Leo Fernandez

Leo Fernandez (born 5 July 1976 in Limerick) is an Irish former professional snooker player.

Leo Fernandez
Born (1976-07-05) 5 July 1976
County Limerick, Ireland
Sport country Ireland
Professional1995–1997, 1998–2001, 2002–2006, 2007/2008, 2016–2018
Highest ranking67 (2004–05)
Best ranking finishLast 16 (x1)

Snooker career

Fernandez finished second on the PIOS Order of Merit in 2007 gaining promotion to the Main Tour for the 2007–08 season, although he failed to finish inside the top 64 and was relegated after that season. He has been on and off the Main Tour a few times during his career, failing to make any significant impact each time. He suffered from testicular cancer in 2005 but continued playing while he recovered.

His best ranking event display came when he reached 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

Fernandez was born in Limerick, Ireland, but lives in Kendal England.[11]

Match fixing ban

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.

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
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 Heldmeans an event was not held
NR / Non-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was no longer a ranking event
R / Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a ranking event
MR / Minor-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a minor-ranking event
PA / Pro-am Eventmeans an event is/was a pro-am event
  1. From the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the season
  2. New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking
  3. He was not on the Main Tour
  4. He was an amateur
  5. He was suspended from the start of the previous season for 15 months and began this season without ranking points
  6. The event was called the International Open (1995/1996–1996/1997) and the Players Championship (2003/2004)
  7. The event was called the German Open (1995/1996–1997/1998)
  8. The event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013) and the Players Championship Grand Final (2013/2014–2015/2016)
  9. 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)
  10. The event was called the Thailand Classic (1995/1996)
  11. The event was called the Thailand Open (1995/1996–1996/1997)
  12. The event was called the Australian Masters (1995/1996)
  13. The event was called the Grand Prix Fürth (2004/2005) and the Fürth German Open (2005/2006–2006/2007)
  14. The event was called the China International (1997/1998–1998/1999)
  15. The event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)
  16. 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

Non-ranking finals: 3 (2 titles)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 2001 WPBSA Open Tour - Event 2 England Brian Morgan 2–5
Winner 1. 2001 Challenge Tour - Event 2 Wales Ryan Day 6–3
Winner 2. 2019 World Seniors Tour Finals England James O'Sullivan 4–2

Pro-am finals: 4 (3 titles)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2007 Pontins Spring Open Wales Daniel Wells 5–2
Winner 2. 2007 Pontins Pro-Am - Event 2 Wales Dominic Dale 4–2[14]
Runner-up 1. 2008 Pontins Autumn Open England Craig Steadman 0–5
Winner 3. 2011 Pontins Spring Open (2) England Sydney Wilson 5–1

Amateur finals: 5 (3 titles)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2003 English Open England Craig Butler 8–7[15]
Winner 2. 2006 PIOS – Event 3 Wales Lee Walker 6–5
Runner-up 1. 2010 English Amateur Championship England Jack Lisowski 2–9
Winner 3. 2011 English Amateur Championship England John Whitty 10–6
Runner-up 2. 2023 English Amateur Championship (2) England Paul Deaville 2–6

References
  1. "Leo Fernandez - Profile". World Snooker. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  2. "Scot Burnett compiles 148 break". BBC Sport. 16 October 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  3. "Burnett's break goes one better". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 18 October 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  4. "Snooker star narrowly misses out on tour place". Hastings Observer. Johnston Publishing. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  5. "Fernandez Run Ended but Main Tour Hopes Remain Alive". Snooker HQ. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  6. "WPBSA STATEMENT – LEO FERNANDEZ". World Snooker. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  7. "Leo Fernandez handed 15-month ban after admitting corruption charge". BBC Sport. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  8. "Leo Fernandez is suspended from snooker for 15 months". Sky Sports. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  9. "Limerick's Leo Fernandez scores sensational comeback win at UK Snooker Championship". Limerick Leader. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  10. "UK Snooker Championship 2017: Ding Junhui loses to world number 130 Leo Fernandez". BBC Sport. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  11. "Leo Fernandez". O'Sullivan's Snooker & Pool Club. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  12. Ben Blake (6 July 2016). "Irish snooker player banned for 15 months after admitting to spot-fixing". The42.ie. Journal Media.
  13. "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Hermund Årdalen. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  14. "2007 Pontins Pro-Am – Event 2". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008.
  15. "Other Tournaments Until 2020". bgsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
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