Leo Fernandez
| Born | 5 July 1976 County Limerick, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  Ireland |
| Professional | 1995–1997, 1998–2001, 2002–2006, 2007/2008, 2016–2018 |
| Highest ranking | 67 (2004–05) |
| Best ranking finish | Last 16 (x1) |
Leo Fernandez (born 5 July 1976 in Limerick) is an Irish former professional snooker player.
Snooker career
[edit]Fernandez's best ranking event progress was reaching the last 16 of the 2003 Welsh Open, defeating opponents including fellow Irishman Fergal O'Brien and Mark King.[1] He qualified for the 1999 World Championship but drew Ronnie O'Sullivan and lost 10–3. He also reached the final qualifying round in 2004, losing 10–8 to Dominic Dale. He was Jamie Burnett's opponent in 2004 UK Championship qualifying when Burnett scored a 148 break, the first ever break in excess of 147 in a professional match.[2][3]
As an amateur, Fernandez reached the final of English Amateur Championship in 2010, losing to Jack Lisowski, playing in the tournament again in 2011 and winning the title, victorious 10–6 in the final over John Whitty. He entered the 2015 Q School and made it to the final round of the first event before losing 4–1 to Rhys Clark.[4] In October 2015, Fernandez played in the Asian Tour, and reached quarter-finals of the Haining Open before losing 4–1 to world number 11 Ricky Walden.[5] This need being enough for Fernandez to qualify the main tour, however Fernandez was suspended from the sport of snooker for a period of 15 months following corruption charges and would not be eligible to participate in snooker events before 27 August 2017.[6][7][8]
In November 2017, Fernandez beat the world number three player Ding Junhui in the UK Championship coming from 5-1 behind to defeat the two-time former UK Champion 6–5 at the York Barbican.[9][10]
Personal life
[edit]Fernandez was born in Limerick, Ireland, but lives in Kendal England.[11]
Match fixing ban
[edit]Fernandez was given a 15-month ban by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in July 2016 for admitting to a breach of their corruption rules.[6]
After suspicious betting was placed on who would commit the first foul in the first frame, Fernandez admitted to playing that shot intentionally in order to aid those who had placed the bets in question. He was banned from 27 May 2016 to 27 August 2017, while he was fined €2,000 and made to assist the WPBSA in its anti-corruption education work.[12]
Performance and rankings timeline
[edit]| Tournament | 1995/ 96 |
1996/ 97 |
1997/ 98 |
1998/ 99 |
1999/ 00 |
2000/ 01 |
2001/ 02 |
2002/ 03 |
2003/ 04 |
2004/ 05 |
2005/ 06 |
2007/ 08 |
2010/ 11 |
2011/ 12 |
2013/ 14 |
2015/ 16 |
2016/ 17 |
2017/ 18 |
2018/ 19 |
2019/ 20 |
2020/ 21 |
2021/ 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking[13][nb 1] | [nb 2] | 214 | [nb 3] | 155 | 81 | 71 | [nb 3] | [nb 2] | 72 | 67 | 74 | [nb 2] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | [nb 2] | [nb 5] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | [nb 4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | RR | RR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | 2R | LQ | A | LQ | WD | LQ | Tournament Not Held | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Open | Tournament Not Held | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Open | Tournament Not Held | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | A | A | 1R | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Open[nb 6] | LQ | LQ | A | 2R | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 2R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Masters[nb 7] | LQ | LQ | A | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | LQ | A | A | LQ | A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Players Championship[nb 8] | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Masters[nb 9] | 1R | LQ | NH | LQ | Not Held | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | 2R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish Masters | Tournament Not Held | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gibraltar Open | Tournament Not Held | MR | A | 1R | 1R | LQ | 2R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tour Championship | Tournament Not Held | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | LQ | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | LQ | A | LQ | A | A | LQ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Classic[nb 10] | LQ | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malta Grand Prix | Non-Ranking Event | LQ | NR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Masters[nb 11] | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | NR | Tournament Not Held | NR | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Masters | Non-Ranking Event | LQ | LQ | LQ | NH | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Trophy | Tournament Not Held | NR | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Goldfields Open[nb 12] | NR | Tournament Not Held | A | A | LQ | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanghai Masters | Tournament Not Held | LQ | A | A | A | LQ | A | LQ | Non-Ranking | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hunter Classic[nb 13] | Tournament Not Held | Pro-am Event | Minor-Ranking Event | A | A | A | NR | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Open | Tournament Not Held | A | NH | WD | A | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Open[nb 14] | Not Held | NR | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | Not Held | LQ | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | LQ | A | LQ | A | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riga Masters[nb 15] | Tournament Not Held | MR | WD | A | A | A | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Championship | Tournament Not Held | A | LQ | A | LQ | A | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China Championship | Tournament Not Held | NR | A | A | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Open[nb 16] | LQ | LQ | A | LQ | 1R | LQ | A | LQ | LQ | 2R | LQ | LQ | A | A | A | NH | WD | A | A | A | Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WST Pro Series | Tournament Not Held | RR | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former Non-ranking tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irish Professional Championship | Tournament Not Held | QF | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | 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-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
- ^ From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season
- ^ a b c d New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking
- ^ a b He was not on the Main Tour
- ^ a b c d e f g h He was an amateur
- ^ He was suspended from the start of the previous season for 15 months and began this season without ranking points
- ^ The event was called the International Open (1995/1996–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
- ^ The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
- ^ The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
- ^ The event was called the European Open (1995/1996-1996/1997 & 2001/2002-2003/2004), Irish Open (1998/1999) Malta Cup (2004/2005–2007/2008)
- ^ The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996)
- ^ The event was called the Thailand Open (1995/1996–1996/1997)
- ^ The event was called the Australian Masters (1995/1996)
- ^ The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)
- ^ The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
- ^ The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
- ^ The event was called the Grand Prix (1995/1996–2000/2001 and 2004/2005–2009/2010), the LG Cup (2001/2002–2003/2004) and the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014)
Career finals
[edit]Non-ranking finals: 3 (2 titles)
[edit]| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2001 | WPBSA Open Tour - Event 2 |  Brian Morgan
|
2–5 |
| Winner | 1. | 2001 | Challenge Tour - Event 2 |  Ryan Day
|
6–3 |
| Winner | 2. | 2019 | World Seniors Tour Finals | James O'Sullivan
|
4–2 |
Pro-am finals: 4 (3 titles)
[edit]| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 2007 | Pontins Spring Open | Daniel Wells
|
5–2 |
| Winner | 2. | 2007 | Pontins Pro-Am - Event 2 | Dominic Dale
|
4–2[14] |
| Runner-up | 1. | 2008 | Pontins Autumn Open | Craig Steadman
|
0–5 |
| Winner | 3. | 2011 | Pontins Spring Open (2) | Sydney Wilson
|
5–1 |
Amateur finals: 5 (3 titles)
[edit]| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 2003 | English Open | Craig Butler
|
8–7[15] |
| Winner | 2. | 2006 | PIOS – Event 3 | Lee Walker
|
6–5 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 2010 | English Amateur Championship | Jack Lisowski
|
2–9 |
| Winner | 3. | 2011 | English Amateur Championship | John Whitty
|
10–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2023 | English Amateur Championship (2) | Paul Deaville
|
2–6 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Leo Fernandez - Profile". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ "Scot Burnett compiles 148 break". BBC Sport. 16 October 2004. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Burnett's break goes one better". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 18 October 2004. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Snooker star narrowly misses out on tour place". Hastings Observer. Johnston Publishing. 19 May 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Fernandez Run Ended but Main Tour Hopes Remain Alive". Snooker HQ. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ a b "WPBSA statement: Leo Fernandez". WPBSA. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Leo Fernandez handed 15-month ban after admitting corruption charge". BBC Sport. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ "Leo Fernandez is suspended from snooker for 15 months". Sky Sports. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 10 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ "Limerick's Leo Fernandez scores sensational comeback win at UK Snooker Championship". Limerick Leader. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ "UK Snooker Championship 2017: Ding Junhui loses to world number 130 Leo Fernandez". BBC Sport. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ "Leo Fernandez". O'Sullivan's Snooker & Pool Club. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ Ben Blake (6 July 2016). "Irish snooker player banned for 15 months after admitting to spot-fixing". The42.ie. Journal Media. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Hermund Årdalen. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
- ^ "2007 Pontins Pro-Am – Event 2". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008.
- ^ "Other Tournaments Until 2020". bgsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
External links
[edit]
- Leo Fernandez at the World Snooker Tour (archived)
- Leo Fernandez at snooker.org
