RODNEY MORRIS - USA

Age - 34
Based - Florida, USA
Nickname - The Rocket
Hobbies - Golf, basketball, chess
Cue Used - Barry Szamboti
Achievements - 1996 US Open Champion. 2 times Reno Open Champion. 2003 World Pool League Champion. 2 Mosconi Cup appearances including MVP honours in 2004. 2005 Kaohsiung World Pool Championship Bronze Medallist.

Morris is one of the most popular players on the world circuit, not only with the fans but with his fellow competitors and he had a tremendous time at this summer’s World Championship where he made it all the way to the semi-finals to take a bronze medal.

Always reckoned to be one of the top American players, Morris was the star of the show at last year’s Mosconi Cup, where he barely made a mistake over the four days of the tournament and was rewarded with the ‘Most Valuable Player’ trophy.

Rocket Rodney burst onto the pool scene in 1996 when he won the US Open title, which at the time was the game’s biggest event. Just when he was gaining the momentum to take him into the top flight, Morris hit some legal problems that saw him take a four-year break from the game.

Nobody really thought he could regain his position but he won virtually his first tournament back – the 2001 Sands Regency. Since then Morris has worked hard to establish himself among the upper echelons of world pool.