Joe Swail
Name: Joe Swail
DOB: August 29th, 1969
Nationality: Irish
Turned Pro: 1991
Highest Ranking: #10 (2001/2)
Current Ranking: #22
Highest Break: 142
Career Highlights: 2001 and 2002 World Semi-Finalist, 2009 Welsh Open Finalist, 1993 Strachan Challenge Champion, 1992 and 2005 Irish Professional Championships Champion
In short
Despite possessing arguably the most unorthodox cue action in snooker, Swail has been a professional for nearly twenty years now and wherever he is positioned in the rankings, has always remained a dangerous player to face.
Indeed when it comes to his ranking, Joe is something of a yo-yo player having been in and out of the top 16 for much of his career. Currently he sits outside of that elite group following his controversial loss to Liang Wenbo at the 2008 World Championship but it would not be too much of a surprise if he were to make it back for what would be a third time.
Early career
Another strong amateur emerging during the late 1980’s, Swail’s achievements at that level include victories in the British U-19 Championship and English Amateur Championship, as well as a semi-final appearance at the 1990 World Amateur Championship. Following these results he took the decision to turn professional a year later and proved to be competitive from the off.
His first season saw him reach the first of nine major semi-finals at the Asian Open, as well as the last 32 of another event, helping to move him up to 53 in the rankings. His next season was to be even better as he reached his second semi-final, as well as two quarter-final appearances later in the season. Victory in the Strachan Challenge as well as qualifying for his first appearance at the Crucible capped things off nicely as he moved up into the top 32 at #25.
Top 16 and sucsequent drop in form
Despite having a less successful season the following year, his two quarter-finals and his results from 1992/3 were enough to lift him into the top 16 for the first time. This was not to be a long-term thing however as Joe was to hold this status for just a single season before slipping back down to 19th.
Indeed his form was to remain solid if unspectacular for the next few seasons, hovering around the top 32 mark and making the occasional quarter-final without ever really looking like going a step further.
World impact
This was to change in 1999/2000 when following a strong start to the season, with a semi-final appearance in the British Open, he was to end it with a memorable run at the World Championship in Sheffield. Having defeated the late Paul Hunter in the opening round, Joe launched what is now a trademark comeback from 12-8 down to defeat 1991 world champion John Parrott in the second round. Although eventually losing in the semi-final, Joe’s great run had been enough to see him back into the top 16 at last and become the first player to have done so having dropped out of the top 32.
Again though, this did not look like lasting as he made a poor start to the 2000/1 season, but a repeat performance at the Crucible in 2001 where he again made the semi-final ensured that he retained his place among the elite, moving up to a career high 10th position.
Another patchy run of form
Unfortunately however, 2002/3 was a terrible year for Joe as he failed to produce the form of the last couple of years. Even his performance at the Crucible was not to be his saviour as he slipped right down to 27th in the rankings.
Things were to go from bad to worse over the next few seasons as once again he slipped out of the top 32, dropping as low as number 40 at one point. Again though, Swail was able to recover as he moved back up to 27th following 2005/6 and then came close to remarkably getting back into the top 16 for a second time a year later when he ended the season 17th.
Crucible heartbreak
2007/8 was to be his best chance though as having won his first round match at the Crucible against Stephen Lee, he put himself just one win away from achieving his season’s objective. Unfortunately however he ran into the dangerous Liang Wenbo and despite coming back bravely from 12-8 down to 12-12, he lost out at the end and ended the season at 20th. It was his campaign had to end on a sour note for Joe as he complained about a moment of perceived bad sportsmanship from Wenbo as the balls were replaced incorrectly by the referee to the rookie’s advantage.
2008/9 – A final at last!
The following season has been a year of two halves as up until the UK Championship he could not win a single match and looked like dropping out of the top 32 at one stage. Then however came a superb victory at the EISS in December as he avenged that defeat to Wenbo with a 10-9 and got his season up and running.
This proved to be a major turning point as at the Welsh Open he went on a fairytale run to his first final, though once there he could do little to stop an inspired Ali Carter who played brilliant snooker in the evening session. For Joe it was just such a brilliant achievement to get there, defeating Marcus Campbell, Mark Allen, Martin Gould and Stephen Maguire to reach his tenth semi-final, before beating Neil Robertson to reach that elusive final at last.
Following that result he managed to qualify for the World Championship at the Crucible with a 10-1 demolition of Matt Couch in the final qualifying round, but suffered a 10-4 defeat at the hands of Marco Fu once there.
Website: http://www.joeswail.co.uk/
