moved into the semi-finals of the competition for the first time as a result, though unfortunately his run was to end against Irishman Fergal O’Brien.
From this point though he really struggled to find his best form as he again lost his top 16 place at the end of the season. Breaking his wrist in 2003, his decline looked to be terminal at one point as he slid out of the top 32 and came close to losing his top 48 place as he dropped to 45th for 2005/6.
Resurgence
Dave slowly began to turn things round however and enjoyed a stronger season in 2006/7 that helped him back up into the top 32. The following season things were even better as he reached the quarter-final stage of both the Shanghai Masters and the Grand Prix tournament before defeating world champion Graeme Dott at the UK Championship at the end of the year. Qualification for the World Championship at the Crucible ensured that he again kept his top 32 place, moving up to 28th, his highest position since 2004.
2008/9 – Third final
Despite his improved form I doubt that even he could have seen what would come at the start of 2008/9. Armed with a new cue, he defeated Ricky Walden, Graeme Dott, Stephen Lee, Stephen Maguire and John Higgins to reach his first ranking final in 14 years at the Northern Ireland Trophy.
Although he lost out to world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, Dave had done enough to put him provisionally back into the top 16 of the rankings and continued this form in the next couple of events with some superb performances in qualifying.
Unfortunately for Dave however, while he went on to win his opening match in an impressive six ranking events, the two that he did lose were against Rory McLeod in the UK Championship and Liang Wenbo in the World Championship. As these two events carry significantly more ranking points than the others, Dave just fell short of returning to the top 16.
Tournament Victories:
Ranking Event wins (1)
| Event | Year |
| Nescafe Asian Open | 1993 |
