Ian Anderson (born 2 April 1946) is an Australian former professional snooker player. He is the former president of the World Pool-Billiard Association.
Anderson turned professional in 1973, playing his first World Championship match against Perrie Mans of South Africa in 1974; Anderson held Mans to 1âÂÂ1, but Mans pulled away to win 8âÂÂ1.
The following year, he was eliminated 4âÂÂ15 in the last 16 by Rex Williams, and in 1976, he lost 5âÂÂ8 to Jackie Rea. In the 1979 tournament, Anderson was defeated in qualifying by Steve Davis, by 9 frames to 1, but in the 1982 Australian Masters, the group stage being in one-frame shoot-out format, he defeated Ray Reardon 70âÂÂ48 and incumbent World Champion Alex Higgins 70âÂÂ50 before losing 115âÂÂ119 over two frames to Davis in the semi-final.
In 1979 he won the Australian Masters, his sole professional win as a snooker player. His other professional final came the year before in 1978, when he was defeated 29-13 by Eddie Charlton in the Australian Professional Championship.
Anderson reached the last 64 of the 1986 Grand Prix, where he lost 4âÂÂ5 to Cliff Wilson having led Wilson 4âÂÂ2, but his activities remained largely restricted to the Australian events, and he lost his place on the professional tour in 1992, aged 46 and with a world ranking of 147th.