1986 Grand Prix (snooker)
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18–26 October 1986 |
| Venue | Hexagon Theatre |
| City | Reading |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £275,000 |
| Winner's share | £55,000 |
| Highest break | Jimmy White (ENG) (138) |
| Final | |
| Champion | Jimmy White (ENG) |
| Runner-up | Rex Williams (ENG) |
| Score | 10–6 |
← 1985 1987 → | |
The 1986 Rothmans Grand Prix was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 18 to 26 October 1986 at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading.
Rex Williams made his first (and only) major final in a professional snooker tournament after being a professional since 1951. He was 53 years and 98 days old, making him the oldest player in a ranking final. He had beaten Jim Bear, Mark Wildman, Alex Higgins, Steve Davis and Neal Foulds before facing Jimmy White in the final. During that match Williams took a 5–2 lead which he had made a break of 125 in the 7th frame and 6–4 before White took the last 6 frames to win 10–6.
Rounds 1 to 3 were played at Redwood Lodge, Bristol, from 17 to 24 September 1986.
Terry Griffiths set a Grand Prix record with a break of 136 against Steve Davis in the fourth round. This was superseded by a break of 137 by Willie Thorne against Neal Foulds in round five. White then made a break of 138 against Silvino Francisco in their semi-final.
The quarter-final between White and 17-year-old Stephen Hendry went to the deciding frame. Hendry missed potting the blue ball in that frame and White went on to win. Williams nearly inflicted the first whitewash of Davis's professional career, taking a four-frame lead but then not potting a black ball that would have meant a 5–0 win. After Davis had won the fifth frame, Williams completed his victory with a break of 74 in frame 6.
In the semi-finals, White defeated Francisco 9–6, and Williams eliminated Foulds 9–8.
Williams led 5–3 at the end of the first session of the final. White took the first frame of the second session, then Williams won the next frame to lead 6–4. White then added six consecutive frames to take the title.