2001 Irish Masters
The 2001 Irish Masters (officially the 2001 Citywest Irish Masters) was a professional invitational snooker tournament which was held at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin, from 27 March to 1 April. It was the 24th Irish Masters and the fifth and final World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association invitational event in the 2000–01 snooker season. The tournament was co-sponsored by the Health Promotion Unit and the Office of Tobacco Control of the Department of Health and Children and hotel group Citywest.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 March – 1 April 2001 |
| Venue | Citywest Hotel |
| City | Dublin |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Non-ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £175,000 |
| Winner's share | £75,000 |
| Highest break | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (137) |
| Final | |
| Champion | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) |
| Runner-up | Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
| Score | 9–8 |
← 2000 2002 → | |
John Higgins was the defending champion of the tournament but was eliminated in the quarter-finals following a defeat by Peter Ebdon. Ronnie O'Sullivan, three-time tournament winner over the course of the season, won the competition, beating three-time Irish Masters winner Stephen Hendry nine frames to eight (9–8) in the final. In the semi-finals, O'Sullivan defeated Ebdon and Hendry beat defending world champion Mark Williams. O'Sullivan made a century break of 137 in the second frame of his quarter-final match with six-time world champion Steve Davis, the highest of the tournament.