Andrew Hicks (born 10 August 1973) is an English retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Cream of Devon", Hicks was a semi-finalist at both the World Snooker Championship and UK Championship in 1995, and the same stage at four other ranking tournaments. A Masters semi-finalist in 1996, he was ranked within the world's top 32 players between 1995 and 2000, and again from 2005 to 2007, but was relegated from the main tour in 2013. He regained a two-year tour card in 2019. He was relegated from the main tour at the end of the 2023–24 season.

Career Although a professional since 1991, Hicks first came to prominence in the 1995 World Championship, in which he reached the semi-finals, beating Steve Davis, Willie Thorne and Peter Ebdon along the way, but being blocked from the finals by Nigel Bond, 11–16. He has never reached a major final, but reached the semi-finals of the four BBC-screened events within 2 seasons – the 1994 Grand Prix, the 1995 UK Championship and the 1996 Masters (as a wild card).

He spent most of the second half of the 1990s close to the Top-16 elite section in the world rankings, peaking at no. 17 in the 1995/1996 season, and winning the 1997 Masters qualifier. He struggled in the early part of the 2000s, however, winning only two of eighty-three matches in 2003.

Later, he was only one loss away from being bumped out of the Top 64, rallying to defeat Craig Butler 10–9 in a close 2003 World Championship qualifier. He ended up ranked no. 62 for the 2003/2004 season. At this point, he had only qualified for the world championship once in six years, a 10–4 defeat to eventual winner Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2001. However, he returned to form after this. He reached the second round of the 2004 World Championship, beating Quinten Hann in a match memorable for a near-fight between the two players at the end, started by Hann in the middle of the match, when he said to Hicks: 'I've enjoyed the last three times I've beaten you'. At the end of the match, Hicks retorted that Hann was about to drop out of the Top 16 as a result of the loss. Hicks later admitted his delight at this. This marked the only time Hicks had won a at the Crucible since 1995. He next gave Ronnie O'Sullivan a challenge in the second round, before ultimately losing, 11–13.

In 2004–05, Hicks made it to the quarter-finals of the British Open with a first-round victory over Ken Doherty.

Returning to the Top 32, in the following season he reached the last 32 in four of the six tournaments he entered, and retained his Top 32 status (marginally, at no. 31). He played in the 2006 World Championship, and lost to Steve Davis, 4–10, in the first round. Although slipping only a single position in the rankings (from no. 30 to no. 31) for 2006/2007, the year was not truly successful for him, and neither was 2006/2007, resulting in a drop down to the no. 41 position for 2007/2008 world rankings. After failing to qualify for the Welsh Open and China Open, he contemplated retiring if he could not retain a top-64 ranking.

He has compiled over 100 competitive during his career, and has scored a maximum break at the UK Championship qualifiers in 2012. Despite winning only one key event, Hicks has career winnings of £562,560 (up to the start of the 2006/2007 season). He entered the 2018 Q School in a bid to win back his place on the snooker professional tour.

Hicks came through the third event of the 2019 Q School by winning six matches to earn a two-year card on the World Snooker Tour for the 2019/2020 and 2020–21 seasons.

Personal life He currently lives in Launceston, Cornwall and is the staff pro at Bell's Court Snooker Club in Falmouth.Official Homepage of Bell's Court Snooker Club His wife Rachel was working there when they met; they married in 2005, and had their first child in 2006. He also plays golf, in a local society named after him.

Performance and rankings timeline Tournament 1991/92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24RankingFrom the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season.New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking705433171819213236466162513131415650536161He was an amateur93Players qualified One Year Ranking List started the season without ranking points6757Ranking tournamentsChampionship LeagueTournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventWDRRRRRREuropean MastersThe event was called the European Open (1991/1992–1996/1997 and 2001/2002–2003/2004), the Irish Open (1998/1999) and the Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)2RSFLQLQSF2RNHLQNot HeldLQLQLQLQLQLQNRTournament Not HeldLQALQLQ1R1R1R2RBritish OpenLQLQ3RLQ2R2R2R1R2RLQ3RLQ2RQFTournament Not Held2RLQ1REnglish OpenTournament Not HeldAAA1R2RLQLQ1RWuhan OpenTournament Not HeldLQNorthern Ireland OpenTournament Not HeldAAA1R3R1R1RLQInternational ChampionshipTournament Not HeldLQALQLQAALQNot HeldLQUK Championship1RLQ2R1RSF2R2R2R1RLQLQLQ1R3R1R1RLQLQLQLQLQLQA1R1RAA1R2RQFLQLQShoot OutTournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventSFA2R1R2R1R1R2RScottish OpenThe event was called the International Open (1992/1993–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)NH2R1R2R1R2R2R1R1RLQLQLQLQTournament Not HeldMRNot HeldAAA1R2RLQLQLQWorld Grand PrixTournament Not HeldNRDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ1RDNQDNQGerman MastersThe event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)Tournament Not HeldLQ2RLQNRTournament Not HeldLQLQLQALQLQAALQLQLQLQLQWelsh OpenLQLQ2R1R1R1R3R1R2RLQLQLQLQLQ2R1RLQLQLQLQ1RLQA1R2RAA1R1RLQ2RLQTournament Not HeldDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQWorld OpenThe event was called the Grand Prix (1991/1992–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010) and the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004)LQLQLQSF2R1R1R1R3R1RLQLQLQ2R2RRRLQLQLQLQLQLQNot HeldLQAALQNot HeldLQTour ChampionshipTournament Not HeldDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQWorld ChampionshipLQLQLQSFLQ1R1RLQLQ1RLQLQ2R1R1R1RLQLQLQLQLQLQALQLQALQLQLQLQLQLQNon-ranking tournamentsThe MastersLQLQLQLQSFLQWRLQLQLQLQLQAAAALQLQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWorld Seniors ChampionshipATournament Not HeldAAALQAAANHAAAAAFormer ranking tournamentsStrachan OpenThe event was called the Strachan Challenge (1992/1993–1993/1994)2RMRNRTournament Not HeldAsian ClassicThe event was called the Dubai Classic (1991/1992–1994/1995) and the Thailand Classic (1995/1996)1RLQQFLQ1RLQTournament Not HeldMalta Grand PrixNot HeldNon-Ranking EventLQNRTournament Not HeldThailand MastersThe event was called the Asian Open (1991/1992–1992/1993) and the Thailand Open (1993/1994–1996/1997)LQLQLQLQLQLQ1RLQ1RLQLQNRNot HeldNRTournament Not HeldIrish MastersNon-Ranking EventLQLQLQNHNRTournament Not HeldNorthern Ireland TrophyTournament Not HeldNR1RLQLQTournament Not HeldBahrain ChampionshipTournament Not HeldLQTournament Not HeldWuxi ClassicThe event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventLQAATournament Not HeldNot HeldNon-RankingTournament Not HeldLQLQAATournament Not HeldShanghai MastersTournament Not HeldLQ2RLQLQLQLQALQLQANon-RankingNot HeldNRPaul Hunter ClassicThe event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)Tournament Not HeldPro-am EventMinor-Ranking Event1R1RANRTournament Not HeldIndian OpenTournament Not HeldANHLQA3RTournament Not HeldChina OpenThe event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)Tournament Not HeldNRLQLQLQLQNot HeldLQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQLQALQ1RAATournament Not HeldRiga MastersThe event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)Tournament Not HeldMinor-Rank2RAALQTournament Not HeldChina ChampionshipTournament Not HeldNRAALQTournament Not HeldWST Pro SeriesTournament Not HeldRRNot HeldTurkish MastersTournament Not Held1RNot HeldGibraltar OpenTournament Not HeldMRA3R2R1R1R2RNot HeldWST ClassicLQTournament Not Held1RNHFormer non-ranking tournamentsPontins ProfessionalAAAAQFFSFAATournament Not HeldScottish MastersAAAALQAAAAAAATournament Not HeldMasters Qualifying EventThe event was also called the Benson & Hedges Championship (1990/1991–2002/2003)1RMR1R3R1R1RW3R2RSF1R3R2RNHAA2R2RATournament Not HeldShoot-OutTournament Not Held1R1R1RAARanking Event 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 tournamentDQ disqualified from the tournament NH / Not Held event was not held.NR / Non-Ranking Event event is/was no longer a ranking event.R / Ranking Event event is/was a ranking event.MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.PA / Pro-am Event means an event is/was a pro-am event.

Career finals

Non-ranking finals: 4 (1 title) Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final ScoreRunner-up 1. 1994 Strachan Open Anthony Hamilton 4–9Runner-up 2. 1995Scottish Masters Qualifying Event Alan Burnett 2–5Runner-up 3. 1997 Pontins Professional Martin Clark 7–9Winner 1. 1997 Benson & Hedges Championship Paul Davies 9–6

Amateur finals: 2 (1 title) Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final ScoreRunner-up 1. 1989 British Under-16 Championship Ronnie O'Sullivan 1–3Winner 1. 1991 British Under-19 Championship Bradley Jones 4–3

References

External links