Jimmy Michie

Infobox Snooker player
Name = Jimmy Michie


Caption =
Born = Birth date and age|1971|08|04
Birthplace = Essex
Nationality = Flagicon|ENG English
Nickname =
Professional = 1991–
High ranking = #46 (2008/9
Current rank = #46
Prize money =
High break =
Best finish = Semi-finalist:
1999 British Open
2002 LG Cup
Ranking wins =
Other wins =
World champ =

Jimmy Michie (born 4 August 1971,Cite web|title=Player Profile - Jimmy Michie| url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/players_head_to_head-8366.htm |work=WorldSnooker.com|publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association|year=2007|accessdate=2007-07-31] Essex) (pronounced 'Mickey') is an English professional snooker player from Pontefract, Yorkshire, placed at no. 61 in the 2007/2008 world rankings,Cite web|title=Player rankings - Jimmy Michie| url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/players_rankings(1)-8366.htm |work=WorldSnooker.com|publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association|year=2007|accessdate=2007-07-31] and a two-time WPBSA ranking tournament semi-finalist, who has also reached the World Snooker Championship. Michie has been described as "charismatic" by the snooker press.

Career

In the 2006/2007 season Michie was ranked only 61, for the first of two successive seasons, having failed to do better than the last-48 (third round) in ranking tournaments, although he did get that far twice that season. In the Northern Ireland Trophy, after having beaten Ben Woollaston and six-time World Champion runner-up Jimmy White, he lost 4-5 to James Wattana, and he fell in the Malta Cup to Stuart Bingham, 3-5.

Michie who has placed as high as no. 55 twice, in both the 2002/2003 and 2004/2005 seasons.

His first ranking semi-final (fifth-round) performance was earned, at the 1999 British Open by defeating Tony Drago, Marcus Campbell, double World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, and 1991 World Champion John Parrott, finally losing to Anthony Hamilton.

In the 2002 LG Cup, he beat Marco Fu and Mark King, and narrowly defeated quarter-finalist Gerard Greene 5-4 (after having been down 1-4 before dramatically rallying), to reach the semi-finals again. However, he lost 2-6 against the tournament's eventual winner, Chris Small.

His only World Snooker Championship entrance to date was in the 1996 event, in which he was bumped out in the first round, 8-10, by James Wattana. "WorldSnooker.com" reports that he "arrived in a stretch limo" at the Crucible, apparently excited at his first World title opportunity, "but made a low-key exit after losing".

Off the table

In 2002, he unsuccessfully offered a reward of £1,000 for the return of his cue, which had been stolen along with his car.

He is a close friend as well as competitor of Ronnie O'Sullivan,fact|date=July 2007 who borrowed Michie's cue in the semi-final of the 2006 World Championship, because O'Sullivan had persistent problems with his own cue, especially the tip, which Michie helped him re-attach."Cite web|title=O'Sullivan avoids cue-tip censure| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/4956766.stm |pages="BBC Sport: Snooker" section|work=BBC News Online|publisher=BBC|date=2006-04-28|accessdate=2007-05-05]

The tight-knit pro snooker world involves Michie in other ways, as of early 2007 he is in physical training to prepare for charity marathons to raise funds for the anti-cancer foundation that is the legacy of now-deceased fellow pro Paul Hunter.

References