Elliot Slessor (born 4 August 1994) is an English professional snooker player.
In May 2013, Slessor qualified for the 2013âÂÂ14 and 2014âÂÂ15 professional Main Tour as one of four semi-finalists from the first Q School event. During this period he earned the nickname âÂÂThe Gateshead Grinderâ in reference to his fiery demeanour at the table and mouth movements during his cue action.
Slessor began playing snooker at the age of eight after his aunt bought him a table for Christmas. He joined the main snooker tour in May 2013 after he won through the 2013 Q School courtesy of a 4âÂÂ0 victory over Chris Wakelin.
Slessor's first wins as a professional were at the qualifying rounds of the 2013 Australian Goldfields Open 5âÂÂ4 against Jamie Clarke and 5âÂÂ2 against Cao Yupeng, before losing 5âÂÂ2 to Simon Bedford. His debut at the main stage of a ranking event came at the Indian Open by seeing off Kurt Maflin 4âÂÂ2. In New Delhi he lost 4âÂÂ2 to Mark Davis. Slessor also suffered first round exits at the UK Championship and Welsh Open 6âÂÂ2 to Liang Wenbo and 4âÂÂ1 to Stephen Maguire respectively. He finished his first season on tour ranked world number 112.
Slessor automatically played in the opening rounds of the UK Championship and Welsh Open, where he was knocked out 6âÂÂ4 by David Gilbert and 4âÂÂ3 by Jamie Cope. He qualified for the China Open by coming back from 3âÂÂ1 down against Xiao Guodong to win 5âÂÂ4. He then raced into a 3âÂÂ0 lead over Matthew Selt and held on to beat him 5âÂÂ3 and play in the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time in his career. Slessor faced reigning world champion Mark Selby and was thrashed 5âÂÂ0. He played in Q School to try and win his place back on the tour as he finished the season as the world number 91. Slessor was beaten in the third round of the first event of the 2015 Q School 4âÂÂ1 by Oliver Brown and was docked three frames in the second round of event two after arriving late and went on to lose 4âÂÂ1 against Alex Taubman.
Slessor played in five of the six European Tour events and reached the main draw in all of them. His only win came against Liang Wenbo 4âÂÂ0 at the Gdynia Open, before losing 4âÂÂ1 to Robin Hull in the second round. Slessor gained a two-year tour card starting in the 2016âÂÂ17 season after coming through qualifying from the EBSA Play-Offs at the end of the 2015âÂÂ16 season. Slessor beat Jamie Clarke 4âÂÂ3 in the final round.
Slessor got to the second round of four ranking events in the 2016âÂÂ17 season, but lost all of them. This did include a 4âÂÂ3 victory over home favourite Mark Williams in the opening round of the Welsh Open, where Slessor made a break of 90 in the final frame.
In Indian Open, Slessor got to the quarter-final, by beating Alan McManus 4âÂÂ3, Joe Perry 4âÂÂ3, by leading 3âÂÂ0, Shaun Murphy 4âÂÂ1, before losing Mark King 2âÂÂ4. Slessor got his best ranking finish in his career in the Northern Ireland Open. He beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the third round by 4âÂÂ1, before losing 2âÂÂ6 by Mark Williams.
In the 2019 Welsh Open, Slessor faced Zhang Anda in the last 32. Leading 2-1, Slessor required 7 snookers to win the frame. He got the 7 snookers he required, but missed the pink. He lost that frame, but went on to win the match 4-2. He lost 4-2 to Kurt Maflin in the last 16.