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)
Score18–8
← 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, the 28th consecutive year the World Snooker Championship was held at the venue. 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. The main stage of the tournament featured 32 players: the top 16 players from the snooker world rankings and another 16 players from the qualifying rounds. Ryan Day and Stephen Maguire were debutants at the Crucible. Mark Williams was the defending champion, having won the 2003 final 18–16 against Ken Doherty. He lost 11–13 to Joe Perry in the second round.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his second world title by defeating Graeme Dott 18–8 in the final, despite having trailed Dott 0–5. This was the fourth biggest margin in a World final, subsequently equalled by O'Sullivan against Ali Carter in 2008 and Kyren Wilson in 2020. A total of 55 century breaks were compiled during the event's main stage, the highest being a 145 made by Joe Perry.

Overview

The main draw of the tournament is played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Sheffield Crucible theatre.png
The main draw of the tournament is played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

The first World Snooker Championship final took place in 1927 at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England, and was won by Joe Davis. [1] Since 1977 the tournament has been held annually at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. [2] 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. [3] [4] [5] Scottish player Stephen Hendry had been the most successful participant at the World Championship in the modern era, having won the title seven times. [6] Welsh player Mark Williams won his second world title at the 2003 championship, defeating Irish player Ken Doherty 18–16 in the final, for which he received a £270,000 top prize from a total prize fund of £1,682,900. 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.

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. The event featured a 32-player main draw, preceded by a qualifying tournament that was held at Pontins 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. [7] All of the rounds were played as the best of 19 frames . [7]

The top 16 players in the latest 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 latest world rankings. 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. [8] The final was played over two days as a best-of-35-frames match. [8] Reaching the first round of the tournament's main stage were 17 players from England, six from Scotland, five from Wales, and one each from Ireland, Thailand, Australia and Northern Ireland. [8]

Prize fund

The winner of the event received £250,000 from a total fund of £1,378,920. [9] The breakdown of prize money is shown below: [9] [10] [11]

Tournament summary

Main stage

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. Williams faced Dominic Dale. [12] The defending champion, who became a father the day before the match was played, earned a 6–3 lead in the first session , with five breaks over 50, including a century break of 105 in the second frame. [12] Coming back for the second and final session, Dale responded and won three consecutive frames to draw level at 7–7. [12] Williams, however, did the same and clinched victory with the last three frames, which included a half-century . [12] "It's not the best preparation you can have, but if you're happy off the table you can carry that over," commented the two-time world champion after the match with regard to his fatherhood. [12]

Six seeded players–Stephen Lee, Quinten Hann, Steve Davis, Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty and Jimmy White–lost in the first round. Although Lee fell 3–6 behind Lee Walker, he managed to win three of the first four frames of the evening session to reduce the gap to a single one. [13] Walker, nonetheless, clinched the twelfth frame, which lasted 53 minutes, and ended up winning the match 10–7. [13] Lee claimed afterwards that the defeat was the summary of "a terrible season" for him. [13] Andy Hicks advanced into the second round by beating Hann 4–10. [14] Having already been warned for his language by referee Lawrie Annandale in the eleventh frame, he confronted his rival 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". [14] Hicks pointed out to him that he was likely to drop out of the top 16 as a result of the loss. [14] [15] Six-time champion Davis lost to Anthony Hamilton 7–10. [16] Doherty, 1997 winner, was beaten by two-time semi-finalist Joe Swail 6–10. [17] Doherty's defeat was the first time he had lost in round one since 1995, [17] and had since been champion once, finalist twice and three times a quarter-finalist. Ebdon played Ian McCulloch, [18] who was making his third-ever appearance at the Crucible, having previously qualified for the 1999 and 2003 events. The first session, which featured a 48-minutes-long frame, was shared at 4–4, and the balance was not broken after eight more frames, with a scoreboard of 8–8. [18] McCulloch, whose safety and matchplay were praised by his rival, went on to win two frames on the trot and sealed the first Crucible victory in his career. [18] Barry Pinches qualified for the Crucible for the first time since 1991. [19] 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. [20] A 10–8 victory meant that Pinches would be amongst the last 16 standing for the first time in his career. [20]

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 9–7.

Ryan Day and Stephen Maguire were the only debutants at the Crucible this year, and both lost in round one. Day, who became the first ever player to make three centuries on his debut at the World Championship, [21] put himself 9–7 ahead with breaks of 111, 68, 54, 128, 60, 112, 71 and 57, but 1998 champion John Higgins forced a decider with a 68 and took it with a result of 68–50. [22] 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, and had also been runner-up of the British Open and champion of the UK Championship, with a 10–1 victory against David Gray. Facing 2001 champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round, he had a chance to take a 4–2 lead, but he would end up losing 6–10 in a match that featured a combined three centuries by both players. [23] O'Sullivan conceded a frame while he could still mathematically win it and also made some obscene gestures throughout the match. [24] Chris Small was 1–7 down to fellow Scotsman Alan McManus when he was forced to retire from the match due to pain from a degenerative spinal disease, [25] a condition which would later force him to retire from the game permanently. [26] McManus said after the match that he was "dumbstruck" by his rival pulling out. [25] 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 10–7. [27]

Joe Perry and Robert Milkins, who were playing in the main stage for the fourth and third time respectively, faced each other. Although Perry came out 6–3 on top at the end of the first session, Milkins reduced the deficit to two frames. [28] Perry managed then to secure three scrappy frames on the spin to put himself one away from victory at 9–4. [28] Milkins, however, replied with breaks of up to 51 and 65, and Perry said he was beginning to "worry" when it got to 9–7, but managed to close out the match. [28] In a tactical match, Matthew Stevens, finalist in 2000, overcame a two-frame deficit against Thai player James Wattana and won the last five frames to advance into the second round. [29] Paul Hunter, who had lost the Players Championship final against White two weeks earlier, took a 5–4 lead against 1991 world champion John Parrott, who could have levelled the match at 7 each, but missed a pot . [30] Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry raced into an 8–1 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. [31] In a match that only featured six breaks over fifty, Graeme Dott defeated Mark King in the decider. [32] "It was actually getting embarrassing how bad the game was", he said afterwards. [32]

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 11–9, but ended up losing 12–13.

The second round of the event was played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 22 and 26 April. Pinches, playing in this stage of the tournament for the first time, led Hendry 11–9 before losing 12–13. [33] Hendry regarded the match as one of the toughest "battles" he had had to endure at the Crucible. [33] Hunter and Stevens met in the last 16 for the second consecutive year. [34] Stevens avenged his 6–13 defeat the previous year, coming from behind in the final frames to win a close match. [34] Hunter found himself two frames in front with only three to play at 12–10 before missing a pink ball in the 23rd frame which would have given him the match. [34] Stevens took all three frames to win the match 13–12. [34] Perry ousted defending champion Williams and made a break of 145, which would remain as the highest break of the tournament. [35] Having manufactured a 10–6 lead, Perry lost five frames on the trot and let Williams in front for the first time in the match at 10–11. [35] Perry put together breaks of 55, 53 and 82 to secure victory and advance into the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in his career. [35] The most one-sided match of the second round featured Walker and Gray, who took victory with a result of 13–5 and would also make his first appearance in the quarter-finals. [36] "It was not my greatest performance", he highlighted despite the result and urged himself to score more heavily the next day. [36]

Dott got off to a good start in his match against Higgins and established a 5–1 advantage that got reduced to 6–3 by the end of the first session. [37] Going into the last session, Dott managed to put himself 12–7 up at one point, but Higgins fired back with breaks of 89 and 130 and won another one to reduce the deficit to only a couple of frames. [37] Dott won the match with a 62 break, and said he had "never seen John play as badly as that". [37] O'Sullivan faced 1995 semi-finalist Hicks, [38] 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 managed to win a duel in which he compiled five century breaks. [38] Both players conceded frames while the rival was still at the table. [24] Hamilton, who was eyeing his third appearance in the quarter-finals after a year in which he had not managed to qualify for the Crucible, shared the first two sessions with Swail and went into the final one tied at 8–8. [39] 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 13–11 with breaks of 86 and 61. [39] 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. [40] He only needed to play three frames of that last session to wrap up the win and earn a place in the quarter-finals for the first time in his career. [40]

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 13–7.

The quarter-finals were played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, on 27 and 28 April. In his match against O'Sullivan, Hamilton came from 0–2 down to level at 2–2, but eventually lost the match by 3–13. [41] It was O'Sullivan's second consecutive win with a session to spare , having compiled centuries of 109, 106, 131 and 121 in the match, [41] and was regarded by Clive Everton writing for The Guardian as a "performance of stunning virtuosity". [42] Hendry edged out McCulloch also with a 13–3 result and a session to spare. [43] In setting up a semi-final duel with O'Sullivan, he made two centuries and nine half-centuries. [43]

Perry, contesting his first ever quarter-final, was six frames behind Stevens at the beginning of the last session at 5–11, but managed to pull back to 10–12 and said he felt he could win it. [44] He stated, however, he was "mentally tired" after his second-round match against Williams and that he had lost the match "at the start". [44] "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. [44] Dott had never reached this stage of the tournament before either, and displayed what he thought was "a rubbish game", but defeated Gray 13–7, closing out the match with a break of 62. [45] "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. [45]

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 4–17 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. Several breaks of over eighty and ninety points and a 117 century gave O'Sullivan a clear advantage over Hendry in the two first sessions, which meant that at the end of the second one, he was 13–3 ahead. [46] The match ended 17–4 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, improving Hendry's 16–4 win over Terry Griffiths in 1992. [47]

In the other semi-final Dott faced Stevens, who had already reached this stage of the tournament on four occasions. The Scotsman displayed good safety throughout the match and although Stevens won frames 28, 29 and 30 to move one away from victory, Dott then forced a decider, which he won on the final pink ball. [48]

Final

Ronnie O'Sullivan (pictured in 2012) won his second world championship, defeating Dott 18-8. 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 18–8.

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. Welsh referee Paul Collier took charge of his first World Championship final. 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), who 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. 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 three more to put himself only one away from his rival at the end of the first session. [49] In the second session, played over the afternoon, O'Sullivan won all frames save one – in which Dott compiled a 106 century – and only needed two frames and twenty minutes in the evening to seal his second world title. [49]

O'Sullivan won the match 18–8, the biggest margin in a World final since Hendry's 18–5 victory over White in 1993 [49] and the fourth largest in the history of the tournament, subsequently equalled by himself against Carter in 2008, and Kyren Wilson in 2020. [50] 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. [51] "It could have been worse", he stated in the post-match interview. [51] 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. [52] He dedicated the victory to his father, who was at prison at the time, and said there was "more to come". [52]

Main draw

Shown below are the results for each round. The numbers in parentheses beside some of the players are their seeding ranks (each championship has 16 seeds and 16 qualifiers). [9] [8] [53]

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 [12]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams (1)10
22, 23 & 24 April [35]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Mark Williams (1)11
18 & 19 April [28]
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)13
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)10
27 & 28 April [44]
Flag of England.svg Robert Milkins 7
Flag of England.svg Joe Perry (16)10
17 & 18 April [29]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)13
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)10
23 & 24 April [34]
Flag of Thailand.svg James Wattana 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)13
21 & 22 April [30]
Flag of England.svg Paul Hunter (8)12
Flag of England.svg Paul Hunter (8)10
29, 30 April & 1 May [48]
Flag of England.svg John Parrott 7
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Stevens (9)15
20 April [13]
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)17
Flag of England.svg Stephen Lee (5)7
24, 25 & 26 April [36]
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 5
21 April [27]
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)13
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)10
27 & 28 April [45]
Flag of England.svg Ali Carter 7
Flag of England.svg David Gray (12)7
19 & 20 April [32]
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)13
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)10
25 & 26 April [37]
Flag of England.svg Mark King 9
Flag of Scotland.svg Graeme Dott (13)13
18 & 19 April [22]
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 [23]
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)18
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)10
22 & 23 April [38]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Maguire 6
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)13
17 & 18 April [14]
Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 11
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Quinten Hann (14)4
27 April [41]
Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 10
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)13
21 & 22 April [16]
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 3
Flag of England.svg Steve Davis (11)7
23 & 24 April [39]
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 10
Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 13
17 & 18 April [17]
Ulster Banner.svg Joe Swail 11
Flag of Ireland.svg Ken Doherty (6)5
29, 30 April & 1 May [46]
Ulster Banner.svg Joe Swail 10
Flag of England.svg Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)17
19 April [18]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)4
Flag of England.svg Peter Ebdon (7)8
25 & 26 April [40]
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 10
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 13
17 & 18 April [25]
Flag of Scotland.svg Alan McManus (10)6
Flag of Scotland.svg Alan McManus (10)7 [lower-alpha 1]
27 & 28 April [43]
Flag of Scotland.svg Chris Small 1
Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 3
19 & 20 April [20]
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry (2)13
Flag of England.svg Jimmy White (15)8
24, 25 & 26 April [33]
Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 10
Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 12
20 & 21 April [31]
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. [54] Referee: Paul Collier [55]
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 in between 10 and 20 February 2004. [7]

1st Round (Best of 19 frames)

2nd Round (Best of 19 frames)

Rounds 3–6

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 Craig Butler 10–4 Flag of England.svg Tom Ford Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Darren Morgan 10–8 Flag of England.svg Craig Butler Flag of Thailand.svg James Wattana 10–1 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Darren Morgan Flag of Thailand.svg James Wattana 10–8 Flag of England.svg Dave Harold
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Preece 10–5 Flag of England.svg Luke Simmonds Flag of England.svg David Finbow 10–9 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Preece Flag of England.svg Brian Morgan 10–9 Flag of England.svg David Finbow Ulster Banner.svg Joe Swail 10–3 Flag of England.svg Brian Morgan
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10–6 Flag of Scotland.svg Gary Thomson Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10–7 Flag of England.svg Alfie Burden Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10–8 Flag of England.svg Barry Hawkins Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Walker 10–2 Flag of England.svg Mark Selby
Flag of England.svg Peter Lines 10–6 Flag of England.svg Dave Gilbert Flag of England.svg Peter Lines 10–4 Flag of England.svg Nick Walker Flag of England.svg Nigel Bond 10–6 Flag of England.svg Peter Lines Flag of England.svg Ian McCulloch 10–7 Flag of England.svg Nigel Bond
Flag of England.svg Rory McLeod 10–3 Ulster Banner.svg Jason Prince Flag of England.svg Rory McLeod 10–5 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bjorn Haneveer Flag of England.svg Rory McLeod 10–6 Flag of England.svg Stuart Bingham Flag of England.svg Robert Milkins 10–1 Flag of England.svg Rory McLeod
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Robertson 10–2 Flag of Ireland.svg Joe Delaney Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Robertson 10–4 Flag of England.svg Rod Lawler Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Maguire 10–6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neil Robertson Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Maguire w-o Flag of Finland.svg Robin Hull
Flag of England.svg Simon Bedford 10–6 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Liu Song Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 10–7 Flag of England.svg Simon Bedford Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 10–4 Flag of Scotland.svg Jamie Burnett Flag of England.svg Andy Hicks 10–8 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Anthony Davies
Flag of Ireland.svg Leo Fernandez 10–5 Flag of England.svg Michael Rhodes Flag of Ireland.svg Leo Fernandez 10–8 Flag of England.svg Sean Storey Flag of Ireland.svg Leo Fernandez 10–9 Ulster Banner.svg Gerard Greene Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dominic Dale 10–8 Flag of Ireland.svg Leo Fernandez
Flag of England.svg Garry Hardiman 10–7 Flag of Thailand.svg Kwan Poomjang Flag of Pakistan.svg Shokat Ali 10–4 Flag of England.svg Garry Hardiman Flag of England.svg Michael Holt 10–6 Flag of Pakistan.svg Shokat Ali Flag of England.svg Anthony Hamilton 10–9 Flag of England.svg Michael Holt
Flag of England.svg Munraj Pal 10- 5 Flag of Ireland.svg Colm Gilcreest Flag of England.svg Nick Dyson 10–9 Flag of England.svg Munraj Pal Flag of England.svg Nick Dyson 10–4 Flag of England.svg Gary Wilkinson Flag of England.svg Ali Carter 10–6 Flag of England.svg Nick Dyson
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 10–0 Flag of England.svg Tony Jones Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 10–7 Flag of England.svg Mike Dunn Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 10–6 Flag of England.svg Mark Davis Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ryan Day 10–7 Flag of Scotland.svg Drew Henry
Flag of England.svg Ricky Walden 10–4 Flag of England.svg Jason Ferguson Flag of England.svg David Roe 10–5 Flag of England.svg Ricky Walden Flag of Ireland.svg Michael Judge 10–9 Flag of England.svg David Roe Flag of England.svg John Parrott 10–9 Flag of Ireland.svg Michael Judge
Flag of England.svg Adrian Gunnell 10–5 Ulster Banner.svg Joe Meara Flag of England.svg Adrian Gunnell 10–5 Flag of England.svg Jimmy Michie Flag of England.svg Adrian Gunnell 10–7 Flag of Ireland.svg Fergal O'Brien Flag of England.svg Mark King 10–8 Flag of England.svg Adrian Gunnell
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ding Junhui 10–5 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Paul Davies Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ding Junhui 10–3 Flag of Scotland.svg Marcus Campbell Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 10–7 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ding Junhui Flag of England.svg Barry Pinches 10–2 Flag of Malta.svg Tony Drago
Flag of England.svg Paul Wykes 10–8 Flag of Thailand.svg Supoj Saenla Ulster Banner.svg Patrick Wallace 10–4 Flag of England.svg Paul Wykes Ulster Banner.svg Patrick Wallace 10–5 Flag of England.svg Jonathan Birch Flag of Scotland.svg Chris Small 10–7 Ulster Banner.svg Patrick Wallace
Flag of England.svg Stuart Mann 10–2 Flag of Scotland.svg Scott MacKenzie Flag of England.svg Shaun Murphy 10–5 Flag of England.svg Stuart Mann Flag of England.svg Stuart Pettman 10–7 Flag of England.svg Shaun Murphy Flag of England.svg Stuart Pettman 10–7 Flag of Hong Kong.svg Marco Fu

Century breaks

There were 55 centuries in this year's championship. The highest break of the tournament was 145 made by Joe Perry. [10] [57] [58]

Notes

  1. ↑ Small retired after the first session with a spinal issue. [25]
  2. ↑ Johnson conceded the match at 0–9. [56]

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The 2006 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 30th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. It started on 15 April 2006 and was scheduled to finish on 1 May 2006, but continued into the early hours of 2 May. The sixth and final ranking tournament of the 2005–06 snooker season, it was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored for the first time by online casino 888.com. The total prize fund was £896,240, of which the winner received £200,000.

The 2005 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament started on 16 April, and ended on 2 May 2005. The event was the eighth and final world ranking event of the 2004–05 snooker season, following the 2005 China Open. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Due to laws banning advertising cigarettes in Great Britain, this was the last time the event was sponsored by the cigarette company Embassy. The event had a prize fund of £1,121,800, with the winner receiving £250,000.

The 2003 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 19 April to 5 May 2003 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the final ranking event of the 2002–03 snooker season. This was the 27th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, marking the 26th anniversary of the first staging of the event at this venue. The championships were sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament, held April/May 2002

The 2002 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2002 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the final ranking event of the 2001–02 snooker season. This was the 26th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, marking the 25th anniversary of the first staging of the event at this venue. The championship was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.

The 1993 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 17 April and 3 May 1993 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

The 2006 UK Championship was the 2006 edition of the UK Championship, a professional snooker tournament that is one of the sport's three Triple Crown events. It was held from 4 to 17 December 2006 at the Barbican Centre in York, North Yorkshire. The competition was the third of seven World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) ranking events in the 2006/2007 season and the 30th edition of the tournament. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom and Europe on the BBC and Eurosport.

The 2007 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 31st consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. It started on 21 April 2007 and was scheduled to finish on 7 May 2007, but continued into the early hours of 8 May. The seventh and final ranking tournament of the 2006–07 snooker season, it was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored for the second time by online casino 888.com. The total prize fund was £941,000, of which the winner received £220,000.

The 2004 Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in February 2004. It was the 30th staging of the Masters tournament, one of three Triple Crown events on the Snooker Tour, the eighth of fifteen World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) events in the 2003/2004 season, and was held at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, United Kingdom from 1 to 8 February 2004. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Masters (snooker)</span> Professional non-ranking snooker tournament, Feb 2005

The 2005 Masters was the 2005 edition of the non-ranking Masters professional snooker tournament. It was held from 13 to 20 February 2005 at the Wembley Conference Centre, London. The tournament was the 31st staging of the competition and was the sixth of nine World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) main tour events in the 2004/2005 season. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC and by Eurosport in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament

The 2008 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 32nd consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was held at the Crucible Theatre, and the seventh and final ranking event of the 2007–08 snooker season. The tournament was organised by World Snooker, and sponsored by betting company 888.com. The tournament featured a total prize fund of £1,050,000 with £250,000 being awarded to the winner.

The 2009 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It was held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 33rd consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. It took place between 18 April 2009 and 4 May 2009. The eighth and final ranking tournament of the 2008–09 snooker season, it was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored for the first time by online betting shop Betfred. The total prize fund was £1,111,000, of which the winner received £250,000.

The 2010 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 17 April and 3 May 2010 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The final ranking event of the 2009-10 snooker season, it was the 34th year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, first held in 1927. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and had a total prize fund of £1,111,000, with £250,000 going to the winner of the event. The tournament was sponsored by sports betting company Betfred.

The 2011 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 16 April and 2 May 2011 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 35th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible and was the last ranking event of the 2010–11 snooker season. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and had a total prize fund of £1,111,000, with £250,000 going to the winner of the event. The tournament was sponsored by sports betting company Betfred.

The 2012 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 21 April to 7 May 2012 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 36th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible and the last ranking event of the 2011–12 snooker season. The event was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and in Europe by Eurosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament, held 2013

The 2013 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2013 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 37th consecutive year the Crucible had hosted the World Snooker Championship; the 2013 event was the last ranking tournament of the 2012–13 snooker season. Sports betting company Betfair sponsored the event for the first time.

The 2017 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 15 April to 1 May 2017 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 19th and final ranking event of the 2016–17 season which followed the China Open. It was the 41st consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional snooker career of Ronnie O'Sullivan</span>

Ronnie O'Sullivan started his professional snooker career in 1992 and is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. His play and accomplishments are described by some peers and pundits as being the greatest in the modern era of snooker. O'Sullivan is a seven-time world champion and holds many records, including the fastest maximum break in professional competition; the highest number of century breaks; the highest number of maximum breaks, and the most Triple Crown event titles (23).

The 2022 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 April to 2 May 2022 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 46th consecutive year the World Snooker Championship was held at the venue. The 16th and final ranking event of the 2021–22 snooker season, the tournament was organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored by sports betting company Betfred. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, in Europe by Eurosport, and elsewhere in the world by Matchroom Sport and other broadcasters. The total prize fund was £2,395,000, of which the winner received £500,000.

The 2023 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 15 April to 1 May 2023 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 47th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. The qualifying rounds took place from 3 to 12 April 2023 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The 15th and final ranking tournament of the 2022–23 snooker season, it was organised by the World Snooker Tour and sponsored for the first time by car retailer Cazoo. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, in Europe by Eurosport, and elsewhere in the world by Matchroom Sport and other broadcasters. The total prize fund was £2,395,000, of which the winner received £500,000.

References

  1. ↑ Turner, Chris (2008). "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "Betfred World Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "History of the World Snooker Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "Betfred World Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  7. 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.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "2004 World Snooker draw". BBC Sport. 26 April 2004. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 "World Snooker Championship 2004". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  10. 1 2 "2004 Embassy World Championship". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  11. ↑ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 130.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Harlow, Phil (17 April 2004). "Williams battles through". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (20 April 2004). "Walker ends Lee hopes". BBC Sport . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (18 April 2004). "Bad-tempered Hann exits". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. 1 2 Shea, Julian (22 April 2004). "Hamilton ousts Davis". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  17. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (18 April 2004). "Swail overpowers Doherty". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (19 April 2004). "McCulloch stuns Ebdon". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  19. ↑ Everton, Clive (21 April 2004). "Tired White falls at the first as Pinches holds his nerve". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (20 April 2004). "White falls to Pinches". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  21. ↑ Everton, Clive (20 April 2004). "Higgins in the pink after dramatic victory". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  22. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (19 April 2004). "Higgins wins thriller". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  23. 1 2 Shea, Julian (21 April 2004). "O'Sullivan downs Maguire". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  24. 1 2 Everton, Clive (24 April 2004). "O'Sullivan goes from sublime to ridiculous". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Shea, Julian (17 April 2004). "Small pulls out". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  26. ↑ "Small forced to give up snooker". BBC Sport. 23 September 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  27. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (21 April 2004). "Gray ousts Carter". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (19 April 2004). "Perry overcomes Milkins". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  29. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (18 April 2004). "Stevens battles through". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  30. 1 2 Harlow, Phil (22 April 2004). "Hunter polishes off Parrott". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  31. 1 2 Shea, Julian (21 April 2004). "Hendry races to victory". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  32. 1 2 3 Harlow, Phil (20 April 2004). "Dott edges out King". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  33. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (26 April 2004). "Hendry wins thriller". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 Harlow, Phil (24 April 2004). "Stevens shoots down Hunter". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  35. 1 2 3 4 Harlow, Phil (24 April 2004). "Williams crashes out". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  36. 1 2 3 Warren, Dan (26 April 2004). "Gray into last eight". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Warren, Dan (26 April 2004). "Dott ends Higgins fightback". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  38. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (23 April 2004). "O'Sullivan overcomes Hicks". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  39. 1 2 3 Shea, Julian (24 April 2004). "Hamilton stuns Swail". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  40. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (26 April 2004). "McCulloch seals victory". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  41. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive (27 April 2004). "O'Sullivan crushes Hamilton". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  42. ↑ Everton, Clive (28 April 2004). "O'Sullivan hammers Hamilton to reach last four". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  43. 1 2 3 Everton, Clive (29 April 2004). "Hendry hurries to date with O'Sullivan". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Warren, Dan (28 April 2004). "Stevens makes semis". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  45. 1 2 3 Warren, Dan (28 April 2004). "Dott eases past Gray". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  46. 1 2 Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (1 May 2004). "O'Sullivan races into final". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  47. ↑ Yates, Phil (2 May 2004). "Unstoppable O'Sullivan". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  48. 1 2 Warren, Dan; Jones, Clive (1 May 2004). "Dott into final after epic". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  49. 1 2 3 Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (3 May 2004). "O'Sullivan wins World crown". BBC Sport.
  50. ↑ 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.
  51. 1 2 Warren, Dan (4 May 2004). "O'Sullivan 'may be greatest'". BBC Sport.
  52. 1 2 Jones, Clive (3 May 2004). "'More to come' from O'Sullivan". BBC Sport.
  53. ↑ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. pp. 58–59.
  54. ↑ Jones, Clive; Warren, Dan (3 May 2004). "O'Sullivan wins World crown". BBC Sport . Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  55. ↑ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 143.
  56. ↑ "Joe Johnson on brink of retirement". Snooker Scene. March 2004. p. 9.
  57. ↑ "Crucible Centuries". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  58. ↑ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 151.
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