Anthony McGill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony McGill

McGill at the 2016 Paul Hunter Classic
Born	(1991-02-05) 5 February 1991 (age 34) Glasgow, Scotland
Sport country	Scotland
Nickname	The smiling assassin
Professional	2010–present
Highest ranking	12 (March 2022)
Current ranking	14 (as of 8 May 2018)
Tournament wins
Ranking	2

Anthony McGill (born 5 February 1991) is a professional snooker player from Scotland. He is known for his calm attitude and often smiling during games, which earned him the nickname "The Smiling Assassin." Anthony started playing professionally in 2010. He practices with retired snooker player Alan McManus.

Anthony achieved his first big win at a ranking event in 2016, when he won the 2016 Indian Open. Before that, he had never made it past the quarter-finals in such a tournament.

Anthony McGill's Snooker Journey

Starting Out: Amateur Years

Anthony McGill showed promise in snooker from a young age.

• In 2006, he was the runner-up in the Junior Pot Black competition.
• He also finished second in the European Under-19's Championship in 2008.
• In the 2009/2010 season, he won an event in the International Open Series. This helped him earn a spot on the professional snooker tour for the 2010/2011 season.
• His first professional final was in 2011 at the 2011 Scottish Professional Championship, where he lost to the famous player John Higgins.

Becoming a Pro: Early Years (2011–2014)

When Anthony first became a professional, he worked hard to qualify for major tournaments.

• In the 2011/2012 season, he reached the semi-finals of a smaller tournament called the Players Tour Championship. He beat some experienced players like Matthew Stevens and Stephen Lee.
• The 2012/2013 season saw him reach his first final in a minor-ranking event, the European Tour Event 5, which was held in Scotland. He played against Ding Junhui in the final but lost. This good performance helped him climb the world rankings.
• In the 2013/2014 season, Anthony reached the quarter-finals of a ranking tournament for the first time at the 2013 Indian Open.

Breaking Through: World Championship Success (2014–2015)

The 2014/2015 season was a big one for Anthony McGill.

• He reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 UK Championship, one of snooker's biggest events. He even beat John Higgins in a close match. He then faced Ronnie O'Sullivan, a four-time UK champion, and lost, but he showed he could compete with the best.
• Anthony qualified for the televised stages of the 2015 World Snooker Championship for the first time. He won tough matches to get there.
• At the World Championship, he surprised many by beating defending champion Mark Selby in the second round. Selby even said Anthony could win the whole tournament!
• Anthony made it to the quarter-finals of the World Championship, where he lost to Shaun Murphy. Fans loved his relaxed attitude and frequent smiles during his matches. After this great run, his world ranking jumped up significantly.

Anthony McGill at the 2014 German Masters

Anthony McGill at the 2015 German Masters

First Titles: Ranking Event Wins (2015–2017)

Anthony continued to play well and achieved his first major victories.

• In the 2015/2016 season, he qualified for the 2016 World Snooker Championship again. He beat Shaun Murphy in the first round, getting revenge for his loss the previous year.
• The 2016/2017 season was historic for Anthony. He reached the quarter-finals of the 2016 Riga Masters and then won his first ranking event title at the 2016 Indian Open. He beat Kyren Wilson in the final.
• Later that season, he won his second ranking event title at the 2017 Snooker Shoot-Out. This tournament has special rules, like a shot clock for every shot. Anthony won the final against Xiao Guodong. He later joked that this type of tournament shouldn't be a ranking event because of its unique rules.
• For the first time, he was a seeded player at the 2017 World Snooker Championship, meaning he was one of the top players automatically qualified.

Recent Years (2017–2019)

• In the 2017/2018 season, Anthony reached the final of the Indian Open again, but he couldn't defend his title, losing to John Higgins.
• He also made his first appearance at The Masters tournament in 2018, which is only for the top 16 players in the world.
• The 2018/2019 season saw his ranking drop a bit, but he continued to compete in many tournaments.

Career Finals: Major Achievements

Anthony McGill has played in several important finals throughout his career.

Ranking Finals: 3 (2 Wins)

These are the biggest tournaments where players earn ranking points.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	2016	Indian Open	Kyren Wilson	5–2
Winner	2.	2017	Snooker Shoot Out	Xiao Guodong	1–0
Runner-up	1.	2017	Indian Open	John Higgins	1–5

Minor-Ranking Finals: 1 (0 Wins)

These tournaments also give ranking points, but fewer than major ranking events.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	2012	Scottish Open	Junhui, DingDing Junhui	2–4

Non-Ranking Finals: 1 (0 Wins)

These events do not give ranking points.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	2011	Scottish Professional Championship	John Higgins	1–6

Pro-Am Finals: 2 (2 Wins)

These tournaments include both professional and amateur players.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	2015	PMK Invitational Pro-Am	Michael Leslie	4–3
Winner	2.	2016	PMK Invitational Pro-Am (2)	Graeme Dott	4–2

Amateur Finals: 7 (4 Wins)

These are the tournaments Anthony played before becoming a professional.

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Winner	1.	2004	Scottish Under-16 Championship	Anthony Hughes	5–4
Winner	2.	2005	Scottish Under-16 Championship (2)	Neil Dillon	5–3
Runner-up	1	2006	Junior Pot Black	Carrington, StuartStuart Carrington	0–1
Runner-up	2	2008	European Under-19 Championship	Craigie, StephenStephen Craigie	2–6
Winner	3.	2009	PIOS – Event 5	Farakh Ajaib	6–0
Winner	4.	2010	Pontins Star of the Future	Jamie Clarke	4–1
Runner-up	3.	2010	European Under-19 Championship	Jones, JakJak Jones	4–6

See also

In Spanish: Anthony McGill para niños