Fan Favourite Hunter Loses Cancer Battle
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by user Alex Holowczak
Yesterday, Paul Hunter died at the age of 27 from cancer in his stomach. He leaves behind a wife and a daughter.
Hunter was a popular man on the snooker circuit, especially given his recent endeavours.
He won The Masters three times in four years, coming from behind on each occasion.
He trailed 6-2 to Fergal O'Brien, before winning 10-9.
His most famous Wembley Final came the following year. Trailing 6-2 to Ronnie O'Sullivan, Hunter "sought inspiration from his wife" during the interval. At which point, Hunter began to play brilliantly, and overcame his deficit to win 10-9. His wife said in an interview that she didn't mind, saying she would help "anyway she can".
He came agonisingly close to winning the 2003 World Snooker Championships. He led Ken Doherty 15-9 and 16-14, but was beaten 17-16 in one of the greatest games of snooker ever seen.
Hunter rose steadily up the World Rankings. He reached Number 4 in the world in 2005, and was billed as a future World Champion. Before the World Championships, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer, and spent over a year trying to overcome it.
Hunter still played professionally, often in great pain, in the 2005/6 season. He only won one match in the season, and his ranking slipped to Number 34. But still he appeared in front of the crowd, putting in inspired performances that made him a crowd favourite. Not once did he complain.
It showed a great sense of courage to play despite dizzyness which hurt his ability to see the ball, despite problems that forced him to play without wearing shoes at times, and many other problems. When, along with that, Hunter had barely practiced during that season, and his performance just to turn up was remarkable.
In the summer, his fellow professionals agreed that Hunter could have his ranking frozen at 34, so he could take a season off to recover. Only in snooker would that have happened...
Alas, yesterday, he died in hospital near his home in Leeds.
It is a shame that his life was taken so soon, at 27 (28 on Saturday coming up) he was so relatively young to die of cancer.
His funeral will take place next week, and there will almost certainly be a minute silence in his memory at the next event in Scotland at the end of the month.
