20.10.09

THE INTERNATIONAL ELEVEN #8

TONY DRAGO (Malta)

Years as professional: 1985-2008, 2009-
Ranking titles: 0
Ranking finals: 1
Other titles: 2
Highest ranking: 10
Years in top 16: 5
Crucible appearances: 13

Drago was, and indeed still is, the fastest player ever to pick up a cue.

He holds the record for the quickest ever frame – just three minutes – and is capable of sublime, instinctive snooker.

However, Drago plays on his nerves and sometimes the butterflies completely undo him.

His fiery Mediterranean temperament has not always endeared him to the authorities but what he has proved time and time again is that snooker is in his blood.

He made a sensational Crucible debut in 1988 by beating two former champions, Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor, to reach the quarter-finals.

Drago was runner-up to Jimmy White in the 1991 World Masters and to Stephen Hendry in the 1997 International Open, his only ranking final.

In the 1998/99 season he beat Hendry three times and spent five successive seasons in the top 16.

As Drago’s snooker career declined, he became proficient at pool and has won a handful of titles at a game that obviously suits his fast style.

2 comments:

shaun said...

tony was and still is a joy to watch and no matter what always plays with a smile on his face

Anonymous said...

yeah but just run and hide in the few moments after he lost a match, he could be very angry........