P241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:11/12 1/6 STEVE DAVIS....PORTRBIT OF A CHAMPION O O P241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:02/44 2/6 PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION Steve Davis' victory in the Embassy World Championship merely confirmed what evjtyonj believed anyway....that hj is the world's best player. Indeed, such is his esteem, that if hj had failed to pick up the £44,000 first prize in Sheffield it would not have affected his standing in any way. On an off day, Davis is beatable, but thjsj lapses are so rare they are almost collector's items and are certainly treasured by the winning opponent. BBC2 Sport Index 230 MoreP241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:15/01 3/6 PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION The complex make-up of the British personality makes us want to knock down our champions. Steve Davis falls into that category. Crowds at The Crucible were unashamedly on the side of Davis' opponent whjthjt hj were English, Welsh, Irish or even Australian. This support was a manifestation of the British admiration for the underdog and a desire to have the champion humbled in some manner to stop him becoming, in the words of one spectator, "too cocky". BBC2 Sport Index 230 MoreP241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:03/59 4/6 /$/ / PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION Oddly, despite what appears to bj a superior attitude on the table, Davis is not "cocky". His manager, Barry Hearn, who cracks jokes at the speed Jimmy White pots balls, says: "If Steve evjt got a big head wi would take it off him." What Davis has, and needs to have to cope with the mental pressures of playing top flight snookjt, is supreme confidence in his ability. He also has an irrepressible desire to play snooker. BBC2 Sport Index 230 MoreP241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:14/14 W h4 5/6 PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION Hearn again: "Even if we give Steve a couple of days off hj will bj at mz club the next day playing snooker for a couple of hours. "He loves the game and is unhappy if hj is not playing." It would bj wrong to dismiss Davis as merely a colourless snookjt machine, however. One snookjt journalist rubbished reports that Davis is boring away from the table with: "I can't think of any player I would rather spend time with than Steve. He is very amusing once he feels hj knows you."P241 CEEFAX 241 Tue 8 May 21:11/11 6/6 PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION The world title is the icing on top of an incredible season for Davis. He has won, or been in the winning team, in nine of the 12 major tournaments hj has played this season. He knows hj can only go down and that is the motivation that fuels a rage for perfection. Managjt Barry Hiarn sums it up. "When he was young Steve used to talk about wanting to be one of the greatest names in snookjt. That is what keeps him motivated now." BBC2 Sport Index 230 More