James Cahill

Bio

Blackpool’s James Cahill has established himself as a player for the big occasion with victories against several of the sport’s leading players at major world ranking events.

None were bigger than his 10-8 triumph against world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan at the 2019 World Championship, where he became the first amateur to compete at the Crucible stages of the event in Sheffield. Although he would fall in the subsequent last 16 stage to Stephen Maguire 13-12, his run was enough to earn him a return to the World Snooker Tour from the start of the 2019/20 season.

He has enjoyed notable success at the UK Championship, in 2014 scoring his biggest win to date against China’s Ding Junhui 6-5, before four years later he repeated the feat with a 6-3 victory over three-time world champion Mark Selby at the same event.

He reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time at the 2023 WST Classic, before losing to Ali Carter.

Cahill previously turned professional in 2013 after he claimed the EBSA European Under-21 Championship in Serbia. His 6-0 success against Ashley Carty in the title match marked the first final whitewash in the history of the competition.

Following a year away from the main tour, Cahill regained his tour card most recently by coming through Q School in 2022.

Off-table

He comes from a snooker background as his mum Maria was a leading women’s player, and her sister Mandy was married to seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry.