With Qualifying over, the final 32 players and opening 1st Round matches are now known and confirmed. The Crucible excitement now begins to build with the World Snooker Championship getting underway at the iconic potting palace in Sheffield this Saturday.
When claiming the world crown twelve months ago, Luca Brecel stunned the Yorkshire city and the snooker world. Will a dark horse gallop to glory again or is one of the more famed cue artists going to pull off another master stroke? One of those, Ronnie O’Sullivan, is attempting to land a record-breaking 8th Crucible crown.
Brecel Breaks the British Stranglehold
Luca Brecel became the first non-Brit to lift the trophy aloft at The Crucible since Aussie Neil Robertson in 2010 when he won the World Championship last year. The Belgian’s sensational run in Sheffield saw him beat three previous world champions (Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Mark Selby) en route to the title. In doing so, he became only the fourth non-British player to be crowned champion since the most prestigious snooker tournament moved to the Crucible in the late 1970s.
You have to go back another 43 years for the first-ever non-Brit (and only the second-ever non-European) to land the biggest prize in snooker at the Sheffield venue. That man of course was Canada’s Cliff Thorburn. He had an immediate affinity with the Crucible, reaching the 1977 Final, the first year that the World Championships were held there. He would eventually lose a frenetic Final with John Spencer 25-21.
The Trophy Heads Overseas
‘The Grinder’ bowed out during the initial stages in the following two years, but his time would come in 1980. After despatching Doug Mountjoy in his opening match, he would cruise past compatriot Jim Wych and future world champion Dennis Taylor, to seal a place in the final with the charismatic and popular, Alex Higgins. Despite trailing Higgins 9-5 at one stage in a niggly contest, Thorburn would dig deep, as was his way. The match was perfectly poised at 13-all heading into the final session. At 16-all it was still anyone’s game. The Canadian would hold his nerve when it mattered most, winning back-to-back frames to claim the coveted crown.
It would be Cliff Thorburn’s sole World Championship success. He would reach the Final again in 1983 but was impressed by Steve Davis. 1983 will always be memorable for Cliff Thorburn though and the world of snooker as a whole.
He knocked in the first-ever 147 at the Crucible during his second-round match with Terry Griffiths. There have been another 13 maximums at the World Championships since, but the Sheffield crowd would have to wait another 9 years after Thorburn’s first to witness a second (Jimmy White in 1992).
Dogged Doherty End Hendry’s Reign
The Brits would dominate for a long spell after 1983, with Steve Davis racking up numerous titles and then came the Stephen Hendry years. A non-British player wouldn’t reach the Crucible Final again til 1997, when ‘The Darlin’ of Dublin’ Ken Doherty locked horns with Stephen Hendry.
Hendry, who already had six World titles in the bag and was aiming for a sixth in a row, was the big favourite, and many feared the worst for ‘Crafty Ken’. Doherty had been badly out of form before he arrived at the Crucible.
However, The Dubliner’s confidence would build and build during the World Championship, as he despatched Steve Davis (13-3), John Higgins (13-9) & Alain Robidoux (17-7) along the way. His dogged mentality and safety skills shone through in the Final. Despite not knocking in a single century break (Hendry hit 5), the Irishman would win 18-12 to clinch the title and shock the world. He also brought an end to Hendry’s record-breaking 29-match unbeaten run in Sheffield. Doherty would reach the Final the following year and again in 2003, but was on the losing end both times, to John Higgins and Mark Williams, respectively.
Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi
Fast forward to 2010 and Neil Robertson’s rise to the top of the world. The lethal leftie had shown his intent the previous year at the Crucible when becoming the first Australian to reach the Crucible semis since Eddie Charlton in 1982. Robertson came back in 2010 and fired up to go further. He would be handed a favourable draw. The Melbourne star beat Fergal O’Brien (world no.31) in his opener, had a gruelling encounter with Martin Gould (world No.46), and eased past Steve Davis (world no.23) in the last-8.
‘The Thunder from Down Under’ met his first top-16 opponent in the semis where he would clinch a 17-12 win over Ali Carter (world no.5) to book his final ticket. Graeme Dott was the man who stood between him and the world crown. Despite being ranked world number 28, Dott had considerable Crucible experience. The Scot had made his Crucible debut in 1997 and had reached two previous Finals in 2004 and 2006, winning the second one. However, it was Robertson who would hold his nerve in a tense and rather dour title clash. Like Doherty in 1997, the Aussie took the title without hitting a single century in the Final. Dott hit one of 112 during his 18-13 loss.
Can Brecel Repeat the Feat?
In between Neil Robertson’s 2010 triumph and Luca Brecel’s success last year, only one non-British player reached a Crucible Final, and that was Ding Junhui. The Chinese sensation was beaten 18-14 by Mark Selby in 2016. So, can Brecel regain his world crown? Two of those three previous non-British world champions, Cliff Thorburn and Ken Doherty, both impressed as reigning champions, reaching the semis and Final respectively in the year following their title wins. However, Neil Robertson fell at the first hurdle in 2011 in the defence of his crown, although he was drawn against Judd Trump, who would be the eventual runner-up.
Brecel hasn’t had a sparkling season since his Crucible triumph. He’s not reached another ranking final and would lose in two non-ranking Finals that he did. The Belgian lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan in both of those (Shanghai Masters & World Masters). However, he wasn’t in stellar form before his Sheffield success last year either, bowing out early in both other Triple Crown events (UK Championship and The Masters). So, he won’t be overly perturbed about his current form as he heads back to the Crucible.
The Global Stars in with a Shot
The bookies believe the two most recent non-British world champions or finalists have the best chance of going the furthest again. Both Luca Brecel and Ding Junhui are priced similarly.
However, Ding Junhui has struggled at The Crucible of late. ‘The Dragon’ has been ousted in the 1st Round during each of the last three World Championships and hasn’t reached the Quarter-Finals since 2018. Ding did finish as runner-up in two ranking events within the past five months (UK Championship & World Open). That desperate run of results at The Crucible sets alarm bells ringing for me.
Zhang Anda is the only non-British player to bag a trophy on Tour this season. He beat Tom Ford to claim the International Championship on home baize in Tianjin back in November. ‘Mighty Mouse’ also finished runner-up in two other ranking tournaments, losing to Judd Trump in the English Open in October and to Mark Allen in the Players Championship in February.
A slight concern is that he’s never won a match at the Crucible as yet. He was ousted in the 1st round in 2010, 2015 and 2016 and hasn’t qualified for the latter stages since. There has been definite progression this season though, but we’ll just have to see if he can transfer that to the biggest stage of the lot.
Will Si Seize His Opportunity Again?
Si Jiahui is back at the World Championships after successfully qualifying on Wednesday. He is one of five Chinese players in total in the final 32-player line-up. Si stunned the Sheffield crowd when reaching the semis in his debut appearance at The Crucible, at just 20 years of age. He showed nerves of steel despatching both Shaun Murphy (Round 1) and Anthony McGill (Quarter-Finals) in final frame deciders. Jiahui then pushed eventual champion Luca Brecel all the way, but he valiantly bowed out 17-15 in the semis.
The rising Chinese star will find it hard to return to the Crucible, with expectations much higher a year on. He hasn’t made an enormous impact on Tour this season, though he did reach his first ranking event final, losing 10-5 to Judd Trump at the German Masters. If Jiahui brings the same never-say-die attitude he brought to the Crucible last year, he will be a tricky opponent for anyone. However, he may have lost some of that debut appearance X-factor appeal and the other players will be on their guard this time around.
Vafaei Returns After His Rocket Pummelling
The remaining non-Brits in the field are Hossein Vafaei, Lyu Haotian and Pang Junxu. Vafaei famously downed Ding Junhui in his 2023 opener at the Crucible but was then sent packing by Ronnie O’Sullivan in the next round. The Iranian’s pre-match trash talking backfiring terribly as he was blown away 13-2 by ‘The Rocket’. He impressed during qualifying this time but will need to keep his emotions intact if he is going to pose a serious threat at the Crucible.
Lyu Haotian has not ventured beyond the 2nd Round in three previous World Championship appearances. The Chinese player was knocked out convincingly in the 1st Round in both of his most recent visits to the Crucible too. He lost 10-5 against Stuart Bingham in 2022 and 10-2 vs Mark Allen in 2021.
The final Chinese player in the line-up, Pang Junxu, returns to the Crucible again after making his debut appearance at the Sheffield venue last year, like Si Jiahui. Pang was handed the nastiest draw twelve months ago, and despite a spirited effort in his opener against Ronnie O’Sullivan, he would depart after a 10-7 loss. Junxu, like Lyu Haotian, hasn’t had any season highlights of note and it’s hard to build a case for him going deep at the Crucible.
The Bookies’ Fancied Three
Ronnie O’Sullivan is like Marmite, you either love or loathe him. Whatever your opinion, no one can argue about how talented ‘The Rocket’ is. Amazingly, he embarks on his 32nd consecutive World Championship campaign this year and he still tops the bookies’ outright market. He and Stephen Hendry are the most honoured players during the Crucible era. Both have lifted the trophy aloft on seven occasions.
Despite O’Sullivan making recent disparaging comments about the Sheffield venue, he’s always performed well at the Crucible. ‘The Rocket’ has only been downed once in the 1st Round in the previous 20 years and has reached the Quarter-Finals in 21 of his previous 31 appearances.
Despite topping the list of Triple Crown successes (UK Championship, The Masters & the World Championship), O’Sullivan surprisingly isn’t one of the three players who have captured all three in the same season. Having won the UK Championship and the Masters already this term, could this be the year that he finally repeats the feats of Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Stephen Hendry?
Serious Business for the Jester From Leicester
There are just some players who come alive and thrive at the Crucible. Mark Selby is one of those. He’s appeared in the most World Championship Finals in the past 10 years (five), winning four of them. His only defeat of the five coming last year, was when beaten by Luca Brecel. The Leicester star was a slow starter in Sheffield though, only reaching the semi-final stage twice between 2005-2013. His style is reminiscent of some of the old cueing grinders. He refuses to give up and will always dig deep when up against it.
He will need those battling qualities more than ever during this World Championship campaign. With family matters rightly taking precedence in recent times, it’s been a quiet period for Selby on the green baize.
His brief highlights this season were winning the shortened-format Championship League title last month and finishing runner-up in the British Open at the start of October. You must be a brave person to dismiss Selby’s chances, but this could just be one of his less sublime Sheffield campaigns.
Judd Trump – Champ or Chump?
Unlike Mark Selby, Judd Trump has under-performed in Sheffield, up until now any road. Many expected the Bristol potter to rack up the world titles, but he’s only got his hands on the trophy once (2019) in fourteen previous Crucible visits.
The fact he reached the Final in only his second visit to the famous venue in 2011 (losing to John Higgins), ramped up people’s expectations and maybe heaped too much pressure on the (then) young man’s shoulders. He wouldn’t reach another Final until the one he won in 2019, where he would avenge his 2011 loss, thrashing John Higgins 18-9.
You would have thought that might have been the turning point in Trump’s Sheffield career, but he’s only reached the semi-final stage once in the last four years. He crashed out in the 1st Round last year to Anthony McGill following his appearance in the 2022 Final, which he lost to O’Sullivan.
This season has been a positive one so far for ‘The Ace in the Pack’ though. He’s clinched five ranking event titles (three on the bounce in October) and was runner-up in two others. However, he failed to reach the Final in either of the other Triple Crown events and has only bagged four of those major crowns, including the World Championship in his 15+ years on the scene.
Aiming For More Sheffield Stardom
Stuart Bingham clinched a Crucible spot on Tuesday via the qualifying route and he, Mark Williams, John Higgins and Shaun Murphy are four other British former-world champions who will be gunning for glory once again on the biggest snooker stage of the lot. ‘Ball-Run’ Bingham and Shaun Murphy have only won the title once before, although ‘The Magician’ has been runner-up on three occasions too.
In Mark Williams and John Higgins, you have two of the biggest stars who have ever played at the Crucible or picked up a cue in general. Their longevity in the game has been a boost to us older types who have started to think we may be over the hill.
They were both born in 1975 and both turned pro in 1992, the same year as Ronnie O’Sullivan, and the very talented triumvirate were dubbed the ‘Class of ‘92’.
The Class Of ’92 Refuse to Take a Back Seat
John Higgins returns for his 30th Sheffield campaign this year having played his first World Championship in 1995. Mark Williams would enter the Crucible fray for the first time two years later in 1997. He’s making his 26th appearance this year. It’s mind-blowing that they (and O’Sullivan) have played World Championships in four different decades. They also produced the goods regularly throughout that period.
John Higgins has appeared in 8 world finals, winning four and losing four. His last success came 13 years ago however in 2011. He would lose three Finals on the bounce between 2017 and 2019. Higgin’s form has been a bit shaky of late. In fact, not a single Scottish player has reached a ranking final this season. However, ‘The Wizard of Wishaw’ reached at least the Quarter-Finals in both of his previous Crucible visits. He remains a dangerous opponent, who others will want to avoid in Sheffield.
Mark Williams continues to churn out the victories. His climb back to the top to clinch his third world title in 2018 was sensational. He’d only got to the semi-final stage once during a 12-campaign barren spell between claiming his second title in 2003 and his third triumph. The Welshman also failed to make the Crucible twice during that period.
Unlike Higgins, Mark Williams remains in top-notch form. The Welsh potting machine has pocketed two ranking title wins this season. The latest of those occurred earlier this month, when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan to take home the Tour Championship crown. The Welshman would be my Crucible pick for 2024 at the odds currently.
World Snooker Championship – Round 1 Match Schedule
The opening matches from The Crucible will start on the following days and times:
Saturday
10:00
Luca Brecel v David Gilbert
Zhang Anda v Jak Jones
14:30
Ali Carter v Stephen Maguire
Judd Trump v Hossein Vafaei
19:00
Tom Ford v Ricky Walden
Sunday
10:00
Mark Selby v Joe O’Connor
14:30
Shaun Murphy v Lyu Haotian
Monday
10:00
Gary Wilson v Stuart Bingham
14:30
Mark Williams v Si Jiahui
19:00
Robert Milkins v Pang Junxu
Tuesday
10:00
Kyren Wilson v Dominic Dale
Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowski
14:30
Mark Allen v Robbie Williams
19:00
Barry Hawkins v Ryan Day
Wednesday
14:30
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Jackson Page
19:00
John Higgins v Jamie Jones
World Snooker Championship Coverage
Coverage will be extensively shown across BBC platforms, as well as Eurosport and Discovery+
What is your Round 1 match thoughts? Who do you think will be crowned World Champion this time? Let us know your views by clicking on ‘Leave A Comment’ under the main article title at the top of the piece.
Unveiling Dana White’s Jaw-Dropping Net Worth: Prepare to Be Amazed!
Jadon Sancho’s Astonishing Comeback at Borussia Dortmund
Yuki Tsunoda: Is the Japanese Driver Ready for Red Bull in 2025?
The Masters 2024: Thoughts from Augusta as Scottie Scheffler Wins his Second Green Jacket
UFC 300 Review: A Milestone in Mixed Martial Arts History
Royal Windsor Racecourse – Why We Love Mondays
The Grand National – The Key Stats & Trends
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
