Kirk Stevens (born August 17, 1958) is a Canadian former professional snooker player.
Career Stevens started playing young, achieving his first aged just 12. He turned professional aged 20, and reached the semi-finals of the World Championship aged 21. In 1984 he achieved a maximum 147 break in a televised match against Jimmy White in the Benson & Hedges Masters, which remained the only such break ever made in the competition until Ding Junhui achieved the same feat in 2007. His stylish choice of attire (he often appeared at major tournaments wearing an all-white suit, as opposed to the traditional black suit with a white shirt) and his youthful 'popstar' good looks made him a pin-up.
In 1985 he was wrongfully accused of taking stimulants before the final of the Dulux British Open Snooker Championship by South African Silvino Francisco. Stevens lost 9–12. Francisco was subsequently fined by the world governing body of snooker, the WPBSA, for the comments. The WPBSA accepted that the accusation was false and it is on record that Stevens has never failed a drugs test in the history of his career. Shortly after the comments were made public, Stevens admitted to an addiction to cocaine in his personal life.
Although he underwent treatment, his career never really recovered. He dropped out of the top 16 in 1986/87, but continued to play on until 1992/93, before returning home to Canada and retiring from professional tournament play on the world circuit.
After returning to Canada, Stevens won the Canadian Amateur Championship in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2008. In 2011 he returned to the Crucible Theatre for the first time since 1988 to play in a "Snooker Legends" exhibition event.
On September 23, 2019, Jimmy White published an apology to Stevens on White's official Facebook page stating that in his autobiography Second Wind he misremembered a few stories as occurring with Stevens that in fact did not. These events were widely broadcast in the media and White wanted to make the apology public to prevent them from being repeated. White further stated that he did not intend his words to be interpreted as meaning that Stevens introduced him to crack cocaine or that Stevens ever played WPBSA snooker under the influence of drugs.
Performance and rankings timeline Tournament 1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1980/81 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 1984/85 1985/86 1986/87 1987/88 1988/89 1989/90 1990/91 1991/92 1992/93 1998/99 RankingHe was an amateur.New players on the tour don't have a ranking19111067459213750685859 Ranking tournaments Grand PrixThe event was also called the Professional Players Tournament (1982/83–1983/1984)Tournament Not Held2RQFQFQF1R2R1RLQ3RLQLQLQ UK ChampionshipNHNon-Ranking EventSFQF2R2R2R2RLQLQ1RLQ Irish OpenThe event was also called the European Open (1988/1989–1992/1993)Tournament Not Held1RLQLQ1RLQLQ Welsh OpenTournament Not Held1RLQLQ Scottish OpenThe event was also called the Goya Matchroom Trophy and the International Open (1981/1982–1984/1985 & 1986/1987–1992/1993)Tournament Not HeldNRSFWD1R1R1R1RWDLQNot HeldLQLQ Thailand MastersThe event was also called the Asian Open (1989/1990–1992/1993)Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventNot HeldLQLQLQLQLQ China InternationalTournament Not HeldLQ British OpenThe event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)Not HeldNon-Ranking EventF3R3RWDLQ1R2RLQLQLQ World ChampionshipAA1RSF2RQFQFSF2RQF1R1RLQLQLQLQLQLQ Non-ranking tournaments Scottish MastersTournament Not HeldQFAAQFASFANHAAAAA MastersAAAA1RA1RSF1R1R1RAAAAAAA Irish MastersAAAAQFAAAQFWD1RAAAAAAA Premier LeagueThe event was also called the Professional Snooker League (1983/1984), Matchroom League (1986/1987 to 1991/1992) and the European League (1992/1993 to 1996/1997)Tournament Not HeldWDNot HeldAAAAAAAA Former ranking tournaments Canadian MastersThe event was also called the Canadian Open (1978/1979–1980/1981)Non-Ranking EventTournament Not HeldNon-RankingLQTournament Not Held ClassicNot HeldNon-Ranking EventQF2R1R2R1R1RLQLQ1RNot Held Strachan OpenTournament Not Held1RMRNH Dubai ClassicThe event was also called the Dubai Masters (1988/1989)Tournament Not HeldNRLQ1R2RLQNH Former non-ranking tournaments Bombay InternationalNot HeldARRTournament Not Held Pontins Camber SandsNot HeldQFTournament Not Held Canadian MastersThe event was also called the Canadian Open (1976/1977–1980/1981)1R1RQFSFSFTournament Not HeldAAARTournament Not Held Champion of ChampionsNot HeldANHRRTournament Not Held Scottish OpenThe event was also called the Goya Matchroom Trophy and the International Open (1981/1982–1984/1985 & 1986/1987–1992/1993)Tournament Not Held2RRanking EventNot HeldRanking Northern Ireland ClassicTournament Not HeldQFTournament Not Held UK ChampionshipNHAAAA2RAARanking Event ClassicNot HeldAAASFRanking EventNot Held Tolly Cobbold ClassicNot HeldAASFAASFTournament Not Held British OpenThe event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)Not HeldASFRRRRRRRanking Event New Zealand MastersTournament Not HeldFNot HeldAATournament Not Held Carlsberg ChallengeTournament Not HeldSFAAAATournament Not Held Australian MastersNot HeldAAAASFQFAAANHATournament Not Held Pot BlackAAAARRARR1R1RFTournament Not HeldAANH Belgian ClassicTournament Not HeldFTournament Not Held Tournament Not HeldSFNot HeldWSFQFSFSFQFTournament Not Held World MastersTournament Not Held1RNot Held
Performance Table LegendLQ lost in the qualifying draw#R lost in the early rounds of the tournament(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)QF lost in the quarter-finalsSF lost in the semi-finalsF lost in the finalW won the tournamentDNQ did not qualify for the tournamentA did not participate in the tournamentWD withdrew from the tournament NH / Not Held means an event was not held.NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.
Career finals Ranking finals: 1 Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Runner-up 1. 1985 British Open 9–12
Non-ranking finals: 6 (3 titles) Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Winner 1. 1979 Canadian Professional Championship Cliff Thorburn # Winner 2. 1981 Canadian Professional Championship # Winner 3. 1983 Canadian Professional Championship Frank Jonik 9–8 Runner-up 1. 1984 New Zealand Masters 3–5 Runner-up 2. 1986 Belgian Classic 7–9 Runner-up 3. 1986 Pot Black 0–2
Team finals: 4 (1 title) OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipTeam/partnerOpponent(s) in the finalScore Runner-up 1. 1980 World Challenge Cup 5–8Winner 1. 1982 World Team Classic 4–2Runner-up 2. 1986 World Cup (2) Ireland7–9Runner-up 3. 1987 World Cup (3) Ireland2–9
Amateur finals: 6 (6 titles) Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Winner 1. 1978 Canadian Amateur Championship Bob Paquette 10–6 Winner 2. 1997 Canadian Amateur Championship (2) Charlie Brown 6–3 Winner 3. 1998 Canadian Amateur Championship (3) Tom Finstad 7–3 Winner 4. 2000 Canadian Amateur Championship (4) Bob Chaperon 6–3 Winner 5. 2002 Canadian Amateur Championship (5) Cliff Thorburn 6–1 Winner 6. 2008 Canadian Amateur Championship (6) Tom Finstad 6–2
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