Silvino Francisco, the only African player to win a ranking snooker event, has died at the age of 78, the World Snooker Tour has announced.
The South African-born Francisco moved to England to pursue a career and turned professional in 1981, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship in Sheffield in 1982 – a run that included victory over Dennis Taylor before defeat to Ray Reardon. It made him a familiar face during snooker’s 1980s blockbuster heydey, when huge audiences tuned in to watch the big names battle it out against each other. The 1982 run was the start of a purple patch for Francisco.
In 1985 Francisco beat Jimmy White, Tony Meo and Alex Higgins on his way to the final of the British Open, where a 12-9 victory over Kirk Stephens gave him the biggest win of his professional career.
Francisco was ranked in the top 16 in the world for four consecutive seasons and remains the most successful player to come from Africa.