# 2006 Malta Cup

The 2006 Malta Cup was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 30 January and 5 February 2006 at the Hilton Conference Center in Portomaso, Malta.
Ken Doherty won in the final 9–8 against John Higgins. Higgins had recovered from 2–5 down to lead 8–5 but Doherty won the last four frames to win the title.
This years tournament was also noteworthy for Ronnie O'Sullivan's decision not to compete, which cost him the World Number 1 ranking for the start of the following season and allowed Stephen Hendry to regain the number one position for the first time since 1999.

## Wild-card round

| Match | | Score | |
| WC1 | Mark Allen | 5–1 | Joe Grech |
| WC2 | Robin Hull | 5–2 | Simon Zammit |

## Main draw

| Last 32 Best of 9 frames | Last 32 Best of 9 frames | Last 32 Best of 9 frames | Last 16 Best of 9 frames | Last 16 Best of 9 frames | Last 16 Best of 9 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 9 frames | | Semi-finals Best of 11 fames | Semi-finals Best of 11 fames | Semi-finals Best of 11 fames | | Final Best of 17 frames | Final Best of 17 frames | Final Best of 17 frames |
| 1 | Stephen Hendry | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Neil Robertson | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Neil Robertson | 1 | 1 | Stephen Hendry | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Barry Pinches | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Stephen Lee | 1 | | Barry Pinches | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Barry Pinches | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Barry Pinches | 5 | | | | 1 | Stephen Hendry | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | John Higgins | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Alan McManus | 5 | | | | | | | 6 | John Higgins | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | Ali Carter | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ali Carter | 2 | 12 | Alan McManus | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | John Higgins | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | John Higgins | 5 | 6 | John Higgins | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robert Milkins | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robert Milkins | 4 | | | | | | | | 6 | John Higgins | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Dominic Dale | 3 | | | | |
| 5 | Paul Hunter | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | Dominic Dale | 3 | | | | |
| | Dominic Dale | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Dominic Dale | 5 | | Dominic Dale | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | Joe Perry | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Joe Perry | 5 | 14 | Joe Perry | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | James Wattana | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | James Wattana | 2 | | | | | Dominic Dale | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Mark Williams | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Mark Williams | 5 | | | | | | | 9 | Mark Williams | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Gerard Greene | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gerard Greene | 3 | 9 | Mark Williams | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Nigel Bond | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Matthew Stevens | 2 | | Nigel Bond | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nigel Bond | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Nigel Bond | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | John Higgins | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Ken Doherty | 9 |
| 3 | Stephen Maguire | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Ken Doherty | 9 |
| | Marco Fu | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Marco Fu | 2 | 3 | Stephen Maguire | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Mark King | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Ian McCulloch | 2 | | Mark King | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mark King | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mark King | 5 | | | | 3 | Stephen Maguire | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 11 | Ken Doherty | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Ken Doherty | 5 | | | | | | | 11 | Ken Doherty | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Swail | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Swail | 3 | 11 | Ken Doherty | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Stuart Bingham | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Peter Ebdon | 4 | | Stuart Bingham | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stuart Bingham | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stuart Bingham | 5 | | | | | | | | 11 | Ken Doherty | 6 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 13 | Graeme Dott | 3 | | | | |
| 8 | Jimmy White | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | Graeme Dott | 3 | | | | |
| | Barry Hawkins | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Barry Hawkins | 5 | Barry Hawkins | Barry Hawkins | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | Robin Hull | Robin Hull | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Steve Davis | 4 | Robin Hull | Robin Hull | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robin Hull | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Robin Hull | 5 | | | | | Robin Hull | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 13 | Graeme Dott | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Graeme Dott | 5 | | | | | | | 13 | Graeme Dott | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| | John Parrott | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | John Parrott | 2 | 13 | Graeme Dott | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Shaun Murphy | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Shaun Murphy | 5 | 2 | Shaun Murphy | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mark Allen | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Final

Final: Best of 17 frames Hilton Conference Centre, Malta, 5 February 2006. :
| John Higgins (6) Scotland | 8–9 | Ken Doherty (11) Ireland |
| Afternoon: 8–86 (67), 69–49, 78–28, 53–71 (65), 28–76 (55), 27–105 (105), 56–75 (70) Evening: 67–53 (61), 89–8 (55), 90–22 (90), 75–50, 130–4 (114), 96–4 (96), 43–64, 5–67 (61), 12–60, 12–69 (63) |||
| 114 | Highest break | 105 |
| 1 | Century breaks | 1 |
| 5 | 50+ breaks | 7 |

## Qualifying

Qualifying for the tournament took place at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales between 7 and 10 November 2005.
| Round 1 Best of 9 frames | Round 1 Best of 9 frames | Round 2 Best of 9 frames | Round 2 Best of 9 frames | Round 3 Best of 9 frames | Round 3 Best of 9 frames | Round 4 Best of 9 frames | Round 4 Best of 9 frames |
| Leo Fernandez | | Justin Astley | 4 | Dave Harold | 5 | Neil Robertson | 5 |
| Bye | | Leo Fernandez | 5 | Leo Fernandez | 3 | Dave Harold | 4 |
| Joe Delaney | 5 | Shokat Ali | 5 | Tony Drago | 5 | Barry Pinches | 5 |
| James McBain | 4 | Joe Delaney | 4 | Shokat Ali | 2 | Tony Drago | 2 |
| Andrew Norman | 5 | Marcus Campbell | 5 | Mark Selby | 3 | Ali Carter | 5 |
| Jin Long | 2 | Andrew Norman | 3 | Marcus Campbell | 5 | Marcus Campbell | 3 |
| Nick Dyson | 5 | Jamie Cope | 5 | Stuart Pettman | 0 | Robert Milkins | 5 |
| Habib Subah | 4 | Nick Dyson | 2 | Jamie Cope | 5 | Jamie Cope | 3 |
| Bjorn Haneveer | 3 | Ding Junhui | 1 | Ricky Walden | 5 | Dominic Dale | 5 |
| David Gilbert | 5 | David Gilbert | 5 | David Gilbert | 1 | Ricky Walden | 1 |
| Simon Bedford | | Chris Norbury | 5 | Michael Judge | 5 | James Wattana | 5 |
| Bye | | Simon Bedford | 4 | Chris Norbury | 1 | Michael Judge | 2 |
| Sean Storey | 5 | Mike Dunn | 5 | Gerard Greene | 5 | Ryan Day | 1 |
| Alex Borg | 3 | Sean Storey | 4 | Mike Dunn | 3 | Gerard Greene | 5 |
| Scott MacKenzie | | Lee Spick | 1 | Fergal O'Brien | 5 | Nigel Bond | 5 |
| Bye | | Scott MacKenzie | 5 | Scott MacKenzie | 4 | Fergal O'Brien | 3 |
| Paul Davies | 5 | Rod Lawler | 5 | Mark Davis | 5 | Marco Fu | 5 |
| Liang Wenbo | 3 | Paul Davies | 2 | Rod Lawler | 4 | Mark Davis | 4 |
| Joe Jogia | | Matthew Couch | 5 | Drew Henry | 5 | Mark King | 5 |
| Bye | | Joe Jogia | 0 | Matthew Couch | 4 | Drew Henry | 3 |
| Alfie Burden | 2 | Jimmy Michie | 5 | Joe Swail | 5 | Michael Holt | 4 |
| Judd Trump | 5 | Judd Trump | 2 | Jimmy Michie | 3 | Joe Swail | 5 |
| Hugh Abernethy | 5 | Jamie Burnett | 5 | Stuart Bingham | 5 | Anthony Hamilton | 3 |
| Moh Keen Ho | 2 | Hugh Abernethy | 0 | Jamie Burnett | 3 | Stuart Bingham | 5 |
| Darren Morgan | 5 | David Roe | 5 | Tom Ford | 2 | Barry Hawkins | 5 |
| Gary Wilson | 4 | Darren Morgan | 2 | David Roe | 5 | David Roe | 4 |
| Adam Davies | | Robin Hull | 5 | Adrian Gunnell | 4 | Andy Hicks | 3 |
| Bye | | Adam Davies | 3 | Robin Hull | 5 | Robin Hull | 5 |
| David McDonnell | 3 | James Tatton | 1 | Patrick Wallace | 2 | John Parrott | 5 |
| Gary Wilkinson | 5 | Gary Wilkinson | 5 | Gary Wilkinson | 5 | Gary Wilkinson | 3 |
| Stuart Mann | 4 | Lee Walker | 2 | Rory McLeod | 1 | David Gray | 2 |
| Mark Allen | 5 | Mark Allen | 5 | Mark Allen | 5 | Mark Allen | 5 |