Mark King (snooker player)
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Mark King at the 2015 German Masters
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| Born | 28 March 1974 |
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| Sport country |
 England
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| Nickname | The Romford Battler The Royal King |
| Professional | 1991– |
| Highest ranking | 11 (2002/03) |
| Current ranking | 21 (as of 18 December 2016) |
| Career winnings | £1,421,407 |
| Highest break | 146 (2006 UK Championship) |
| Century breaks | 127 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
Mark King (born 28 March 1974) is an English professional snooker player.
Having turned professional in 1991, King was ranked within the world's top 32 players between 1996 and 2015, and won his first ranking event title in 2016, defeating Barry Hawkins 9–8 in the final of the Northern Ireland Open. He has also appeared in two other ranking tournament finals – the 1997 Welsh Open, where he lost 2–9 to Stephen Hendry, and the 2004 Irish Masters, where Peter Ebdon defeated him 10–7.
King has reached the last 16 of the World Championship seven times, in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2013, but has never progressed beyond this stage.
King turned professional in 1991 and advanced steadily through the rankings, reaching the top 48 by 1996. His 1997 Welsh Open final run lead to a top 32 place in the end of season rankings, and he continued to progress by reaching the top 16 a year later.
He remained in the top 16 the following season without reaching a ranking quarter-final, but dropped out a year later. He made an immediate return in 2000/2001, climbing to a career-high of #11. A poor 2002/2003 season ended with him dropping out of the top 16 again after defeat to Drew Henry 10–5 in the first round of the World Championship. In the post-match interview, King suggested that he had lost patience with the game and would quit because "I've just had enough of the game."
After the 2004 World Championship, King became involved in a tense battle with Quinten Hann after his friend Andy Hicks eliminated Hann in a controversial first-round clash. Hann had been making provocative gestures during the match and after Hicks took victory, the two players had an altercation, with an angry Hann squaring up to Hicks. Upset by Hann's behaviour, King challenged the Australian to a boxing match, for which King was later criticised, as Hann's behaviour had already put the game into disrepute. Nevertheless, the bout went ahead and Hann controversially won the fight on a points decision.
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