The 1984/85 season had a total of 119 players, up from 102 the previous year.
There were 74 active players, and their final ratings based solely on their performances in this season were as follows:
Steve Davis was once again #1, but the gap between him and the chasing pack closed. Davis started his season with 3 group-format tournaments, and finished as runner up in the 1984 Singapore Masters, before coming third in the 1984 Malaysian Masters and last in the 1984 Thailand Masters. A return to Knockout tournaments found more success, winning the 1984 Hong Kong Masters, the 1984 Scottish Masters and the 1984 International Open in succession. The 1984 Grand Prix saw him lose in the Semi Final to Cliff Thorburn, but he bounced straight back at the 1984 UK Championship, beating Alex Higgins 16-8 in the final. The new year saw Davis lose in the semi final of the 1985 Classic, and the last 16 of the 1985 Masters, before he won the 1985 English Professional Championship in February. The 1985 British Open saw him lose in the Semi Final, as did the 1985 Irish Masters. Entering the World Championship then, Davis was favourite, and reached the final without too much difficulty. However, this wasn’t to be his year.
Dennis Taylor had established himself as the closest rival to Davis. Ranked #2 by me in the previous season, he had built on his success. During the season he had won the 1984 Costa Del Sol Classic, the 1984 Grand Prix and the 1985 Irish Professional Championship. At the World Championships, he beat Silvino Francisco 10-2, Eddie Charlton 13-6, and Cliff Thorburn 13-5, in a tactical battle where only 1 half-century was scored in 18 frames. He beat Tony Knowles 16-5 in the Semi Final, setting up a meeting with Davis in the Final. What followed is probably the most famous match in snooker history, where Taylor was trailing for the entire match before winning a decider on the black ball in the deciding frame. Steve Davis was still the #1 player, but Dennis Taylor was the new world champion.
8 Yards 8 Feet 