Tony Drago

Infobox Snooker player
Name = Tony Drago


Caption =
Born = Birth date and age|df=yes|1965|9|22
Birthplace =
Nicknames = The Maltese Falcon, The Tornado, The Boss
Nationality = flagicon|Malta Maltese
Nicknames = The Tornado, The Maltese Falcon
Professional = Snooker: 1985–2008; Pool: 2000-
High ranking = #10 (1998/99)
Prize money = €1.42 million in snooker; €95,464.94 in pool (2000-to date).
High break = 147 – B&H Championship 2002
Ranking wins =
Minor wins = Snooker: 1
Other wins = Pool: 4

Tony Drago (born 22 September 1965) is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He has reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship and won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8-6. In 2008, Drago won the Predator International 10-ball Championship, beating Francisco Bustamante 13-10.

His combination of exceptionally fast play and emotional temperament has made him a popular character in snooker, although he was famously criticised by Steve Davis for hurling his cue at the table and storming out of the arena following his 1-5 quarter final defeat to Mark Bennett in the 1996 Grand Prix, with Drago later accusing his opponent of bad sportsmanship because he had twice in the match suggested that Drago missed balls deliberately while snookered. Similarly, he became visibly angry with Peter Ebdon during their second round match in the 2003 World Championship, in which Ebdon repeatedly left the arena between frames. Drago took this as an attempt to disrupt the flow of his game, but apologised publicly when he later found out that Ebdon had been ill during the match.

Drago is known for his consistently high-speed play, similar to pool players Lou Butera of the US and Luc Salvas of Canada, or snooker's Ronnie O'Sullivan. His style has earned him the nickname "the Tornado" and in more recent times has been known among the pool community as the "Maltese Whippet" (due to another player using the Tornado nickname in pool). In 1993 he recorded the fastest ever best-of-9-frames snooker victory by beating Sean Lanigan in just thirty-four minutes. He also holds the record for the fastest best-of-17 match, beating Joe O'Boye 9-0 in 81 minutes at the 1990 UK Snooker Championship. Cite web
url = http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Records.html
title = Chris Turner's SNOOKER ARCHIVE - Records
publisher =
date = 2008
accessdate = 2008-08-12] In the same event five years later, he made a century break in just three minutes and thirty seconds against John Higgins. Conversely, he lost 4-13 against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the second round in 1997 in just 167 minutes, an all-time Crucible record and less than 9 minutes per frame [ [http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board/showthread.php?t=6804 Longest and quickest matches; longest sessions; latest finishes - The Snooker Forum - Your Online Snooker Community! ] ] .

Drago once achieved a 149 break, believed to be the second highest break ever made, in a practice match at West Norwood Snooker Club, against Nick Manning. Breaks of over 147 are possible only when the break begins by invoking the "free ball" rule, effectively giving the player sixteen "reds" rather than fifteen, and thus allowing a maximum break of 155. Drago played in two professional matches where maximums were scored against him, once by Jimmy White, and another by James Wattana.

Drago's highest snooker world rankings position was number ten (in 1998). He has reached two major finals - the Mita World Masters in 1991 (losing to Jimmy White), and the International Open in 1997 (his only ranking event final, and his first run past a quarter-final [ [http://www.snooker.org/trn/9697/io_res.shtml WWW Snooker: International Open 1997 ] ] beaten by Stephen Hendry). He reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 1988. He has appeared in the tournament 11 times more, most recently in 2004/2005, with five further last sixteen runs. He lost to Matthew Stevens in three successive years - 8-13 in the last 16 in 1999, 2-10 in the 2000 first round, and 1-10 in the 2001 first round.

It is possible he would have won more tournaments were it not for his main aberration: playing shots with the rest. Most professional snooker players dislike the rest, but view its use as a necessary evil; some of Drago's misses when using the implement in important matches have bordered on the farcical, and have certainly cost him victories. Even among pool players, who use the rest less often due to pool's smaller table, this is seen as Drago's achilles heel.Or|date=January 2008

After failing to qualify for the 2004 World Championships, Drago entered a decline in snooker. He dropped out of the top 32 of the rankings a year later, and after losing to Issara Kachaiwong in his opening qualifier for the 2008 World Championship, he looks set to drop off the tour. [ [http://www.worldsnooker.com/tournament_news(id19102)-93.htm World Snooker News - 888.com World Snooker Championship Qualifying - DRAGO DENIED ] ]

At the 2007 Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas, Drago won all of his single matches which earned him the "Most Valuable Player Award".

In 2008, Drago won the Predator International 10-ball Championship, beating Francisco Bustamante 13-10.

Currently Drago plays with a John Parris cue.

Tournament Wins

*Strachan Challenge, (1993, leg 3)
*World Pool Masters, 2003
*Mosconi Cup, 2007 - Undefeated in single competitions
*French Open, Eurotour 2008
*Predator International 10-ball Championship, 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.worldpoolmasters.com/staticpage.asp?strPageName=Tony%20Drago Industry profile of Tony Drago]
* [http://www.worldsnooker.com/players_head_to_head-8550.htm Profile on World Snooker]
* [http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Players/Global_Europe/Global_Malta/malta_tony_drago.htm Profile on the Global Snooker Centre]