Hunter loses battle with cancer
The snooker professional Paul Hunter has died of cancer. He was 27.
Hunter was diagnosed with dozens of neuro endocrine tumours of the lining of his stomach in March 2005.
He was taken into the Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield last Friday and died this evening.
Despite chemotherapy treatment, Hunter continued to compete professionally but won only one match last season and fell from fifth to 34th in the rankings.
Hunter turned professional at the age of 16 in 1995 and won his first major title, the 1998 Welsh Open, at the age of 19.
The Leeds player also won the Welsh title in 2002 and picked up the British Open trophy the same year but he will be best remembered for his exploits at the Wembley Masters.
Hunter recovered from 7-3 down to beat Fergal O’Brien 10-9 in the 2001 final and fought from 5-0 adrift to beat Mark Williams 10-9 in the final a year later.
He completed a hat-trick of Masters victories in 2004 when he came from 7-2 down to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9.
Hunter’s best World Championship performance was reaching the semi-finals in 2003, where he led Ken Doherty 15-9 before the Dubliner stormed back to win 17-16.
Hunter would have been 28 this coming Saturday. He leaves a wife, Lindsey, and a daughter, Evie Rose, who was born on Boxing Day of last year.
