Thomas Arthur Dennis (1882 – January 1940) was an English professional snooker and English billiards player.
Career Dennis won the Billiard Professionals' Association (BPA) English billiards championship in 1914, 1921, 1922, and 1924, and also won the BPA Snooker Championship in 1923, 1924 and 1929. In 1925 he was ill in hospital for several months, which meant he was unable to defend his BPA titles and also faced the prospect of losing the two billiard saloons that he ran.
He reached the final of the World Snooker Championship in 1927, 1929, 1930, and 1931, but was beaten every time by Joe Davis. The closest Dennis came to defeating Davis was in the 1931 tournament, when the pair were the only two entrants. The match, played in the back room of his own pub in Nottingham, saw Dennis lead 14-10 and 19–16, before losing 21–25. He competed in two more championships, making his last appearance in 1933. He also reached the final of the tournament in 1927, losing to Davis in the final 11–20. After his final loss in 1931, he played in the event twice more, losing in the semi-final on both occasions, to Clark McConachy, and Willie Smith respectively.
Dennis had to withdraw from the 1936 World Snooker Championship after having an operation on his right eye.
Personal life He had three sons: Thomas Leslie, William Henry by his first wife and DavidEngland & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005, Births registered in Jul, Aug & Sept 1939 with his second wife, Kathleen.England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005, Marriages registered in Jan, Feb, March 1939 William was a successful amateur snooker player, reaching the final of the 1937 English Amateur Championship, losing 5–3 to Kingsley Kennerley.
Snooker performance timeline Tournament 1923/24 1924/25 1925/26 1926/27 1927/28 1928/29 1929/30 1930/31 1931/32 1932/33 1933/34 1934/35 1935/36 BPA Professional Championship W W WD NH SF F W NH SF SF Tournament Not Held World Championship Not Held F QF F F F SF SF A A WD
Performance Table Legend W won the tournament F lost in the final SF lost in the semi–finals QF lost in the quarter-finals WD withdrew from the tournament A did not participate in the tournament NH event was not held
Career finals
Career Finals: 7 (3 titles)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final ScoreWinner 1 1923 BPA Professional Championship 4–1Winner 2 1924 BPA Professional Championship 4–2Runner-up 1 1927 World Snooker Championship 11–20Runner-up 2 1929 World Snooker Championship 14–19Winner 3 1929 BPA Professional Championship 4–1Runner-up 3 1930 World Snooker Championship 12–25Runner-up 4 1931 World Snooker Championship 21–25
References