2001 World Snooker Championship

2001 Embassy World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates21 April – 7 May 2001 (2001-04-21 – 2001-05-07)
VenueCrucible Theatre
CitySheffield
CountryEngland
OrganisationWPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£1,532,000
Winner's share£250,000
Highest break Joe Swail (NIR) (140)
Final
Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Runner-up John Higgins (SCO)
Score18–14
← 2000
2002 →

The 2001 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2001 Embassy World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 21 April to 7 May 2001 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 24th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. Sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy, the tournament was the eighth and final ranking event of the 2000–01 season. The winner received £250,000 from a total prize pool of £1,532,000.

The top 16 players from the snooker world rankings were seeded through to the main stage at the Crucible. They were joined by the 16 successful players from qualifying rounds, which took place from 20 February to 4 March at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. Mark Williams was the defending champion, having defeated Matthew Stevens 18‍–‍16 in the final of the 2000 World Snooker Championship. He lost in a deciding frame in his second-round match against Joe Swail, becoming the 10th player to experience the so-called Crucible curse, referring to the fact that no first-time champion had retained the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977. Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated John Higgins 18‍–‍14 in the final to claim his maiden world title. The main stage of the tournament produced 53 century breaks, of which the highest was a 140 compiled by Swail.

Background

The Crucible Theatre from outside
For the 24th consecutive year, the main stage of the tournament was held at the Crucible Theatre (pictured) in Sheffield, England.

The inaugural 1927 World Snooker Championship, then known as the Professional Championship of Snooker, took place at various venues in England between November 1926 and May 1927. Joe Davis won the final—held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham from 9 to 12 May 1927—and went on to win the tournament 15 consecutive times before retiring undefeated after the 1946 edition (no tournaments were held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II).[1][2][3] The tournament went into abeyance after only two players contested the 1952 edition. The six editions of the World Professional Match-play Championship held between 1952 and 1957 are retroactively regarded as legitimate continuations of the World Snooker Championship, but that tournament was discontinued due to waning public interest in snooker in the post-war era. The world title was uncontested between 1958 and 1963.[1][2]

Then-professional player Rex Williams was instrumental in reviving the World Snooker Championship on a challenge basis in 1964. John Pulman, winner of the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship, defended the world title across seven challenge matches between 1964 and 1968. The World Snooker Championship reverted to an annual knockout tournament for the 1969 edition, marking the beginning of the championship's "modern era".[4][5] The 1977 edition was the first staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it has remained since.[6][7] The most successful player in the modern era was Stephen Hendry, having won the title seven times.[8][9] Hendry was also the tournament's youngest winner, having captured his first title at the 1990 event, aged 21 years and 106 days.[10] Ray Reardon became the oldest winner when he secured his sixth title at the 1978 event, aged 45 years and 203 days.[11]

Overview

The 2001 World Snooker Championship was the eighth and last ranking tournament of the 2000–01 snooker season, held after the Scottish Open. It took place from 21 April to 7 May.[12] It was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.[13] The 2001 edition marked the 24th consecutive year that the tournament was held at the Crucible and the 32nd successive year that the World Championship was contested through the modern knockout format.[7][14][15] The defending champion was Mark Williams, who had defeated Matthew Stevens 18‍–‍16 in the final of the 2000 World Championship to win his first world title.[16]

Format

The top 16 players in the snooker world rankings were seeded through to the main stage at the Crucible Theatre. They faced 16 players who progressed through the qualifying rounds, which took place from 20 February to 4 March at the Newport Centre in Wales.[17][18] First-round matches were played as the best of 19 frames, held over two sessions. Second-round and quarter-final matches were played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions. The semi-final matches were played as the best of 33 frames, held over four sessions. The final was the best of 35 frames, also held over four sessions.[19]

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money is shown below:[20][21]

  • Winner: £250,000
  • Runner-up: £147,000
  • Semi-final: £73,000
  • Quarter-final: £36,500
  • Last 16: £20,000
  • Last 32: £14,000
  • Last 48: £10,500
  • Last 64: £6,600
  • Last 96: £4,000
  • Last 128: £1,100
  • Highest break: £20,000
  • Highest pre-TV break: £2,200
  • Highest pre-qualifying break: £2,200
  • Maximum break: £147,000
  • Total: £1,532,000

Summary

First round

The first round was played between 21 and 26 April as the best of 19 frames held over two sessions.[19] The defending champion, Mark Williams, defeated Billy Snaddon 10‍–‍4. The highest break of the match was a 69 by Williams in the last frame. Paul Hunter fell 1‍–‍4 behind David Roe, but produced breaks of 130, 55, 60, 52, 100, 55, 108, 87 and 61 to win 10‍–‍6. Dave Harold and Quinten Hann shared the first ten frames of their match, but Harold made two half-century breaks as he won five frames on the trot to clinch victory. Anthony Hamilton won 10‍–‍4 over Marcus Campbell. Tony Drago scored points in every frame save one of his match against Matthew Stevens, runner-up in the previous edition of the tournament, but lost 1‍–‍10. Peter Ebdon compiled breaks of 54, 55, 110, 55, 83, 99 and 67 as he defeated James Wattana 10‍–‍8. Andy Hicks only won two frames in his match against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Ken Doherty eliminated Nick Dyson with a 10‍–‍7 result in a duel that featured three century breaks.[22][23]

Patrick Wallace produced breaks of 64, 135, 55, 69 and 52 for a 10‍–‍2 defeat of Alan McManus. Mark King manufactured a 137 break to go 8‍–‍6 in front of Fergal O'Brien. O'Brien tied the scores again at 8‍–‍8, but King won the match with two half-centuries. John Higgins established a 5‍–‍2 lead against Graeme Dott and secured a 10‍–‍4 victory making breaks of 139, 67, 136 and 80 in the process. Joe Swail took back-to-back frames against Sean Storey to force a decider, which he won. Chris Small made a century break in his 10‍–‍8 defeat of Marco Fu. Nigel Bond only won three frames in his duel with Stephen Lee. Breaks of 53, 78, 60 and 80 aided Stephen Hendry to a 10‍–‍5 win against Mark Davis.[22]

Second round

Mark Williams playing a shot
The defending champion, Mark Williams (pictured in 2013), lost 12‍–‍13 against Joe Swail and became the 10th player to experience the so-called Crucible curse, being unable to retain the title after having won it for the first time.

The second round was played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 26 and 30 April.[19] Stevens made a century break as he raced into a 4‍–‍0 lead against Hamilton, who stopped the rot with a 114 break. Stevens made three more centuries, including a 139, to clinch a 13‍–‍5 victory. Swail made a 91 break to force a decider against Williams and won the match with another half-century.[24] This made Williams the 10th first-time champion who failed to defend his title since the tournament moved to the Crucible Theatre in 1977, succumbing to what has been called the 'Crucible curse'.[25] O'Sullivan made breaks of 100, 92 and 73 for a 3‍–‍1 lead against Harold. O'Sullivan went on to win 13‍–‍6, with two more centuries. Doherty won 13‍–‍7 over Judge.[24]

Higgins made breaks of 64, 67 and 103 as he took a 6‍–‍2 lead against Small. Higgins clinched a 13‍–‍8 victory with a half-century in the last frame. Despite compiling two centuries, King lost 5‍–‍13 to Wallace, who won two long frames that lasted 49 and 42 minutes and two consecutive frames on the final black ball. Hendry eliminated Hunter by the same margin, making breaks of 71, 129, 51, 100, 95, 54, 60, 65 and 54 in the process. Writing for The Guardian, Clive Everton praised Hendry, stating that "he hardly made a mistake in the tactical exchanges and still scored heavily enough." Lee took an early lead against Ebdon with breaks of 121 and 66. At 36 seconds per shot, Ebdon was said by Everton to have used "attritional tactics". The match went to a decider, which Ebdon won.[24][26]

Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals were played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 1 and 2 May.[19] Stevens and Hendry shared the first two frames of their match, but Stevens then made breaks of 87, 56 and 65 to go 5‍–‍1 in front. Hendry replied with a century break, but Stevens, who recorded a 134 break, went on to win 13‍–‍5. "I was just outplayed. Matthew [Stevens] was outstanding. If his cue action isn't the best in snooker, it's very close," Hendry said. Breaks of 69 and 101 for Ebdon and of 57 and 82 for O'Sullivan meant that the first four frames of their encounter were shared. Ebdon then built a two-frame cushion, but O'Sullivan won nine consecutive frames, making breaks of 108, 67, 89, 54, 65, 50, 72, 57 and 54 in the process. O'Sullivan claimed victory with a 13‍–‍6 result. "He's the game's equivalent to Mozart—the snooker he produced was nothing short of sensational," Ebdon said of O'Sullivan.[27][28]

Doherty made breaks of 114 and 91 as he took a 3‍–‍1 lead against Higgins. Higgins, who was 5‍–‍3 ahead at the end of the first session, went on to win the match, with breaks including 72, 98, 110, 139, 56, 113 and 105. In his match against Swail, Wallace built a 3‍–‍1 lead and then extended it to 6‍–‍2. Swail halved the deficit, making a 93 break along the way, and went in front for the first time at 8‍–‍7. Wallace was within one frame at 8‍–‍9, 9‍–‍10, 10‍–‍11 and 11‍–‍12, but Swail advanced into the semi-finals for a second consecutive year. "We've been practising together for about 12 years. Joe [Swail] invariably wins," Wallace said.[27][29]

Semi-finals

Joe Swail sitting and holding his cue
Joe Swail (pictured in 2016) reached the semi-finals of the World Championship for the second consecutive year, but lost 11‍–‍17 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The semi-finals were played as the best of 33 frames, held over four sessions, between 3 and 5 May.[19] Swail faced O'Sullivan in the first semi-final. A 107 clearance gave Swail the first frame, but O'Sullivan replied with a 73 break in the second to tie. Swail won the third frame, but O'Sullivan then took seven on the trot, featuring breaks of 62, 58, 70, 108 and 119, for an 8‍–‍2 lead. Swail reduced the deficit by winning two frames before the mid-session interval. O'Sullivan won frame thirteen. In the next, he played a long pot on the green ball and screwed back for the brown to win the frame and go 10‍–‍4 ahead. The BBC praised the shot as a "contender for shot of the championship". Swail replied with a 92 total clearance and also took the last of the session to edge closer at 6‍–‍10. At the resumption, Swail missed a pink that was frame ball, allowing O'Sullivan to pot both pink and black and steal the frame. He followed it with a 133 break in the next for a 12‍–‍6 advantage. Had he also potted the last black, he would have tied his rival for the highest break of the tournament, but he ran out of position. Swail won frame nineteen by only two points and also had a chance in the next, but O'Sullivan took it by only three points, securing a 13‍–‍7 going into the mid-session interval, four away from a place in the final. O'Sullivan made a 79 break to win frame 21 by only two points, but Swail produced breaks of 52 and 138 to go 9‍–‍14. O'Sullivan won the last frame of the session with an 84 break. On the next day, Swail followed a long pot on a red with a 114 break. O'Sullivan, despite miscueing on his first break, took frame 26. Swail reduced the deficit to five frames on the next, but O'Sullivan got a snooker and a free ball in frame 28 that allowed him to clinch victory and secure a place in the final for the first time. "I'm surprised I haven't been in the final before. When I was younger I thought I'd have won it once or twice by now," O'Sullivan said.[30][31]

In the other semi-final, Stevens met Higgins, who had been eliminated at this stage both in 1999 and 2000. Higgins had a 5‍–‍3 lead at the end of the first session. Stevens won the first frame of the second session and made a 133 clearance in the next, becoming the 14th player to reach a hundred career centuries. A further half-century put him in front at 6‍–‍5. Higgins then equalised and won two more frames, making a 126 break in the process. Stevens was ahead at 10‍–‍8, but Higgins won back-to-back frames, making a 121 break in the process, to tie the scores. Stevens was 13‍–‍11 in front going into the final session, but Higgins won the first two frames to tie. Higgins followed with a 75 break that put him ahead, but, aided by a break of 59, Stevens tied the match once again. After the mid-session interval, Stevens took the lead in frame 29 with a 71 break, but then went in-off after potting a black, allowing Higgins a chance. A fluke on the yellow helped Stevens secure the frame. Higgins then tied the match at 15‍–‍15 and made a break of 73 to go one in front and one away from victory. Frame 32 lasted more than an hour, with a long safety exchange, but Higgins won it 70‍–‍44 to book a place in the final with a 17‍–‍15 result.[31][32][33]

Final

Ronnie O'Sullivan chaulking his cue
Ronnie O'Sullivan (pictured in 2015) defeated John Higgins 18‍–‍14 in the final to claim his maiden world title.

The final was played as the best of 35 frames, held over four sessions, on 6 and 7 May, between O'Sullivan and Higgins.[19][17] O'Sullivan was competing in his first World Championship final, while it was the second for Higgins, having won the title in 1998.[34][35] Referee Eirian Williams officiated his first World Championship final.[36] In the first frame of the match, Higgins went in-off when he was on a break of 37 and allowed O'Sullivan to get in the scoreboard with an 88 break. Higgins replied by winning the second frame, but O'Sullivan then took three in a row for a 4‍–‍1 lead, making a break of 81 in the process. Higgins produced a century break of 135, but O'Sullivan won two more frames to end the first session with a four-frame advantage. Higgins started the second session with a break of 60. O'Sullivan took the next. Higgins then won two in a row, but O'Sullivan compiled breaks of 99 and 100 to go again four clear at 5‍–‍9. Higgins replied with a century break, but O'Sullivan made a 99 break in the last of the session, which he ended 10‍–‍6 in front.[37]

O'Sullivan made breaks including 81, 139, 85 and 86 as he took four of the first five frames of the third session for a 14‍–‍7 lead. Higgins replied by making breaks of 65 and 98 to take the remaining three and reduce the arrears to four frames. A break of 50 gave Higgins the first frame of the fourth and final session. O'Sullivan then won two in a row, but Higgins compiled breaks of 62 and 87 to also win back-to-back frames. Higgins was 13‍–‍16 behind at this point, with O'Sullivan only two frames away from victory. In frame 30, Higgins was 60 points ahead, but missed a red and O'Sullivan took the frame in the end with a 68-point clearance. In the next frame, O'Sullivan could have left Higgins requiring two snookers, but missed a red instead and allowed Higgins to make a 65 break to come closer at 14‍–‍17. O'Sullivan took advantage of a mistake by Higgins in frame 32 and went on to compile a break of 80 to win the match 18‍–‍14.[37]

O'Sullivan claimed his maiden world title and a prize of £250,000.[38] He dedicated the win to his father, who was serving a life sentence in prison. "It will probably mean more to my dad than it does to me," he said.[39] Higgins's defeat meant that he fell below O'Sullivan in the snooker world rankings.[38] "Usually you rate a player on what they have won but Ronnie [O'Sullivan] has so much natural ability it is unbelievable. He just makes the game look so easy—he is a worthy champion," Higgins acknowledged.[40]

Main draw

The draw for the main tournament is shown below. The numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the seedings for the 16 seeded players (1‍–‍16). The match winners are shown in bold.[17]

Round 1 (Last 32)
Best of 19 frames		Round 2 (Last 16)
Best of 25 frames		Quarter-finals
Best of 25 frames		Semi-finals
Best of 33 frames		Final
Best of 35 frames
21 April
 Mark Williams (WAL) (1) 10
26, 27 & 28 April
 Billy Snaddon (SCO) 4
Wales Mark Williams (1) 12
25 April
Northern Ireland Joe Swail (16) 13
 Joe Swail (NIR) (16) 10
1 & 2 May
 Sean Storey (ENG) 9
Northern Ireland Joe Swail (16) 13
24 April
Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace 11
 Fergal O'Brien (IRL) (9) 8
27 & 28 April
 Mark King (ENG) 10
England Mark King 5
23 & 24 April
Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace 13
 Alan McManus (SCO) (8) 2
3, 4 & 5 May
 Patrick Wallace (NIR) 10
Northern Ireland Joe Swail (16) 11
25 & 26 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 17
 Stephen Lee (ENG) (5) 10
28, 29 & 30 April
 Nigel Bond (ENG) 3
England Stephen Lee (5) 12
22 & 23 April
England Peter Ebdon (12) 13
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (12) 10
1 & 2 May
 James Wattana (THA) 8
England Peter Ebdon (12) 6
21 & 22 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 13
 Dave Harold (ENG) (13) 10
29 & 30 April
 Quinten Hann (AUS) 5
England Dave Harold (13) 6
22 & 23 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 13
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (4) 10
6 & 7 May
 Andy Hicks (ENG) 2
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 18
25 & 26 April
Scotland John Higgins (2) 14
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (3) 10
27 & 28 April
 Mark Davis (ENG) 5
Scotland Stephen Hendry (3) 13
21 & 22 April
England Paul Hunter (14) 5
 Paul Hunter (ENG) (14) 10
1 & 2 May
 David Roe (ENG) 6
Scotland Stephen Hendry (3) 5
21 & 22 April
Wales Matthew Stevens (6) 13
 Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (11) 10
26 & 27 April
 Marcus Campbell (SCO) 4
England Anthony Hamilton (11) 5
21 & 22 April
Wales Matthew Stevens (6) 13
 Matthew Stevens (WAL) (6) 10
3, 4 & 5 May
 Tony Drago (MLT) 1
Wales Matthew Stevens (6) 15
23 April
Scotland John Higgins (2) 17
 Ken Doherty (IRL) (7) 10
29 & 30 April
 Nick Dyson (ENG) 7
Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty (7) 13
23 & 24 April
Republic of Ireland Michael Judge 7
 John Parrott (ENG) (10) 6
1 & 2 May
 Michael Judge (IRL) 10
Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty (7) 6
24 & 25 April
Scotland John Higgins (2) 13
 Marco Fu (HKG) (15) 8
28, 29 & 30 April
 Chris Small (SCO) 10
Scotland Chris Small 8
24 & 25 April
Scotland John Higgins (2) 13
 John Higgins (SCO) (2) 10
 Graeme Dott (SCO) 4

Final

Final: (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 6 & 7 May 2001
Referee: Eirian Williams
Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)
 England 		18–14 John Higgins (2)
 Scotland
Session 1: 6–2 (6–2)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
O'Sullivan 92† (88) 0 81† (81) 79† 56† 0 90† 71† (70) N/A N/A
Higgins 41 92† 0 0 47 135† (135) 28 0 N/A N/A
Session 2: 4–4 (10–6)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
O'Sullivan 49 49† 2 50 99† (99) 100† (100) 22 99† (99) N/A N/A
Higgins 72† 36 53† 68† 0 12 108† (107) 0 N/A N/A
Session 3: 4–4 (14–10)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
O'Sullivan 81† (81) 12 139† (139) 85† (85) 133† (86) 33 21 0 N/A N/A
Higgins 26 78† 0 0 0 65† 67† (65) 98† (98) N/A N/A
Session 4: 4–4 (18–14)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
O'Sullivan 19 68† 78† (78) 8 5 83† 69 80† (80) N/A N/A
Higgins 68† (50) 0 43 67† (62) 101† (87) 60 71† (65) 45 N/A N/A
(frame 19) 139 Highest break 135 (frame 6)
2 Century breaks 2
12 50+ breaks 7
England Ronnie O'Sullivan wins the 2001 World Snooker Championship[17]

† = Winner of frame

Qualifying

The qualifying matches were held between 20 February and 4 March at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. All the matches were played as the best of 19 frames.[18]

Round 1

Round 1
Best of 19 frames
China Hasimu Tuerxun10
Germany Lasse Münstermann3
England Tom Ford10
Thailand Charoen Phorat2
England Ricky Walden10
Republic of Ireland David McDonnell5
England Shailesh Jogia10
England Shaun Murphy9
Canada Bob Chaperon10
England Ian Hurdman6
England Darryn Walker10
England Eddie Barker3
England Lee Spick10
England Michael Rhodes7
Australia Neil Robertson10
England Paul Davison7

Rounds 2–6

Round 2
Best of 19 frames		Round 3
Best of 19 frames		Round 4
Best of 19 frames		Round 5
Best of 19 frames		Round 6
Best of 19 frames
Scotland Hugh Abernethy10Scotland Hugh Abernethy10England Rod Lawler10
China Hasimu Tuerxun4Northern Ireland Jason Prince8Scotland Hugh Abernethy4England Nick Dyson10England Nick Dyson10
England Nick Dyson10England Nick Dyson10England Nick Dyson10England Rod Lawler8England Brian Morgan9
England Ian Brumby7England Mark Gray8England Steve James7
England Tony Knowles10England Tony Knowles10England Jimmy Michie10
Republic of Ireland Colm Gilcreest4New Zealand Dene O'Kane9England Tony Knowles2England Jimmy Michie10England Nigel Bond10
England Jason Weston10England Nick Pearce10Canada Alain Robidoux10Canada Alain Robidoux7England Jimmy Michie6
England Lee Richardson8England Jason Weston6England Nick Pearce2
England Tom Ford10England Barry Pinches10England Barry Pinches10
Scotland Scott MacKenzie4England Tom Ford5England David Finbow5England Barry Pinches10Scotland Chris Small10
England Craig Harrisonw/oEngland Neal Foulds10Scotland Jamie Burnett10Scotland Jamie Burnett5England Barry Pinches8
England Martin Clarkw/dEngland Craig Harrison9England Neal Foulds5
Sweden Farhan Mirza10Pakistan Shokat Ali10Pakistan Shokat Ali10
England Craig Roper8Sweden Farhan Mirza3England Stuart Bingham7England Mark Davis10England Mark Davis10
England Jeff Cundy10England Mark Davis10England Mark Davis10Pakistan Shokat Ali5Wales Dominic Dale9
England Ricky Walden6England Jeff Cundy3England Peter Lines4
Scotland Stephen Maguire10Scotland Stephen Maguire10Scotland Stephen Maguire10
England Troy Shaw3Scotland John Lardner3England Stuart Pettman2England Sean Storey10England Sean Storey10
England Sean Storey10England Sean Storey10England Sean Storey10Scotland Stephen Maguire5Northern Ireland Terry Murphy9
England Wayne Saidler6Republic of Ireland Stephen O'Connor2England Gary Ponting8
England Barry Hawkinsw/oEngland Barry Hawkins10England Bradley Jones10
Wales Mark Bennettw/dEngland Robert Milkins8England Barry Hawkins8England Bradley Jones10England Mark King10
Thailand Noppadon Noppachorn10Thailand Noppadon Noppachorn10Thailand Noppadon Noppachorn10Thailand Noppadon Noppachorn2England Bradley Jones6
England Anthony Bolsover8England Mike Dunn5England Paul Wykes9
England Munraj Pal10England Munraj Pal10Wales Anthony Davies10
Scotland Alan Burnett2England Mick Price3England Munraj Pal6Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10
Scotland Paul McPhillips10Scotland Paul McPhillips 10Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10Wales Anthony Davies9England Jimmy White7
England Shailesh Jogia7England Tony Jones6Scotland Paul McPhillips1
Belgium Bjorn Haneveer10Belgium Bjorn Haneveer10Belgium Bjorn Haneveer10
England Richard King4England Darren Clarke2England Jason Ferguson4Belgium Bjorn Haneveer10Scotland Graeme Dott10
England Craig Butler10England Craig Butler10England Craig Butler10England Craig Butler7Australia Bjorn Haneveer8
Wales Ryan Day9England Karl Broughton7Wales Lee Walker6
Belgium Patrick Delsemmew/oBelgium Patrick Delsemme10Belgium Patrick Delsemme10
Wales Gareth Chilcottw/dEngland Leigh Griffin8Northern Ireland Gerard Greene3Belgium Patrick Delsemme10Australia Quinten Hann10
Netherlands Stefan Mazrocis10England Steve Judd10England Alfie Burden10England Alfie Burden7Belgium Patrick Delsemme3
Cyprus Mehmet Husnu4Netherlands Stefan Mazrocis8England Steve Judd2
England Jason Barton10England Jason Barton10England Gary Wilkinson10
Scotland Chris Shade7England Tony Chappel8England Jason Barton5England Michael Holt10Scotland Billy Snaddon10
England Andrew Higginson10England Andrew Higginson10England Michael Holt10England Gary Wilkinson5Belgium Michael Holt6
Canada Bob Chaperon7England Adrian Gunnell8England Andrew Higginson5
Wales Philip Williams10Wales Philip Williams10England Andy Hicks10
Netherlands Mario Wehrmann5England Paul Sweeny8Wales Philip Williams8England Andy Hicks10England Andy Hicks10
England Eddie Manning10England Wayne Brown10Scotland Euan Henderson10Scotland Euan Henderson9England Steve Davis6
England Mike Hallett9England Eddie Manning9England Wayne Brown3
England Darryn Walker10England Darryn Walker10England Jonathan Birch10
Wales Wayne Jones4Thailand Phaitoon Phonbun9England Darryn Walker8England Jonathan Birch10Thailand James Wattana10
England Stuart Mann10England Stuart Mann10England Stuart Mann10England Stuart Mann6England Jonathan Birch5
England Peter McCullagh5Scotland Martin Dziewialtowski9England Matthew Couch2
Wales James Reynolds10England Dean Reynolds10England David Roe10
Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney9Wales James Reynolds7England Dean Reynolds8England David Roe10England David Roe10
England Karl Burrowsw/oEngland Karl Burrows10England Karl Burrows10England Karl Burrows8Wales Darren Morgan8
England Nick Terryw/dScotland Craig MacGillivray3England John Read7
Finland Robin Hull10England Ali Carter10Scotland Marcus Campbell10
England Barry Mapstone7Finland Robin Hull4England Ali Carter8Scotland Marcus Campbell10Scotland Marcus Campbell10
England Lee Spick10Iceland Kristján Helgason10England David Gray10England David Gray9Scotland Drew Henry5
England Matt Wilson3England Lee Spick7Iceland Kristján Helgason4
Australia Neil Robertson10Australia Neil Robertson10England Ian McCulloch10
Scotland David McLellan9Wales Mark Fenton9Australia Neil Robertson8England Ian McCulloch10Malta Tony Drago10
Thailand Somporn Kathawung10Thailand Somporn Kathawung10England Joe Johnson10England Joe Johnson4England Ian McCulloch9
England Graham Lee4England Willie Thorne6Thailand Somporn Kathawung2
England Simon Bedford10England Simon Bedford10England Simon Bedford10
Hong Kong Da Hailin5Republic of Ireland Leo Fernandez8Wales Paul Davies3Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace10Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace10
England Mark Selby10England Nick Walker10Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace10England Simon Bedford9England Joe Perry4
England Stuart Reardon4England Mark Selby9England Nick Walker2
Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Century breaks

A total of 53 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament.[19] The highest break was a 140 compiled by Joe Swail.[41][42]

References

  1. ^ a b Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-85225-013-3.
  2. ^ a b Turner, Chris (2008). "World Professional Championship". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Joe Davis, a snooker champion who retired unbeaten, Was 77". The New York Times. 11 July 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
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Works cited

  • Downer, Chris (2019). Crucible Almanac.

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