Dott into top six
Graeme Dott’s first 888.com World Championship crown has pushed the Scot into the top six of the WPBSA rankings for the 2006-2007 campaign.
Meanwhile, Ken Doherty has climbed into second place.
Dott has piled more misery on his Crucible final opponent Peter Ebdon by climbing above him into sixth position, a rise of seven places, after his 18-14 triumph in the early hours of this morning.
Ebdon remains in seventh spot but he will be happy with that after failing to reach even a quarter-final in any ranking event this season before arriving at Sheffield a fortnight ago.
Back at number one after an eight-year absence is Stephen Hendry, despite his first-round exit at the hands of Nigel Bond at the Crucible Theatre.
Hendry has not lifted a title in 2005-2006 but the seven-times world champion has been a consistent performer during the past season.
Former world champion John Parrott told PA Sport: “Hendry getting back to number one is a phenomenal achievement. He was down to five or six at one stage so to come back to number one is great.
“Probably, knowing Stephen, it wouldn’t have been the way he wanted to do it, being such a perfectionist and having won as many tournaments as he has. I think he’d have liked to have won two or three events to get to number one.
“But the ranking list is there to reward consistency as well and that is what he has done.”
Ken Doherty, the 1997 world champion, has climbed 11 places into second position after winning the Malta Cup, his first world-ranking title for five years.
But Ronnie O’Sullivan’s world semi-final exit against Dott, and his failure to participate in Malta, means he has slipped from first to third position.
2006-2007 rankings: 1 Stephen Hendry (2, 2005-2006); 2, Ken Doherty (11); 3, Ronnie O’Sullivan (1); 4, John Higgins (6); 5, Shaun Murphy (21); 6, Graeme Dott (13); 7, Peter Ebdon (7); 8, Mark Williams (9); 9, Stephen Maguire (3); 10, Stephen Lee (10); 11, Steve Davis (15); 12, Barry Hawkins (30); 12, Neil Robertson (28); 14, Matthew Stevens (4); 15, Ali Carter (19); 16, Anthony Hamilton (17).
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