Crucible curse

Last updated

The "Crucible curse" (also known as "The curse of the Crucible") is a quip in professional snooker, referring to the fact that no first-time winner of the World Snooker Championship has retained the title since the tournament moved to Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 1977. [1] [2] [3] Beginning with the 1979 champion Terry Griffiths, who lost in the second round of the 1980 event, 19 first-time world champions have failed to defend their titles, although Joe Johnson and Ken Doherty made it to the final the year after their maiden victories. Most recently, the 2023 champion Luca Brecel lost in the first round of the 2024 World Snooker Championship. Kyren Wilson, winner of the 2024 event, is yet to attempt to break the Crucible curse.

Contents

Several world champions successfully defended their first title in the pre-Crucible era; the last to do so was John Pulman in 1964. [4]

The curse

The first-time world champions listed below all experienced the "Crucible curse", as they did not successfully defend their title at the following year's World Championship.

Year [4] [5] Defending champion [4] [5] ProgressResultOpponentRef
1980 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Terry Griffiths  (WAL)Second round [lower-alpha 1] 10–13Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG) [6]
1981 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Cliff Thorburn  (CAN)Semi-finals10–16Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG) [7]
1982 Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG)First round1–10Flag of England.svg  Tony Knowles  (ENG) [8]
1986 Ulster Banner.svg  Dennis Taylor  (NIR)First round6–10Flag of England.svg  Mike Hallett  (ENG) [9]
1987 Flag of England.svg  Joe Johnson  (ENG)Final14–18Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG) [10]
1991 Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Hendry  (SCO)Quarter-finals11–13Flag of England.svg  Steve James  (ENG) [11]
1992 Flag of England.svg  John Parrott  (ENG)Quarter-finals12–13Flag of Scotland.svg  Alan McManus  (SCO) [12]
1998 Flag of Ireland.svg  Ken Doherty  (IRL)Final12–18Flag of Scotland.svg  John Higgins  (SCO) [13]
1999 Flag of Scotland.svg  John Higgins  (SCO)Semi-finals10–17Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Mark Williams  (WAL) [14]
2001 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Mark Williams  (WAL)Second round12–13Ulster Banner.svg  Joe Swail  (NIR) [15]
2002 Flag of England.svg  Ronnie O'Sullivan  (ENG)Semi-finals13–17Flag of Scotland.svg  Stephen Hendry  (SCO) [16]
2003 Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG)Quarter-finals12–13Flag of England.svg  Paul Hunter  (ENG) [17]
2006 Flag of England.svg  Shaun Murphy  (ENG)Quarter-finals7–13Flag of England.svg  Peter Ebdon  (ENG) [18]
2007 Flag of Scotland.svg  Graeme Dott  (SCO)First round7–10Flag of England.svg  Ian McCulloch  (ENG) [19]
2011 Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Neil Robertson  (AUS)First round8–10Flag of England.svg  Judd Trump  (ENG) [20]
2015 Flag of England.svg  Mark Selby  (ENG)Second round9–13Flag of Scotland.svg  Anthony McGill  (SCO) [21]
2016 Flag of England.svg  Stuart Bingham  (ENG)First round9–10Flag of England.svg  Ali Carter  (ENG) [22]
2020 Flag of England.svg  Judd Trump  (ENG)Quarter-finals9–13Flag of England.svg  Kyren Wilson  (ENG) [23]
2024 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Luca Brecel  (BEL)First round9–10Flag of England.svg  David Gilbert  (ENG) [24]

Of the 19 players to have won their first world title at the Crucible Theatre, seven lost in their first match as defending champion: Terry Griffiths in 1980, Steve Davis in 1982, Dennis Taylor in 1986, Graeme Dott in 2007, Neil Robertson in 2011, Stuart Bingham in 2016 and Luca Brecel in 2024. Only two of the 19 were able to reach the final as defending champions: Joe Johnson in 1987 and Ken Doherty in 1998. Johnson came closest to breaking the curse, getting within four frames of retaining his crown, while Doherty came within six.

Four players have won consecutive world titles at the Crucible (having already won the championship previously): Steve Davis (1983–1984 and 1987–1989), Stephen Hendry (1992–1996), Ronnie O'Sullivan (2012–2013), and Mark Selby (2016–2017). [4] [25]

Pre-Crucible

Out of all the first-time world snooker champions, only three retained their title at the next World Championship: Joe Davis in 1928, his brother Fred Davis in 1949, and John Pulman at his first challenge match in 1964. No player in the modern era (post-1969) has successfully defended a first world title, even before the tournament was staged at the Crucible Theatre.

John Spencer, Ray Reardon and Alex Higgins won the World Championship for the first time before the event was moved to the Crucible in 1977, and failed to retain the title the following year (although this could not be attributed to the "Crucible curse"). All three players subsequently won the championship at the Crucible for the first time, but then fell to the "curse" when they failed to successfully defend the title the following year.

Year [4] [5] Defending champion [4] [5] ProgressResultOpponentRef
Defending first world title:
1970 Flag of England.svg  John Spencer  (ENG)Semi-finals33–37Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ray Reardon  (WAL) [26]
1971 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ray Reardon  (WAL)Semi-finals15–34Flag of England.svg  John Spencer  (ENG) [27]
1973 Ulster Banner.svg  Alex Higgins  (NIR)Semi-finals9–23Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Eddie Charlton  (AUS) [28]
Defending first world title at Crucible Theatre:
1978 Flag of England.svg  John Spencer  (ENG)Last 168–13Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Perrie Mans  (RSA) [29]
1979 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ray Reardon  (WAL)Quarter-finals8–13Ulster Banner.svg  Dennis Taylor  (NIR) [30]
1983 Ulster Banner.svg  Alex Higgins  (NIR)Semi-finals5–16Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG) [31]

Notes

  1. ↑ Griffiths, along with the other top 8 seeds, received a bye in the first round, thus the second round was his first match.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Snooker Championship</span> Annual professional snooker ranking tournament

The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the richest, with total prize money of £2,395,000 in 2023, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The reigning world champion is Kyren Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Selby</span> English snooker player (born 1983)

Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker player. Ranked world number one on multiple occasions, he has won a total of 22 ranking titles, placing him eighth on the all-time list of ranking tournament winners. He is a four-time World Snooker Champion, and has won the Masters three times and the UK Championship twice for a total of nine Triple Crown titles, putting him on a par with John Higgins, and behind only Ronnie O’Sullivan (23), Stephen Hendry (18) and Steve Davis (15).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Bingham</span> English professional snooker player, 2015 world champion

Stuart Bingham is an English professional snooker player who is a former World Champion and Masters winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 World Snooker Championship</span> Snooker tournament

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 1998 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 18 April and 4 May 1998 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

The 1997 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 19 April and 5 May 1997. Staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the tournament was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.

The 1991 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 20 April and 6 May 1991 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

The 1992 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 18 April and 4 May 1992 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

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 2009 World Snooker Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 18 April and 4 May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. This was the first time that the World Snooker Championship had been sponsored by Betfred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Brecel</span> Belgian professional snooker player

Luca Brecel is a Belgian professional snooker player. A four-time ranking event winner, Brecel is the former World Snooker Champion, having won the 2023 event by defeating four-time champion Mark Selby 18–15 in the final. Brecel trailed Si Jiahui 5–14 in the semi-final, but eventually won 17–15. This comeback from nine frames behind is the biggest deficit ever overturned in the history of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Craigie</span> English snooker player

Sam Craigie is an English professional snooker player from Newcastle. He enjoyed a successful junior career before turning professional in 2011.

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.

The 2014 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 19 April to 5 May 2014 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 38th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible. The tournament was also the last ranking event of the 2013–14 snooker season. The event was sponsored by Dafabet for the first time. A qualifying tournament was held from 8 to 16 April 2014 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield for 16 players, who met 16 seeded participants at the main championships.

The 2015 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament which took place from 18 April to 4 May 2015 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 39th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, and was the final ranking event of the 2014–15 snooker season. Sports betting company Betfred sponsored the event for the first time in three years, having previously done so from 2009 to 2012. The top sixteen players in the snooker world rankings were placed into the draw, and another sixteen players qualified for the event at a tournament taking place from 8 to 15 April 2015 at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield.

The 2016 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 April to 2 May 2016 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 40th year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the venue. The event was the tenth and last event that carried ranking points of the 2015–16 snooker season.

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.

The 2018 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament held from 21 April to 7 May 2018 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Hosted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, it was the 20th and final ranking event of the 2017–18 snooker season and the 42nd consecutive time the World Snooker Championship had been held at the venue. The tournament was broadcast by BBC Sport and Eurosport in Europe, and sponsored by betting company Betfred.

The 2019 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 20 April to 6 May 2019 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 43rd consecutive year the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, and the 20th and final ranking event of the 2018–19 snooker season. Qualifying for the tournament took place from 10 to 17 April 2019 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Sports betting company Betfred sponsored the event.

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. ↑ Dee, John (28 April 2006). "Cruise for Ebdon as Crucible curse strikes champ". The Nation . Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2007.
  2. ↑ "Crucible Curse Strikes Ebdon". Sporting Life . 30 April 2003. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2007.
  3. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (15 April 2011). "Australia's Neil Robertson aiming to break the curse of the Crucible". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Hall of Fame". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "1980 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "1981 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "1982 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "1986 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "1987 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "1991 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "1992 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "1998 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  14. ↑ "1999 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  15. ↑ "2001 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "2002 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  17. ↑ "2003 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  18. ↑ "2006 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  19. ↑ "2007 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  20. ↑ "Betfred.com World Championship (2011) – Round 1". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  21. ↑ "Betfred World Championship (2015) – Round 2". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Betfred World Championship (2016) – Round 1"". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  23. ↑ "Betfred World Championship (2020) – Quarter Final"". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  24. ↑ "World Snooker Championship 2024 results: David Gilbert beats reigning champion Luca Brecel". BBC Sport . 20 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  25. ↑ Dirs, Ben (6 May 2013). "Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Barry Hawkins to win fifth World title". BBC Sport . Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  26. ↑ "1970 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  27. ↑ "1971 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  28. ↑ "1973 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  29. ↑ "1978 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  30. ↑ "1979 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  31. ↑ "1983 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.