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JOE PERRY has confirmed his decision to retire from professional snooker after believing his “time is up” following a 33-year career.
Perry announced that the 2025 World Snooker Championship next week will be his last tournament on the main tour – if he makes it.
GettyThe 50 year-old beat Dylan Emery 10-6 at the English Institute of Sport on Thursday to reach the penultimate round of the qualifying competition.
Perry was already struggling for tour survival with his end-of-season ranking provisionally outside the crucial top 64 cut-off line.
With two more wins required to reach the Crucible, Perry is targeting the iconic venue as a fitting setting for his farewell.
The former world No.8 said: “I have officially retired. Now, I’m just trying to enjoy it.
“It’s not easy when you play as ropy as I do these days, but I’m trying my best.
“I will continue to play snooker, because I’m going to be in the World Seniors Championship, but my time as a professional player is up after this tournament.
“It’s alright, I was less nervous today than I was in the last two or three years coming here. There was a lot depending on it the last few years.
“The pressure is different. I know that if they get to nine, it’s potentially my last ever frame. But so be it.”
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The two-time ranking title winner was part of the Class of ’92 along with Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams.
He has been on the pro tour ever since and reached the Masters final and the World Snooker Championship semi-finals.
Perry added that he’s taken a long time to decide to call it quits after thinking about for the last 12 to 18 months.
The Gentleman said: “The aim is to reach the Crucible, I’m trying as hard as ever out there. If I can play my last match at the Crucible, wonderful.
“The boys are so good these days, the standard is so high. But all the time that I’m around, I’ve got a chance.”
It comes after Perry said he is ready to quit after feeling “embarrassed” and “falling out of love with snooker”.
Perry, 50, beat fellow Class of 92 star Williams to win the 2015 Players Tour Championship Finals, and won the 2022 Welsh Open.
His only appearance in a Triple Crown event final was in 2017, when he lost 10-7 to O’Sullivan in the final of the Masters.
He was a commentator at this year’s Welsh Open and he found it a more enjoyable experience than playing.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
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