David Greaves (English professional snooker player, 1946–2019)

Career and notable matches

Greaves became a professional in 1972 at the age of 25. His first appearance in the World Championship came in the 1973 tournament, where he met Bernard Bennett in the opening rounds. In that match Greaves recovered from significant deficits—trailing 1–5 and later 2–7—to claim a 9–8 victory, a result often cited as the high point of his competitive record.

Advancing to the last 16, Greaves faced veteran Fred Davis, a multiple-time champion. Davis won decisively, taking the first ten frames and ultimately defeating Greaves 16–1. Although the result was one-sided, the encounter paired a rising professional with an established figure from an earlier era of the game.

Context and legacy

David Greaves competed during a transitional era for snooker, when the professional game was expanding in profile and structure. He was not among the most celebrated stars of the decade, but his 1973 comeback match remains a concrete example of the close, frame-by-frame drama that characterizes knockout snooker. Players like Greaves contributed to the depth of competition that helped the sport grow in subsequent years.

Biography and quick facts

• Born: 1 September 1946, St Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire (location).
• Turned professional: 1972; first World Championship appearance: 1973.
• Best-known match: 1973 win over Bernard Bennett (9–8) and last-16 match versus Fred Davis.
• Died: 5 October 2019 in a hospital in Blackpool after a short illness.

For further details on the tournament formats and contemporaries of Greaves, consult general histories of the World Snooker Championship and 1970s professional snooker records, which provide wider context for his playing years.

More on English snooker players • About the sport of snooker • Lancashire sporting history • Blackpool