On May 13, 2024, Beijing time, the final of the Snooker Veterans World Championship came to an end. The 46-year-old Brazilian Figueiredo won his first career title with a 5-2 victory over former world champion Doherty with a score of 72, 93, 88 and four consecutive wins.
The title helped Figueiredo to claim £20,000 for the winner's prize and £2,000 for the highest score in a single stroke, as well as qualification for the Champion of Champions.
At the same time, Figueiredo also became the first player outside of the continent to win the senior World Championship. After winning the championship, Figueiredo couldn't hold back his tears. In an interview, he said he couldn't believe it was reality.
Figueiredo made it all the way to become the eventual champion
In this Senior World Championships, Figueiredo can be said to have completed a very good performance. After qualifying, the 46-year-old Figueiredo has brought quality exhibition bouts in almost every bout, and his performances are enough to make him a deserving champion.
After defeating women's veteran champion Davidson, legendary Jimmy White, fast shooter Dragao and former world champion Doherty, Figueiredo lost just four games. Against Doherty, Figueiredo was in excellent form.
He used a single stroke of 72 points, 93 points, and 88 points to defeat Doherty, who completed a single stroke of 100 and two strokes of 50+, 5-2 and became the final champion, which also allowed him to successfully make history. He also became the first senior world champion outside of Europe, and this performance also brought him to tears after the race.
The unique Grand Slam belonging to Doherty has yet to come
For former world champion Doherty, it will be a long time before a unique Grand Slam is completed. Doherty is still a professional footballer. He is an amateur world champion, under-21 world junior champion and professional world champion, and if he can win the senior world championships, he will complete this unique honour.
Although he struggled against Figueiredo, he did not escape the fate of losing in the final. Doherty had a chance to complete the comeback in the fifth game, but he missed it, which set the stage for him to lose. After seven rounds of competition, Doherty finally lost to Figueiredo 2-5 and announced that his dream of winning the championship was shattered.
For Doherty, it was undoubtedly his best chance to compete for the title in years, but he didn't take it. Objectively speaking, Doherty may be drifting away from his dream, and it will undoubtedly be more difficult for him to win the next senior World Championships.
Figueiredo: I thought I was still dreaming
After a legendary race, Figueiredo finally beat Doherty with his outstanding performance to complete his first senior World Championship title, which was also the first title of Figueiredo's career. After the match, Figueiredo was visibly excited.
In an interview, Figueiredo said: "I don't really know what to say, I thought I was still sleeping or dreaming right now, I can't believe it's really happening. I think I played well throughout the tournament and I'm happy, people love it and I'm happy for the Brazilian people. ”
"Behind me, there are a lot of people who support me and I am very grateful for that. In this match, I played with a lot of confidence, but I was also very nervous because it was a very important moment. It's not just for myself and my history, it's for the Americas as a whole, it's very important for the players now and for the next generation of young people. ”