2004 World Snooker Championship

Last updated

2004 Embassy World Snooker Championship
Embassy World Snooker 2003-05 logo.png
Tournament information
Dates17 April – 3 May 2004 (2004-04-17 2004-05-03)
Venue Crucible Theatre
City Sheffield
CountryEngland
Organisation WPBSA
Format Ranking event
Total prize fund£1,378,920
Winner's share£250,000
Highest breakFlag of England.svg  Joe Perry  (ENG) (145)
Final
ChampionFlag of England.svg  Ronnie O'Sullivan  (ENG)
Runner-upFlag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)
Score188
2003
2005

The 2004 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2004 Embassy World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 17 April to 3 May 2004 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 28th consecutive year the World Snooker Championship was held at the Crucible. The eighth and final ranking event of the 2003–04 snooker season, the tournament was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored by cigarette company Embassy. The total prize fund was £1,378,920, of which the winner received £250,000.

Contents

Qualifying rounds for the tournament took place from 10 to 20 February 2004 at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales. The 16 players who progressed through these qualifying rounds met the top 16 players from the snooker world rankings. The main stage of the event was contested as a single-elimination tournament. Both Ryan Day and Stephen Maguire made their debuts in the main stage of the World Championship.

Mark Williams was the defending champion, having won the previous year's final 1816 against Ken Doherty. He lost 1113 to Joe Perry in the second round. Ronnie O'Sullivan, despite trailing 05 to Graeme Dott in the final, won the match 188 and claimed his second World Championship. This was the fourth biggest margin in a World final, a score O'Sullivan would recreate again in 2008 and 2020 over Ali Carter and Kyren Wilson, respectively. A total of 55 century breaks were compiled during the event's main stage, the highest being a 145 made by Joe Perry.

Background

For the 28th consecutive year, the main stage of the tournament was held at the Crucible Theatre (pictured) in Sheffield, England. Sheffield Crucible theatre.png
For the 28th 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, due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The PBPA established an alternative tournament, the World Professional Match-play Championship, of which the six editions held between 1952 and 1957 are retroactively regarded as legitimate continuations of the World Snooker Championship. However, due to waning public interest in snooker during the post-war era, that tournament was also discontinued, and 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 players 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]

The 2004 event marked the 28th consecutive year that the tournament was held at the Crucible, and the 36th successive year that the World Championship was contested through the modern knockout format. [12] [13] [14] Welsh player Mark Williams won his second world title at the previous year's championship, defeating Irish player Ken Doherty 1816 in the final. [15] Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the 2004 tournament was sponsored by cigarette company Embassy, which sponsored the event from 1976 to 2005. [16] [17]

Format

The 2004 World Snooker Championship took place from 17 April to 3 May 2004, as the last of eight ranking events in the 2003–04 snooker season. [18] The event featured a 32-player main draw, preceded by a qualifying tournament that was held at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales, between 10 and 20 February 2004. The qualifiers were played over six rounds, higher-ranked players being seeded and given byes to the later rounds. [19] All of the rounds were played as the best of 19 frames . [19]

The top 16 players in the snooker world rankings automatically qualified for the main draw as seeded players. Defending champion Williams was automatically seeded first overall. The remaining 15 seeds were allocated based on the world rankings. The main stage of the event was contested as a single-elimination tournament. Matches in the first round of the main draw were played as the best of 19 frames, second-round matches and quarter-finals played as the best of 25 frames, and the semi-finals as the best of 33 frames. [20] The final was played over two days as a best-of-35-frames match. [20] Reaching the first round of the tournament's main stage were seventeen players from England, six from Scotland, five from Wales, and one each from Ireland, Thailand, Australia and Northern Ireland. [20]

Prize fund

The winner of the event received £250,000 from a total fund of £1,378,920. [21] The breakdown of prize money is shown below: [21] [22] [23]

Summary

First round

Defending champion Mark Williams (pictured in 2014) won over Dominic Dale the day after he became father for the first time. Mark Williams at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-30 01.jpg
Defending champion Mark Williams (pictured in 2014) won over Dominic Dale the day after he became father for the first time.

The first round was played between 17 and 22 April as the best of 19 frames. [20] The defending champion, Mark Williams, played Dominic Dale. Williams, who became a father the day before the match was played, earned a 63 lead in the first session , with five breaks over 50, including a century break of 105 in the second frame. [24] Dale responded and won three frames to draw level at 77. [24] Williams, however, clinched victory with the last three frames, which included a half-century . [24] "It's not the best preparation you can have, but if you're happy off the table you can carry that over," Williams commented after the match with regard to his fatherhood. [24]

Six seeded players lost in the first round—Stephen Lee, Quinten Hann, Steve Davis, Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty and Jimmy White. Although Lee fell 36 behind Lee Walker, he managed to win three of the first four frames of the evening session to reduce the gap to a single frame. [25] Walker, nonetheless, clinched the twelfth frame, which lasted 53 minutes, and ended up winning the match 107. [25] Lee claimed afterwards that the defeat was the summary of "a terrible season" for him. [25] Andy Hicks advanced into the second round by beating Hann 104. [26] Having already been warned for his language by referee Lawrie Annandale in the eleventh frame, he confronted Hicks once the match had ended and he admitted to having told him "You're short, bald and always will be, and can have me outside whenever you want". [26] Hicks pointed out to him that he was likely to drop out of the top 16 as a result of the loss. [26] [27] The six-time champion Davis lost to Anthony Hamilton 710. [28] Doherty, 1997 winner, was beaten by two-time semi-finalist Joe Swail 610. [29] Doherty's defeat was the first time he had lost in round one since the 1995 event, [29] and had since been champion once, finalist twice and three times a quarter-finalist. [30] Ebdon played Ian McCulloch, [31] who was making his third-ever appearance at the Crucible, having previously qualified for the 1999 and 2003 events. [32] The first session, which featured a 48-minutes-long frame, was shared at 44, and the balance was not broken after eight more frames, with a score of 88. [31] McCulloch, whose safety and matchplay were praised by his rival, went on to win two frames and sealed the first Crucible victory in his career. [31] Barry Pinches qualified for the main stage for the first time since 1991. [33] He faced White, recent European Open runner-up and Players Championship winner, in a match which overran and had to be completed after other matches. [34] A 108 victory meant that Pinches would reach the top 16 in the world rankings for the first time in his career. [34]

Ryan Day (pictured in 2014) was a debutant at the Crucible and lost to John Higgins in the deciding frame having led 9-7. Ryan Day at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-30 02.jpg
Ryan Day (pictured in 2014) was a debutant at the Crucible and lost to John Higgins in the deciding frame having led 97.

Ryan Day and Stephen Maguire were the only debutants at the Crucible and both lost in the opening round. Day made three century breaks in his match, the first to do so on his debut at the World Championship. [35] He put himself 97 ahead with breaks of 111, 68, 54, 128, 60, 112, 71 and 57 over 1998 champion John Higgins. Higgins, however, forced a decider with a 68 and took the match with a result of 6850 in the last frame. [36] Maguire, who was 23 and the youngest of the 32 players who made it to this stage of the tournament, reached the main draw after a season in which he had won his first ranking tournament defeating White in the European Open final. [37] Facing 2001 champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round, Maguire made a 121 clearance to go 32 ahead and had a chance to double the lead in the next frame, but he would end up losing 610 in a match that featured a combined three centuries between both players. [37] O'Sullivan made gestures using "middle and index fingers" and "rubbing motions" that "could have been interpreted as offensive" according to snooker commentator and historian Clive Everton. [37] O'Sullivan also conceded a frame while he could still mathematically win, something "widely regarded as inappropriate". [38] Chris Small was 17 down to fellow Scotsman Alan McManus when he was forced to retire from the match due to pain from a degenerative spinal disease, [39] a condition which would later force him to retire from the game permanently. [40] McManus said after the match that he was "dumbstruck" by his rival pulling out. [39] Ali Carter, taking part in his second consecutive first-round match of the World Championship after having made his debut the previous season, faced David Gray, who overcame a "nightmare start" and made two consecutive half-centuries in the last two frames to secure victory with a result of 107. [41]

Joe Perry and Robert Milkins, who were playing in the main stage for the fourth and third time respectively, met in the opening round. Although Perry came out 63 on top at the end of the first session, Milkins reduced the deficit to two frames. [42] Perry then won three frames to put himself one away from victory at 94. [42] Milkins, however, replied with breaks of up to 51 and 65, and Perry said he was beginning to "worry" when it got to 97, but managed to close out the match. [42] In a tactical match, Matthew Stevens, finalist in 2000, overcame a two-frame deficit against James Wattana and won the last five frames to advance into the second round. [43] Paul Hunter, who had lost the Players Championship final against White two weeks earlier, took a 54 lead against 1991 world champion John Parrott, who could have levelled the match at 77, but missed a pot . [44] Hunter went on to win 107. [44] Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry raced into an 81 lead against Stuart Pettman in the first session, and wrapped up the match with two more frames once the match was resumed, with a 117 century. [45] In a match that only featured six breaks over fifty, Graeme Dott defeated Mark King in the decider 109. [46] "It was actually getting embarrassing how bad the game was," he said afterwards. [46]

Second round

Barry Pinches (pictured in 2016), who had never played in the second round before, led seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 11-9, but ended up losing 12-13. Barry Pinches PHC 2016-1.jpg
Barry Pinches (pictured in 2016), who had never played in the second round before, led seven-time champion Stephen Hendry 119, but ended up losing 1213.

The second round of the event was played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 22 and 26 April. [20] Pinches, playing in this stage of the tournament for the first time, led Hendry 119 before losing 1213. [47] Hendry regarded the match as one of the toughest "battles" he had had to endure at the Crucible. [47] Hunter and Stevens met in the last 16 for the second consecutive year. [48] Stevens had been defeated 613 the previous year, [48] and found himself two frames behind at 1012 before Hunter missed a pink ball in the 23rd frame which would have given him the match. [48] Stevens took all three remaining frames to win the match 1312. [48] Perry made a break of 145 in his match against defending champion Williams, which would remain as the highest break of the tournament. [49] Having manufactured a 106 lead, Perry lost five frames on the trot and let Williams in front for the first time in the match at 1011. [49] Perry put together breaks of 55, 53 and 82 to win 1311 and advance into the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in his career. [49] Gray took victory over Walker with a result of 135 and also made his first appearance in the quarter-finals. [50] "It was not my greatest performance," Gray highlighted despite the result and urged himself to score more heavily the next day. [50]

Dott got off to a good start in his match against Higgins and established a 51 advantage that got reduced to 53 by the end of the first session. [51] Going into the last session, Dott led 127 before Higgins made breaks of 89 and 130 and won another one to reduce the deficit to only a couple of frames. [51] Dott won the match with a 62 break, and said he had "never seen John [Higgins] play as badly as that". [51] O'Sullivan faced 1995 semi-finalist Hicks, [52] who had not managed to get past the first round of the event since that year. Scores were level going into the final session, but O'Sullivan won a match in which he compiled five century breaks. [52] Both players conceded frames while the other was still at the table. [38] Hamilton shared the first two sessions with Swail tied at 88. [53] Swail had until that point scored half-centuries for every frame that had gone his way, but could not hold Hamilton, who sealed victory by 1311 with breaks of 86 and 61. [53] McManus won the first frame against McCulloch, who then took seven in a row with breaks of 106, 64, 76, 62, 113, 82 and 84, and moved within two of victory ahead of the evening session. [54] They played only three frames in the third session as McCulloch progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time in his career. [54]

Quarter-finals

Graeme Dott (pictured in 2014) reached the semi-finals for the first time, defeating David Gray 13-7. Graeme Dott at Snooker German Masters (Martin Rulsch) 2014-01-29 01.jpg
Graeme Dott (pictured in 2014) reached the semi-finals for the first time, defeating David Gray 137.

The quarter-finals were played as the best of 25 frames held over three sessions, on 27 and 28 April. [20] In his match against O'Sullivan, Hamilton lost seven of the first eight frames and eventually lost the match 313. [55] O'Sullivan compiled four centuries of 109, 106, 131 and 121 in the match. [55] The performance was regarded by snooker reporter Clive Everton writing for The Guardian as a "performance of stunning virtuosity". [56] Hendry defeated McCulloch also 133 with a session to spare . [57] In setting up a semi-final duel with O'Sullivan, he made two centuries and nine half-centuries. [57]

Perry, contesting his first ever quarter-final, was six frames behind Stevens at the beginning of the third session at 511, but he won five frames to trail 1012. [58] He stated, however, he was "mentally tired" after his second-round match against Williams and that he had lost the match "at the start", eventually losing 1013. [58] "It's difficult when you have a big lead like that and then someone fights back, because it really puts the pressure on you," pointed out Stevens. [58] Dott had never reached this stage of the tournament before either, and displayed what he thought was "a rubbish game", but defeated Gray 137, closing out the match with a break of 62. [59] "You watch the Crucible when it gets to one table as a kid, and wonder what it would be like to play there," he said afterwards. [59]

Semi-finals

Stephen Hendry (pictured in 2011) suffered a 4-17 defeat against Ronnie O'Sullivan, the biggest in history for a World Championship semi-final match. Stephen Hendry PHC 2011.png
Stephen Hendry (pictured in 2011) suffered a 417 defeat against Ronnie O'Sullivan, the biggest in history for a World Championship semi-final match.

The semi-finals were played as the best of 33 frames, held over four sessions, between 29 April and 1 May. [20] Hendry and O'Sullivan were playing in the semi-finals stage for the second time, with Hendry winning 1712 in 1999. [60] Several breaks over 80 and a 117 gave O'Sullivan a clear advantage over Hendry in the two first sessions, where he led 62 and 133 ahead, respectively. [61] [62] The match ended 174 and with a session to spare, thanks to breaks of 93 and 79 by O'Sullivan, whose victory against Hendry was the biggest ever for a semi-final of the tournament. The previous largest was Hendry's 164 win over Terry Griffiths in 1992. [63]

In the other semi-final, Dott faced Stevens. Stevens previously reached this stage of the tournament on four occasions, whilst it was Dott's first time. Dott was also required to reach the final to retain his place in the top 16 in the world rankings. [61] The pair shared the first session 44, but Dott gained a 97 lead after the second. Dott displayed good safety throughout the rest of the match to lead 1512. Although Stevens won frames 28, 29 and 30 to level the match at 1515, Dott won the next two, including one on the final pink ball , to reach the final. [64]

Final

Ronnie O'Sullivan (pictured in 2012) won his second world championship, defeating Dott 18-8 in the final. Ronnie O'Sullivan and Michaela Tabb at German Masters Snooker Final (DerHexer) 2012-02-05 06 cropped.jpg
Ronnie O'Sullivan (pictured in 2012) won his second world championship, defeating Dott 188 in the final.

The final of the event was played on 2 and 3 May as a best-of-35-frames match, held over four sessions, between Dott and O'Sullivan. [20] Referee Paul Collier took charge of his first World Championship final. [65] O'Sullivan (seeded third) was contesting his second World Championship final, having won his previous one in 2001 against Higgins, while it was the first one for Dott (seeded thirteenth). [66] Dott had till that point reached two ranking finals—those of the 1999 Scottish Open and the 2001 British Open—but had come short to both Hendry and Higgins. [67] Dott made a strong start to the match and compiled breaks of 71, 77, 64 and 60 to move 5–0 clear, but O'Sullivan responded with a 100-point century break and then won two more to put himself only two behind at the end of the first session. [68] In the second session, played in the evening, O'Sullivan moved from two frames down to two ahead by the conclusion, and in the third session the following afternoon he won all frames save one—in which Dott compiled a 106 century. O'Sullivan only needed two frames and twenty minutes in the evening to seal his second world title. [68]

O'Sullivan won the match 188, the biggest margin in a World final since Hendry's 185 victory over White in 1993 [68] and the fourth largest in the history of the tournament, subsequently equalled by O'Sullivan himself against Carter in 2008 and Kyren Wilson in 2020. [69] Afterwards, Dott conceded that the newly crowned champion could be regarded as "the greatest of all time" and expressed elation over having avoided losing the final with a session to spare. [70] "It could have been worse," he stated in the post-match interview. [70] O'Sullivan said he had felt at all times throughout the seventeen days that he would go on to win the tournament and thanked six-time world champion Ray Reardon for his advice, for he had recently begun to work alongside him on improving his overall game. [71] He dedicated the victory to his father, who was at prison at the time, and said there was "more to come". [71]

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 (116). The match winners are shown in bold. [21] [20] [72]

First round
Best of 19 frames
Second round
Best of 25 frames
Quarter-finals
Best of 25 frames
Semi-finals
Best of 33 frames
Final
Best of 35 frames
17 April [24]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams (1)10
22, 23 & 24 April [49]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams (1)11
18 & 19 April [42]
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)13
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)10
27 & 28 April [58]
Flag of England.svg Robert Milkins 7
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)10
17 & 18 April [43]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)13
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)10
23 & 24 April [48]
Flag of Thailand.svg James Wattana 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)13
21 & 22 April [44]
Flag of England.svg Paul Hunter (8)12
Flag of England.svg Paul Hunter (8)10
29, 30 April & 1 May [64]
Flag of England.svg John Parrott 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)15
20 April [25]
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)17
Flag of England.svg Stephen Lee (5)7
24, 25 & 26 April [50]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 5
21 April [41]
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)13
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)10
27 & 28 April [59]
Flag of England.svg Ali Carter 7
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)7
19 & 20 April [46]
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)13
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)10
25 & 26 April [51]
Flag of England.svg Mark King 9
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)13
18 & 19 April [36]
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins (4)10
Flag of Scotland.svg John Higgins (4)10
2 & 3 May
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 9
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)8
20 & 21 April [37]
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)18
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)10
22 & 23 April [52]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Maguire 6
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)13
17 & 18 April [26]
Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 11
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Quinten Hann (14)4
27 April [55]
Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 10
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)13
21 & 22 April [28]
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 3
Flag of England.svg Steve Davis (11)7
23 & 24 April [53]
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 10
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 13
17 & 18 April [29]
Ulster Banner.svg Joe Swail 11
Flag of Ireland.svg Ken Doherty (6)5
29, 30 April & 1 May [62]
Ulster Banner.svg Joe Swail 10
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)17
19 April [31]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)4
Flag of England.svg Peter Ebdon (7)8
25 & 26 April [54]
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 10
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 13
17 & 18 April [39]
Flag of Scotland.svg Alan McManus (10)6
Flag of Scotland.svg Alan McManus (10)7 [a]
27 & 28 April [57]
Flag of Scotland.svg Chris Small 1
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 3
19 & 20 April [34]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)13
Flag of England.svg Jimmy White (15)8
24, 25 & 26 April [47]
Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 10
Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 12
20 & 21 April [45]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)13
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)10
Flag of England.svg Stuart Pettman 2
Final (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 2 & 3 May 2004. [73] Referee: Paul Collier [74]
Graeme Dott (13)
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
8–18 Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)
Flag of England.svg  England
71–34, 77–9, 108–0, 97–0, 61–0, 0–100, 17–63, 0–87, 0–87, 59–0, 47–64, 0–78, 87–0, 48–68, 1–68, 0–69, 1–71, 0–85, 119–2, 30–76, 43–85, 8–69, 44–91, 13–72, 8–92, 16–88Century breaks: 2
(Dott 1, O'Sullivan 1)

Highest break by Dott: 106
Highest break by O'Sullivan: 100

71–34, 77–9, 108–0, 97–0, 61–0, 0–100, 17–63, 0–87, 0–87, 59–0, 47–64, 0–78, 87–0, 48–68, 1–68, 0–69, 1–71, 0–85, 119–2, 30–76, 43–85, 8–69, 44–91, 13–72, 8–92, 16–88
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan wins the 2004 Embassy World Snooker Championship

Qualifying

The matches were played at Pontin's, Prestatyn Sands between 10 and 20 February 2004. [19]

Round 1
Best of 19 frames
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
Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Martin Gould  (ENG)8Flag of England.svg  Tom Ford  (ENG)4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Darren Morgan  (WAL)10Flag of Thailand.svg  James Wattana  (THA)10Flag of Thailand.svg  James Wattana  (THA)10
Flag of England.svg  Brian Salmon  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Craig Butler  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Craig Butler  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Craig Butler  (ENG)8Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Darren Morgan  (WAL)1Flag of England.svg  Dave Harold  (ENG)8
Flag of England.svg  Chris Melling  (ENG)9Flag of England.svg  Brian Salmon  (ENG)9
Flag of England.svg  Luke Simmonds  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Matthew Couch  (ENG)8Flag of England.svg  Luke Simmonds  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  David Finbow  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Brian Morgan  (ENG)10Ulster Banner.svg  Joe Swail  (NIR)10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)9Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ian Preece  (WAL)9Flag of England.svg  David Finbow  (ENG)9Flag of England.svg  Brian Morgan  (ENG)3
Flag of England.svg  Justin Astley  (ENG)8Flag of England.svg  Joe Johnson  (ENG)0 [b]
Flag of England.svg  Mike Hallett  (ENG)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Lee Walker  (WAL)10
Flag of Scotland.svg  James Leadbetter  (SCO)6Flag of England.svg  Mike Hallett  (ENG)6Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Lee Walker  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Lee Walker  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Lee Walker  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Lee Walker  (WAL)10
Flag of Scotland.svg Gary Thomson (SCO)10Flag of Scotland.svg Gary Thomson (SCO)6Flag of England.svg  Alfie Burden  (ENG)7Flag of England.svg  Barry Hawkins  (ENG)8Flag of England.svg  Mark Selby  (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg Luke Fisher (ENG)2
Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg Ian Brumby (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Nigel Bond  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Ian McCulloch  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Dave Gilbert  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Dave Gilbert  (ENG)6Flag of England.svg  Nick Walker  (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  Peter Lines  (ENG)6Flag of England.svg  Nigel Bond  (ENG)7
Flag of England.svg  Michael Wild  (ENG)6
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Mehmet Husnu  (CYP)10Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)10
Flag of Scotland.svg  Craig MacGillivray  (SCO)2Flag of Cyprus.svg  Mehmet Husnu  (CYP)7Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Robert Milkins  (ENG)10
Ulster Banner.svg  Jason Prince  (NIR)10Flag of England.svg  Jason Prince  (ENG)3Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Bjorn Haneveer  (BEL)5Flag of England.svg  Stuart Bingham  (ENG)6Flag of England.svg  Rory McLeod  (ENG)1
Flag of England.svg Darryn Walker (ENG)6
Flag of Ireland.svg  Joe Delaney  (IRL)10Flag of Ireland.svg  Joe Delaney  (IRL)10
Flag of Ireland.svg  Rodney Goggins  (IRL)6Flag of England.svg  Andrew Higginson  (ENG)4Flag of Ireland.svg  Joe Delaney  (IRL)2Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)10Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Maguire  (SCO)10Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Maguire  (SCO)w/o
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)10Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)10Flag of England.svg  Rod Lawler  (ENG)4Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)6Flag of Finland.svg  Robin Hull  (FIN)w/d
Flag of Scotland.svg Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)8
Flag of England.svg  Simon Bedford  (ENG)10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Sargeant (WAL)5Flag of England.svg  Simon Bedford  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Andy Hicks  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Andy Hicks  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Andy Hicks  (ENG)10
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Liu Song  (CHN)10Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Liu Song  (CHN)6Flag of England.svg  Simon Bedford  (ENG)7Flag of Scotland.svg  Jamie Burnett  (SCO)4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Anthony Davies  (WAL)8
Flag of England.svg Wayne Brown (ENG)5
Flag of Ireland.svg  Leo Fernandez  (IRL)10
Flag of England.svg Paul Sweeny (ENG)9Flag of Ireland.svg  Leo Fernandez  (IRL)10Flag of Ireland.svg  Leo Fernandez  (IRL)10Flag of Ireland.svg  Leo Fernandez  (IRL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Dominic Dale  (WAL)10
Flag of England.svg Michael Rhodes (ENG)10Flag of England.svg Michael Rhodes (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Sean Storey  (ENG)8Ulster Banner.svg  Gerard Greene  (NIR)9Flag of Ireland.svg  Leo Fernandez  (IRL)8
Ulster Banner.svg  Terry Murphy  (NIR)9
Flag of Thailand.svg  Kwan Poomjang  (THA)10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Philip Williams  (WAL)9Flag of Thailand.svg  Kwan Poomjang  (THA)7Flag of Pakistan.svg  Shokat Ali  (PAK)10Flag of England.svg  Michael Holt  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Anthony Hamilton  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg Garry Hardiman (ENG)10Flag of England.svg Garry Hardiman (ENG)10Flag of England.svg Garry Hardiman (ENG)4Flag of Pakistan.svg  Shokat Ali  (PAK)6Flag of England.svg  Michael Holt  (ENG)9
Flag of Scotland.svg  Billy Snaddon  (SCO)6
Flag of England.svg  Munraj Pal  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg Andy Neck (ENG)0Flag of England.svg  Munraj Pal  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Nick Dyson  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Nick Dyson  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG)10
Flag of Ireland.svg  Colm Gilcreest  (IRL)10Flag of Ireland.svg  Colm Gilcreest  (IRL)5Flag of England.svg  Munraj Pal  (ENG)9Flag of England.svg  Gary Wilkinson  (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  Nick Dyson  (ENG)6
Flag of Scotland.svg Steven Bennie (SCO)7
Flag of England.svg  Adrian Rosa  (ENG)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)10
Flag of England.svg  Steve James  (ENG)6Flag of England.svg  Adrian Rosa  (ENG)7Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ryan Day  (WAL)10
Flag of England.svg Adam Davies (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Tony Jones  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Tony Jones  (ENG)0Flag of England.svg  Mike Dunn  (ENG)7Flag of England.svg  Mark Davis  (ENG)6Flag of Scotland.svg  Drew Henry  (SCO)7
Flag of England.svg David Hall (ENG)8Flag of England.svg Adam Davies (ENG)3
Flag of England.svg  Jason Ferguson  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg Carlo Giagnacovo (ENG)9Flag of England.svg  Jason Ferguson  (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)10Flag of Ireland.svg  Michael Judge  (IRL)10Flag of England.svg  John Parrott  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Ricky Walden  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  David Roe  (ENG)9Flag of Ireland.svg  Michael Judge  (IRL)9
Flag of England.svg Stephen Croft (ENG)0
Ulster Banner.svg Joe Meara (NIR)10
Flag of England.svg  Andrew Norman  (ENG)8Ulster Banner.svg Joe Meara (NIR)5Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Mark King  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Jimmy Michie  (ENG)5Flag of Ireland.svg  Fergal O'Brien  (IRL)7Flag of England.svg  Adrian Gunnell  (ENG)8
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Steve Mifsud  (AUS)5
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)10
Flag of Thailand.svg  Atthasit Mahitthi  (THA)6Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)10Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)10Flag of England.svg  Barry Pinches  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Barry Pinches  (ENG)10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Paul Davies  (WAL)10Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Paul Davies  (WAL)5Flag of Scotland.svg  Marcus Campbell  (SCO)3Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Ding Junhui  (CHN)7Flag of Malta.svg  Tony Drago  (MLT)2
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Alain Robidoux  (CAN)4
Flag of Thailand.svg  Supoj Saenla  (THA)10
Flag of England.svg  Bradley Jones  (ENG)8Flag of Thailand.svg  Supoj Saenla  (THA)8Ulster Banner.svg  Patrick Wallace  (NIR)10Ulster Banner.svg  Patrick Wallace  (NIR)10Flag of Scotland.svg  Chris Small  (SCO)10
Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Paul Wykes  (ENG)4Flag of England.svg  Jonathan Birch  (ENG)5Ulster Banner.svg  Patrick Wallace  (NIR)7
Flag of Norway.svg  Kurt Maflin  (NOR)4
Flag of England.svg  Stuart Mann  (ENG)10
Flag of England.svg  Jamie Cope  (ENG)8Flag of England.svg  Stuart Mann  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Stuart Pettman  (ENG)10Flag of England.svg  Stuart Pettman  (ENG)10
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scott MacKenzie  (SCO)10Flag of Scotland.svg  Scott MacKenzie  (SCO)2Flag of England.svg  Stuart Mann  (ENG)5Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)7Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Marco Fu  (HKG)7
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Johl Younger (AUS)3
Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Century breaks

A total of 55 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament. The highest break of the tournament was a 145 made by Joe Perry. [22] [76] [77]

Notes

  1. Small retired after the first session with a spinal issue. [39]
  2. Johnson conceded the match at 09. [75]

References

  1. 1 2 Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. p. 50. ISBN   978-1-85225-013-3.
  2. 1 2 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.
  4. Nunns, Hector; Hendon, David. "Full history". WPBSA . Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. Wright, Joe (30 April 2023). "Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies". The Sporting News . Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  6. "Halo World Championship". World Snooker Tour . Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  7. "World Snooker Championship in Sheffield". Sheffield City Council . Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  8. Sutcliffe, Steve (3 May 2022). "World Snooker Championship 2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan plays down record-equalling seventh title". BBC Sport . Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  9. "Betfred World Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  10. Millington, Sarah (2 February 2024). "Looking back to 1990: when Stephen Hendry became a snooker champion". News and Star . Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  11. "Snooker World Records". snooker.org. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  12. "History of the World Snooker Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  13. "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  14. "John Higgins eyes more crucible titles" . The Daily Telegraph. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2020. the modern era, which began in 1969 when the World Championship became a knockout event.
  15. "Embassy World Championship (2003)". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  16. "The World Snooker Championship's continued move away from vice title sponsorship". 24 April 2025.
  17. Anstead, Mike (19 January 2006). "Snooker finds sponsor with deep pockets". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  18. "The 2003/2004 Season". snooker.org. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 "2004 Embassy World Championship Stage 3 Qualifying". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "2004 World Snooker draw". BBC Sport. 26 April 2004. Archived from the original on 13 April 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  21. 1 2 3 "World Snooker Championship 2004". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  22. 1 2 "2004 Embassy World Championship". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  23. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 130.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 Harlow, Phil (17 April 2004). "Williams battles through". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (20 April 2004). "Walker ends Lee hopes". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (18 April 2004). "Bad-tempered Hann exits". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  27. Tracey, Ted. "SNOOKER: Tempers flare as things get out of Hann". Daily Record on HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  28. 1 2 Shea, Julian (22 April 2004). "Hamilton ousts Davis". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  29. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (18 April 2004). "Swail overpowers Doherty". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  30. "Ken Doherty". snooker.org. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (19 April 2004). "McCulloch stuns Ebdon". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  32. "Ian McCulloch". snooker.org. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  33. Everton, Clive (21 April 2004). "Tired White falls at the first as Pinches holds his nerve". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  34. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (20 April 2004). "White falls to Pinches". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 11 June 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  35. Everton, Clive (20 April 2004). "Higgins in the pink after dramatic victory". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  36. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (19 April 2004). "Higgins wins thriller". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (21 April 2004). "O'Sullivan downs Maguire". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  38. 1 2 Everton, Clive (24 April 2004). "O'Sullivan goes from sublime to ridiculous". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  39. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (17 April 2004). "Small pulls out". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  40. "Small forced to give up snooker". BBC Sport. 23 September 2005. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  41. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (21 April 2004). "Gray ousts Carter". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (19 April 2004). "Perry overcomes Milkins". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  43. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (18 April 2004). "Stevens battles through". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  44. 1 2 3 Harlow, Phil (22 April 2004). "Hunter polishes off Parrott". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  45. 1 2 Shea, Julian (21 April 2004). "Hendry races to victory". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  46. 1 2 3 Harlow, Phil (20 April 2004). "Dott edges out King". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  47. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (26 April 2004). "Hendry wins thriller". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 Harlow, Phil (24 April 2004). "Stevens shoots down Hunter". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  49. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (24 April 2004). "Williams crashes out". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  50. 1 2 3 Warren, Dan (26 April 2004). "Gray into last eight". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  51. 1 2 3 4 Warren, Dan (26 April 2004). "Dott ends Higgins fightback". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  52. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (23 April 2004). "O'Sullivan overcomes Hicks". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  53. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (24 April 2004). "Hamilton stuns Swail". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  54. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (26 April 2004). "McCulloch seals victory". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  55. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (27 April 2004). "O'Sullivan crushes Hamilton". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  56. Everton, Clive (28 April 2004). "O'Sullivan hammers Hamilton to reach last four". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  57. 1 2 3 Everton, Clive (29 April 2004). "Hendry hurries to date with O'Sullivan". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  58. 1 2 3 4 Warren, Dan (28 April 2004). "Stevens makes semis". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  59. 1 2 3 Warren, Dan (28 April 2004). "Dott eases past Gray". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  60. "1999 Embassy World Championship Draw". Snooker.org. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  61. 1 2 Association, Press (30 April 2004). "Dott crosses half-way line in the lead". The Guardian.
  62. 1 2 Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (1 May 2004). "O'Sullivan races into final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  63. Yates, Phil (2 May 2004). "Unstoppable O'Sullivan". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  64. 1 2 Warren, Dan; Jones, Clive (1 May 2004). "Dott into final after epic". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  65. "Paul Collier". World Snooker Tour . Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  66. "Hall of Fame - World". snooker.org. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  67. Tour, World Snooker. "Home of World Snooker". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  68. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (3 May 2004). "O'Sullivan wins World crown". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  69. Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  70. 1 2 Warren, Dan (4 May 2004). "O'Sullivan 'may be greatest'". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 31 May 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  71. 1 2 Jones, Clive (3 May 2004). "'More to come' from O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  72. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. pp. 58–59.
  73. Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (3 May 2004). "O'Sullivan wins World crown". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  74. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 143.
  75. "Joe Johnson on brink of retirement". Snooker Scene. March 2004. p. 9.
  76. "Crucible Centuries". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  77. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 151.