Fisher, Allison

Allison Fisher, (born Feb. 24, 1968, Cheshunt, Eng.), English-born billiards player known as the “Duchess of Doom” for her deadly consistent shot making and no-nonsense style of play. Her achievements led many observers of cue sports to deem Fisher the best female pocket billiards player in history.

Fisher was raised near London. At age seven, she developed an interest in snooker after she saw the billiards game being played on television. By her early teens she had joined a league and begun practicing under the guidance of coach Frank Callan. She won a national title at age 15 and in 1985 won the first of her world professional snooker championships.

Fisher relocated to the United States in 1995. She switched from snooker to 9-ball and joined the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) tour, quickly becoming one of its marquee attractions. She placed ninth in her first tournament but won two of the next three, and by the following year she was virtually unstoppable. From September 1996 to June 2001, Fisher held the first-place spot in the WPBA’s player rankings—an unprecedented stay at the top. Although Karen Corr of Northern Ireland overtook Fisher in the WPBA rankings in 2001, Fisher bounced back with strong seasons to reclaim the number one position every year from 2002 until 2007. She was named Billiard’s Digest and Billiards Magazine’s Player of the Year each year from 1996 to 2000, and again from 2002 to 2007.

In June 2009 the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) announced that Fisher would be inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame. By that time, Fisher had amassed a record 53 WPBA tour titles, 12 world championship titles in snooker, and 3 world 9-ball championship titles. She also held the record for consecutive tournament wins (eight in 1996–97). In addition to her demanding tournament schedule, Fisher made exhibition appearances and provided pool instruction at the school she cofounded, Allison’s World Champion Academy, in Charlotte, N.C.