The Crucible Curse [ - ] [ + ]
41 Matches
| World Championship (16‑28 Apr 1979) | ||||||||||
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| Final | Terry Griffiths (a) | 24 | - | 16 | Dennis Taylor (a) |
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![]() Griffiths miscued three times in four shots during the first frame, but won it on the final pink. The match were close until 17-16. | |||
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67-51, 63-54, 37-66, 75-49 (56), 120-9 (120), 106-24, 66-71 (71, 66), 1-91, 45-64, 84-38, 22-66 (57), 60-10, 3-97 (69), 57-66, 89-40, 42-66, 32-83 (70), 69-49, 22-86, 16-92 (92), 94-31, 85-35, 12-84, 76-41 (51), 4-90 (84), 36-66, 94-15, 59-22, 54-67, 73-27, 60-53, 127-2 (64), 51-62, 67-24, 115-5 (71), 104-1, 77-16, 84-43, 117-0 (50+), 92-16 (56) Referee: John Williams |
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| World Championship (22‑5 May 1980) | ||||||||||
| Rd 2 | Steve Davis (a) | 13 | - | 10 | Terry Griffiths (a) |
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| Final | Cliff Thorburn (a) | 18 | - | 16 | Alex Higgins (a) |
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Session 1: Referee: John Street |
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| World Championship (7‑20 Apr 1981) | ||||||||||
| SF | Steve Davis (a) | 16 | - | 10 | Cliff Thorburn (a) |
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| Final | Steve Davis (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Doug Mountjoy (a) |
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Session 1: Referee: John Williams |
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| World Championship (30 Apr - 16 May 1982) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Tony Knowles (a) | 10 | - | 1 | Steve Davis (a) |
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| World Championship (12‑28 Apr 1985) | ||||||||||
| Final | Dennis Taylor (a) | 18 | - | 17 | Steve Davis (a) |
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![]() Davis won all seven frames of the opening session to lead 70. The final between Davis and Taylor attracted 18.5 million viewers on BBC2, the programme finishing at 12:23 a.m. after Taylor had won the title. The viewership was the highest for any broadcast after midnight in the United Kingdom, and the most-viewed show on BBC2. The match became known as "the black ball final". | |||
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Session 1: Referee: John Williams |
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| World Championship (19 Apr - 5 May 1986) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Mike Hallett (a) | 10 | - | 6 | Dennis Taylor (a) |
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| Final | Joe Johnson (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Steve Davis (a) |
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![]() The two players had never previously played a professional match against each other. This was Johnson's only ranking event win in his career and he had never previously won a match at the Crucible. | |||
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24-85, 60-49, 0-108 (108); 14-111 (107); 70-0; 68-36; 74-14 (52); 13-66; 4-108 (84); 1-76 (53); 27-64; 72-20 (72); 95-22; 63-37; 76-8 (75); 0-137 (81); 85-26; 57-44; 66-11; 86-36 (61); 35-84 (52); 31-73; 70-40; 7-100 (100); 69-9; 52-63 (JJ 51); 49-32; 64-38 (54); 83-40; 86-27 (64) Referee: John Street |
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| World Championship (18 Apr - 4 May 1987) | ||||||||||
| Final | Steve Davis (a) | 18 | - | 14 | Joe Johnson (a) |
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128-0 (127), 53-61, 69-74 (SD 55), 2-71 (50), 77-1 (69), 83-12, 57-66, 69-8 (60), 82-35 (66), 79-5, 15-118 (101), 77-25, 91-0 (84), 44-76 (73), 88-7 (51), 6-70, 34-68, 69-0 (69), 80-0, 81-24, 68-24, 52-66 (SD 52), 77-0, 22-75 (62), 53-70 (JJ 52), 44-76 (62), 59-73, 104-0 (64), 113-6 (73), 91-33 (53), 34-77, 78-0 (78) Referee: Len Ganley |
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| World Championship (13‑29 Apr 1990) | ||||||||||
| Final | Stephen Hendry (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Jimmy White (a) |
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![]() Aged 21 years and 106 days, Hendry became the youngest Snooker World Champion, so far. | |||
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37-78, 73-13 (72), 48-85, 71-49, 79-14, 60-27, 0-86 (82), 87-27, 64-75 (67), 57-68, 77-46, 99-4 (66), 52-63 (62), 88-0 (53), 1-76, 108-1 (108), 100-0 (66), 104-5 (104), 73-4 (58), 81-0 (81), 50-87 (82), 17-75, 72-63 (72), 0-109 (51), 97-6 (57), 0-127 (87), 124-0 (108), 13-69 (51), 90-27 (81), 101-1 (71) Referee: Len Ganley |
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| World Championship (20 Apr - 6 May 1991) | ||||||||||
| QF | Steve James (a) | 13 | - | 11 | Stephen Hendry (a) |
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| Final | John Parrott (a) | 18 | - | 11 | Jimmy White (a) |
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![]() Parrott took an early 70 lead. | |||
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Session 1: Referee: John Williams |
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| World Championship (18 Apr - 4 May 1992) | ||||||||||
| QF | Alan McManus (a) | 13 | - | 12 | John Parrott (a) |
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| World Championship (19 Apr - 5 May 1997) | ||||||||||
| Final | Ken Doherty (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Stephen Hendry (a) |
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![]() Doherty won the only world title of his professional career and the first player to win world championships at junior, amateur, and professional level. He became the second player from outside the United Kingdom to win the title in the modern era, following Cliff Thorburn in 1980. Doherty remains the only world champion from the Republic of Ireland. Hendry's defeat in the final was his first loss in the World Championship since 1991, which ended his record of 29 consecutive Crucible victories. Alan Chamberlain refereed his first and only World Championship final. He was the first referee since Jim Thorpe in 1984 to officiate a debut final. All finals up to this year were officiated by either John Williams, Len Ganley or John Street. | |||
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Session 1: Referee: Alan Chamberlain |
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| World Championship (18 Apr - 4 May 1998) | ||||||||||
| Final | John Higgins (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Ken Doherty (a) |
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34-73(59), 80-20(53), 86-7, 71-1(71), 113-0(66), 73-52(52,55), 130-0(130), 0-89(89), 0-112(112), 7-66, 18-97(58), 66-2(51), 103-4(103), 86-5, 138-0(64,74), 70-82, 39-90(69), 89-0(89), 6-61(55), 130-0(130), 0-90(86), 1-99(59), 58-48, 44-82, 60-14, 128-0(128), 71-58, 41-78, 66-16, 119-8(118) Referee: Lawrie Annandale |
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| World Championship (17 Apr - 3 May 1999) | ||||||||||
| SF | Mark J Williams (a) | 17 | - | 10 | John Higgins (a) |
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| World Championship (15 Apr - 1 May 2000) | ||||||||||
| Final | Mark J Williams (a) | 18 | - | 16 | Matthew Stevens (a) |
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62-50; 34-28(77); 33-56; 103-23(103); 18-65; 76(57)-61; 123(123)-0; 75-35(65) Referee: John Newton |
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| World Championship (21 Apr - 7 May 2001) | ||||||||||
| Rd 2 | Joe Swail (a) | 13 | - | 12 | Mark J Williams (a) |
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| Final | Ronnie O'Sullivan (a) | 18 | - | 14 | John Higgins (a) |
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92(88)-41; 0-92; 81(81)-0; 79-0; 56-47; 0-135(135); 90-28; 71(70)-0 Referee: Eirian Williams |
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| World Championship (20 Apr - 6 May 2002) | ||||||||||
| SF | Stephen Hendry (a) | 17 | - | 13 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (a) |
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| Final | Peter Ebdon (a) | 18 | - | 17 | Stephen Hendry (a) |
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![]() Hendry's 16 century breaks made during the tournament bettered the previous record for single events of 14 set by John Higgins in 1998. | |||
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94-0, 140-0, 73-1, 71-16, 0-126, 40-73, 4-119, 36-65 Referee: John Williams |
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| World Championship (19 Apr - 5 May 2003) | ||||||||||
| QF | Paul Hunter (a) | 13 | - | 12 | Peter Ebdon (a) |
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| World Championship (16 Apr - 2 May 2005) | ||||||||||
| Final | Shaun Murphy (a) | 18 | - | 16 | Matthew Stevens (a) |
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![]() Murphy's first ranking event final and the first time that a qualifier won the championship since Terry Griffiths in 1979. Murphy aged 22 years and 265 days is the second youngest winner of the event after Stephen Hendry in 1990. Stevens had previously reached the final of the 2000 World Snooker Championship (losing 1618 to Mark Williams). | |||
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67-30, 0-98 (54), 20-103 (60), 68-55, 29-65, 22-61, 76-34 (56), 46-56, 53-58 (SM 52), 38-70, 125-0 (125), 79-6 (66), 12-105 (80), 5-86 (86), 103-9 (84), 58-68, 78-22 (51), 84-11 (56), 5-64, 80-60 (80, 60), 137-0 (137), 64-57, 20-88 (52), 131-1 (107), 72-35 (55), 0-95 (95), 81-4 (64), 68-37 (68), 1-83 (68), 85-35 (64), 0-124 (124), 1-71 (52), 97-0 (97), 83-28 (83) Referee: Eirian Williams |
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| World Championship (15 Apr - 1 May 2006) | ||||||||||
| QF | Peter Ebdon | 13 | - | 7 | Shaun Murphy |
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| Final | Graeme Dott | 18 | - | 14 | Peter Ebdon |
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79-12(63); 62(62)-53(52); 91(56)-9; 48-70; 71(56)-20; 67-31(61); 78(59)-6; 20-53 Referee: Jan Verhaas |
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| World Championship (21 Apr - 7 May 2007) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Ian McCulloch | 10 | - | 7 | Graeme Dott |
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67-43, 37-64, 17-71 (61), 63-1, 41-74, 37-58, 65-61 (56), 85-32 (51), 62-57, 58-46, 28-59, 67-31, 68-20 (63), 8-101 (85), 110-17 (110), 20-85, 71-24 |
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| World Championship (17 Apr - 3 May 2010) | ||||||||||
| Final | Neil Robertson | 18 | - | 13 | Graeme Dott |
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10-87 (80), 65-55, 1-93, 35-62, 68-56 (62,52) |
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| World Championship (16 Apr - 2 May 2011) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Judd Trump [24] | 10 | - | 8 | Neil Robertson [1] |
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13-91 (72), 77-44, 56-51, 2-79 (79) |
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| World Championship (19 Apr - 5 May 2014) | ||||||||||
| Final | Mark Selby [3] | 18 | - | 14 | Ronnie O'Sullivan [1] |
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![]() Selby trailed 5-10. | |||
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Session 1: Referee: Brendan Moore |
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| World Championship (18 Apr - 4 May 2015) | ||||||||||
| Rd 2 | Anthony McGill [32] | 13 | - | 9 | Mark Selby [1] |
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![]() McGill missed the black in frame 8 for a respot | |||
| Final | Stuart Bingham [10] | 18 | - | 15 | Shaun Murphy [8] |
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Session 1: Referee: Olivier Marteel (his first worldsfinal) |
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| World Championship (16 Apr - 2 May 2016) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Ali Carter [31] | 10 | - | 9 | Stuart Bingham [1] |
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![]() Bingham became the 17th player who couldn't defend his first world title at the Crucible Theatre | |||
| World Championship (20 Apr - 6 May 2019) | ||||||||||
| Final | Judd Trump [7] | 18 | - | 9 | John Higgins [5] |
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Session 1: Referee: Leo Scullion |
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| World Championship (31 Jul - 16 Aug 2020) | ||||||||||
| QF | Kyren Wilson [8] | 13 | - | 9 | Judd Trump [1] |
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| World Championship (15 Apr - 1 May 2023) | ||||||||||
| Final | Luca Brecel [9] | 18 | - | 15 | Mark Selby [2] |
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Session 1: Referee: Brendan Moore (his third World final) |
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| World Championship (20 Apr - 6 May 2024) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | David Gilbert [31] | 10 | - | 9 | Luca Brecel [1] |
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![]() 1st session Brecel 6-3 up. Brecel suffered from a throat infection. Gilbert was 9-6 down | |||
| Final | Kyren Wilson [12] | 18 | - | 14 | Jak Jones [44] |
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![]() This was Jones' first WC final. His previous best was the quarterfinals (2023) It was Wilson's second WC final. He was runner-up to O'Sullivan in 2020. | |||
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Session 1 (7-1): Referee: Paul Collier |
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| World Championship (19 Apr - 5 May 2025) | ||||||||||
| Rd 1 | Lei Peifan [39] | 10 | - | 9 | Kyren Wilson [1] |
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| Final | Zhao Xintong (a) | 18 | - | 12 | Mark J Williams [6] |
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Session 1: Referee: Desislava Bozhilova |
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| World Championship (18 Apr - 4 May 2026) | ||||||||||
| QF | Shaun Murphy [8] | 13 | - | 10 | Zhao Xintong [1] |
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Zhao potted three reds in one shot in frame 10. Watch on YouTube. |
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