David Roe

Roe dropped off the tour at the end of the 2009/2010 season, after 24 years as a professional. He moved to Iran, where he currently coaches their national team, and converted to Islam.

A run to the last 16 of the China Open was the highlight of Roe’s 2005–06 season. He had to win three qualifying matches to secure his position at the Beijing event, where he defeated Li Yin Xi (a wild card) and Paul Hunter, before ultimately losing 5–3 to Joe Swail. In 2006/2007 his best were two last-32 runs, and another followed at the 2008 Welsh Open, the highlight of a solid 2007/2008 season. Conversely he won just two matches in the 2008/2009 season, causing him to drop to no. 62 in the rankings, carrying a very low one-year total of 4320 into 2009/2010.

Roe spent three successive seasons in the Top 16 and reached a highest position of 13th in 1994/1995 (up from, and back down to, no. 16 in 1993/1994 and 1995/1996 respectively). He then plunged directly out of the top 32 after a succession of early defeats, and never regained this status.

Roe began his professional career for the 1986/1987 season. In his second professional season he reached the last 32 or better in four tournaments, and a year later he reached the last 16 of the World Championship on his Crucible debut, to reach the top 32 of the rankings. He also won the BBC’s “Shot of the Championship” that year at the Crucible for a long pot with safety in mind along almost the full length of the table. He then had two poorer seasons, before two quarter-finals in 1991/1992. A year later he reached the top 16, despite not reaching a quarter-final in that season.

David Roe (born 11 September 1965) is a former English professional snooker player, and a four-time ranking tournament quarter-finalist.