Misplaced Pages

2007 World Snooker Championship

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
This article is about the snooker tournament. For the sport simulation video game, see World Snooker Championship 2007 (video game).

888.com World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates21 April – 7 May 2007 (2007-04-21 – 2007-05-07)
VenueCrucible Theatre
CitySheffield
CountryEngland
OrganisationWPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£941,000
Winner's share£220,000
Highest break Ali Carter (ENG) (144)
Final
Champion John Higgins (SCO)
Runner-up Mark Selby (ENG)
Score18–13
← 2006 2008 →
Snooker tournament

The 2007 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2007 888.com 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 qualifying rounds took place from 23 February to 2 March and from 12 to 15 March 2007 at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales. The successful 16 qualifiers met the top 16 players from the snooker world rankings in the tournament's main stage at the Crucible. Graeme Dott was the defending champion, having defeated Peter Ebdon 18–14 in the 2006 final. He lost in the first round to Ian McCulloch and became another world champion who fell to the Crucible curse and could not defend his first world title.

John Higgins won his second world title by defeating qualifier Mark Selby 18–13 in the final. Ending at 12:54 a.m. BST, the final broke the record for the latest finish time in a World Snooker Championship final, narrowly beating the 2006 final by two minutes. A total of 68 century breaks were compiled during the event's main stage, the highest being a 144 made by Ali Carter. It was the joint highest number with the 2002 event until 2009. Another 61 century breaks were made during the qualifying rounds.

Overview

The Crucible Theatre from outside
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. Since 1977 the tournament has been held annually at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The 2006 event marked the 31st consecutive year that the tournament was held at the Crucible, and the 38th successive year that the World Championship was contested through the modern knockout format. Scottish player Stephen Hendry had been the most successful participant at the World Championship in the modern era, having won the title seven times. Scottish player Graeme Dott won his first title at the 2006 championship, defeating English player Peter Ebdon 18‍–‍14 in the final. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the 2007 tournament was sponsored by online casino 888.com.

Format

The 2007 World Snooker Championship took place from 21 April to 7 May 2007 in Sheffield, England. The tournament was the last of seven ranking events in the 2006–07 snooker season on the World Snooker Tour. It featured a 32-player main draw that was held at the Crucible Theatre, as well as a qualifying draw that was played at Pontin's, in Prestatyn, Wales from 23 February to 2 March and from 12 to 15 March. This was the 31st consecutive year that the tournament had been staged at the Crucible. The main stages of the event were broadcast by the BBC in the United Kingdom.

The top 16 players in the latest world rankings automatically qualified for the main draw as seeded players. Dott was seeded first overall as the defending champion, and the remaining 15 seeds were allocated based on the latest world rankings. The number of frames required to win a match increased throughout the tournament. The first round consisted of best-of-19-frames matches, with the final match being played over a maximum of 35 frames. All 16 non-seeded spots in the main draw were filled with players from the qualifying rounds. The draw for the televised stage of the World Championship was made on Monday, 19 March 2007 and announced on the following day.

Prize fund

The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:

  • Winner: £220,000
  • Runner-up: £110,000
  • Semi-final: £42,000
  • Quarter-final: £22,000
  • Last 16: £14,000
  • Last 32: £10,600
  • Last 48: £7,400
  • Last 64: £4,500
  • Stage one highest break: £1,000
  • Stage two highest break: £10,000
  • Stage one maximum break: £5,000
  • Stage two maximum break: £147,000
  • Total: £941,000

Tournament summary

First round

Graeme Dott playing a shot
Graeme Dott (pictured in 2014) was the defending champion, but he lost to Ian McCulloch 7‍–‍10 in the first round, succumbing to what has been called the 'Crucible curse'.

The first round was played between 21 and 26 April as the best of 19 frames held over two sessions. The defending champion, Graeme Dott, lost 7‍–‍10 to 2005 semi-finalist Ian McCulloch. This made Dott the 14th first-time champion who failed to defend his title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977, succumbing to what has been called the 'Crucible curse'. Six-time world champion Steve Davis was drawn against John Parrott, winner in 1991. Parrott compiled a century break of 126 and manufactured a 6‍–‍1 lead, but Davis stopped the rot with a break of 100 and produced further breaks of 69 and 70 to restore the balance. Parrott then compiled an 80 and a 64, and, although Davis forced a deciding frame with a break of 96, Parrott prevailed.

Peter Ebdon, the 2002 World Snooker Championship winner, runner-up in the previous event and winner of the 2006 UK Championship during the season, was faced with the 1995 champion, Nigel Bond. Ebdon manufactured a 4‍–‍0 lead, but Bond stopped the rot taking the following frame on the blue and then produced breaks of 40, 68, 46 and 114 to go 5‍–‍4 in front for the first time. Ebdon turned the scores around once again with back-to-back breaks of 60, but Bond compiled yet another 60 to restore the balance at 6‍–‍6. Bond made a century break as Ebdon won four out of the five last frames of the match for a 10‍–‍7 result. John Higgins, champion of the tournament in the 1998 edition, had not made it further than the semi-finals of the 2006 UK Championship during the season. He won 10‍–‍4 over Michael Holt, whose "inability to deal with frustration" was heavily criticised by snooker commentator Clive Everton, writing for The Guardian. "I've tried to work on the mental side of my game for seven years but nothing seems to change. I can't accept it when things go wrong. I sit there and feel so annoyed", said Holt. Andy Hicks, a semi-finalist in 1995, was thrown out by Ali Carter, who compiled century breaks of 112 and 129 en route to a 10‍–‍4 win.

Two qualifiers, Fergal O'Brien and Joe Swail, also won their first-round matches in the decider. In a match that featured two century breaks, O'Brien was 6‍–‍4, 8‍–‍5 and 9‍–‍6 ahead of Barry Hawkins, but he saw his advantadge disappear after Hawkins made a century of 129 and further half-centuries of 78 and 66. Swail fell 0‍–‍4 behind 2000 and 2003 world champion Mark Williams, but continued to produce breaks of 66, 63, 53, 62, 71 and 72 to equalise. Swail also made a century break of 114 in the match, and breaks of both 65 and 56 in the decider. Also a qualifier, Mark Selby saw Stephen Lee compile breaks of 126, 64, 67 and 71 as he went 0‍–‍5 behind. However, Selby won eight frames on the trot to turn the match around, before the last four frames were shared for a 10‍–‍7 result. "At 5‍–‍0 up I should have put my foot on his throat. He didn't play well and won, that's the biggest frustration. I thought he was going to bottle it because he's not a big-time player", claimed Lee in the post-match interview.

Mark Allen playing a shot
Mark Allen (pictured in 2015) was the only debutant to win his first-round match, a 10‍–‍7 defeat of the 1997 champion and third seed Ken Doherty.

There were five debutants in this year's tournament: Mark Allen, Judd Trump, Ding Junhui, David Gilbert and Joe Delaney. Allen, who was faced by the 1997 champion and third seed Ken Doherty, was the only one of the five who won his first-round match. Aided by breaks of 92 and 95 in the first two frames, Allen powered to a 4‍–‍0 early lead. Doherty made a 135 century break to level the scores at 7 each, but Allen clinched a 10‍–‍7 victory with three consecutive half-centuries. Trump won four qualifying matches to set up a first-round encounter with Shaun Murphy, the 2005 champion. Although Murphy won the first three frames with breaks of 81, 96 and 52, Trump compiled breaks of 93, 57 and 85 to go ahead at 6‍–‍5. However, Murphy won five on the spin to advance into the second round. Gilbert, ranked 67th in the world, also took five consecutive frames, featuring one century break, to lead seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry 5‍–‍1, but he eventually lost 7‍–‍10. "I kept missing, missing and missing. I suppose I twitched up completely. I didn't feel nervous but I suppose the Crucible jitters got me at the end", said Gilbert afterwards. Delaney won two deciders against Barry Pinches and two-time world semi-finalist Alan McManus to reach the Crucible, but, having trailed 0‍–‍5, he was beaten 2‍–‍10 by the 2000 and 2005 runner-up Matthew Stevens.

Ding, considered by bookmakers to be among the favourites for the title, was drawn against Ronnie O'Sullivan, who alleged that the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association draw had been fixed. O'Sullivan noted that he had been drawn to Marco Fu in the first round of the 2003 edition and to 2004 European Open and 2004 UK Championship winner Stephen Maguire in both 2004 and 2005. "I've had Marco Fu, Stephen Maguire twice and now Ding in the first round. It's definitely fixed. Whoever is doing that is trying to stitch me up", claimed O'Sullivan. He later withdrew the accusation and made no formal complaint to the WPBSA, who maintained that the draw was "100% genuine". O'Sullivan compiled a century break and further breaks of 58, 50, 60, 63, 63, 70, 87 and 72 to claim a 10‍–‍2 victory.

Neil Robertson, champion throughout the season of both the 2006 Grand Prix and the 2007 Welsh Open, made a half-century of 79 as he took a 4‍–‍0 lead over Ryan Day, who had only made it past the first round of the World Championship once, in the previous edition. Day made the only century break of the match, but went on to lose 5‍–‍10. "Springy cushions, many kicks and errors accounted for a lower standard than expected", wrote Everton about the match. Breaks of 84 and 80 aided Anthony Hamilton into a 5‍–‍0 lead against Marco Fu. Despite the latter making a century break, Hamilton took two frames by a single point and won 10‍–‍3. Maguire, semi-finalist of the 2007 Welsh Open during the season, defeated Joe Perry by the same margin, compiling breaks of 66, 64, 83, 124, 68 and 56 in the process.

Second round

Snooker player John Parrott
The 1991 champion John Parrott (pictured in 2008) was defeated 8‍–‍13 by Shaun Murphy in the second round and would never play at the final stages of the World Championship again.

The second round of the event was played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 26 and 30 April. Breaks of 65 and 100 helped Murphy to a four-frame lead against Parrott, who recovered and restored the balance at 8‍–‍8 thanks to a century break of 123. Murphy kick-started the third and last session with a total clearance of 131 and won all five frames for a 13‍–‍8 victory. "It's been a very long time since I've been that nervous. I felt as though I'd got a family of ferrets in my waistcoat", said about the last session Parrott, who would never reach the final stages of the World Championship again. Breaks of 68, 64 and 56 enabled McCulloch to remain at touching distance of Hamilton, who then made two half-centuries and two centuries of his own for a 13‍–‍8 victory. "The match was rubbish until halfway through but I enjoyed the battle", admitted Hamilton, who had not made it to the quarter-finals since the 2004 edition. This would also prove to be the last appearance at the Crucible for McCulloch.

Maguire took a six-frame lead into the final session of his second-round match against Swail, who began the last segment of the encounter with a break of 82, followed by further breaks of 72, 56 and 77 to edge closer at 8‍–‍11. Maguire, who would later praise Swail as a "comeback player", was told off by referee Michaela Tabb for punching the table in desperation after missing a pot, but he managed to prevent his rival from turning the scores around and sealed victory with a 13‍–‍8 result by taking two fought frames. In another match, Allen replied with two century breaks of 101 and 118 and a further half-century of 65 to move closer to Stevens, who kick-started the match taking four consecutive frames. Stevens then made an 85 followed by a 101 and took two more frames to move to 8‍–‍3. Going 9‍–‍7, the pair compiled one more century break each. Allen could have made it 10‍–‍11, but he failed to pot a black ball in a frame which then went in Stevens's direction, who closed the match with a 13‍–‍9 score.

Carter won six frames on the trot, featuring breaks of 78, 72 twice and 111, to lead Hendry 12‍–‍4 going into the final session. The Scottish player, chasing a record-extending eighth title, had changed cues three weeks ahead of the tournament, but blamed the poor performance on his lack of confidence and on his inability to reproduce his "practice form" on the Crucible table. Carter produced a further half-century as he closed the match with an 13‍–‍6 victory. "His safety play was some of the best that's ever been played against me. I don't think I've ever been snookered so much in my life", praised Hendry. Higgins compiled breaks of 98, 135 and 100 in the second session against O'Brien, which ended 12‍–‍4, and he only needed one more frame at the resumption to secure victory, and he took it at the first chance. "I felt I wasn't going to miss", said Higgins, who was praised by his rival for being "brilliant".

Robertson faced O'Sullivan, whom he had defeated en route to both of his tournament wins during the season, 5‍–‍1 in the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix and 5‍–‍4 at the same stage of the Welsh Open. With breaks of 87 for O'Sullivan and of 104 for Robertson, the first two frames were shared, but Robertson went on to miss some pots, fell behind and O'Sullivan wrapped up a four-frame cushion at the end of the first session with another century break. At the resumption, O'Sullivan compiled another century to go 8‍–‍3 in front, but Robertson replied winning six frames on the trot, featuring breaks of 53, 77, 140 and 117. O'Sullivan then compiled breaks of 129, 96, 52 and 88 for a 13‍–‍10 win. In his match against Ebdon, who admitted to "never" turning up during the event, Selby compiled consecutive century breaks of 100, 122 and 119 in the second session to go into the last one with a 10‍–‍6 lead. Further centuries of 130 and 116 put Selby one away from victory. Ebdon replied with a break of 97, but Selby claimed victory with another half-century. "Me preparation was meticulous and I expected to play a lot better", lamented Ebdon.

Quarter-finals

Stephen Maguire playing a shot
Stephen Maguire (pictured in 2012), playing Anthony Hamilton in his first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of the World Championship, produced four century breaks for a 13‍–‍7 win.

The quarter-finals of the event were played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions, between 1 and 2 May. Maguire, who faced Hamilton, had had a trophyless season coming into the World Championship, but he was still pleased with the good results he had got. Maguire was playing in the quarter-finals for the first time, having been defeated in the first round in both 2004 and 2005 and in the second round in 2006. Century breaks of 106 and 143 ensured Maguire a 9‍–‍7 lead going into the final session. In the last session, Maguire produced a break of 96 and then compiled further centuries of 137 and 108 to secure a place in the semi-finals. "He was better all the way through the match", conceded Hamilton. Higgins took a 3‍–‍1 lead against O'Sullivan, who then produced breaks of 54, 65 and 60 to draw level at the end of the first session. Higgins dominated the second session and this allowed him to put himself 11‍–‍5 ahead, compiling the 350th century break of his career in the process. O'Sullivan launched a comeback in the final session, but Higgins held it off and, in his own words, kept his "composure at the end" to seal a 13‍–‍9 victory. "Obviously he was the favourite, he's a great player, he's won everything, but I fancied winning. I have beat him a few times and backed myself to win the match", said Higgins.

The other two matches went into deciders. Stevens faced Murphy in a repeat of the 2005 final, which Murphy had won 18‍–‍16. Murphy trailed 0‍–‍3 and 5‍–‍11 as Stevens notched century breaks of 118 and 108 and further half-centuries of 64, 61, 52, 57 and 81. Despite only needing two more frames in the last session to advance into the semi-finals, Stevens could not prevent Murphy's comeback, who produced breaks of 92, 60, 61 and 94 for a 13‍–‍12 victory. The match was regarded by the BBC as a "classic". Selby, playing in the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in his career, shared the first six frames of his encounter with Carter. Selby then compiled a century break of 121 and opened up a two-frame advantage for the first time in the duel, but Carter replied with a 144, which would remain as the highest break of the tournament, and followed it up with three more frames for a 7‍–‍5 lead. Selby took four on the trot and secured a lead going into the final session. Carter forced the decider with a break of 78 in the 24th frame, but Selby went on to win producing a half-century of his own.

Semi-finals

Snooker player Mark Selby
Qualifier Mark Selby (pictured in 2008) won consecutive deciding frames–against Ali Carter in the quarter-finals and against Shaun Murphy in the semi-finals–to earn a place in the final of the World Championship for the first time in his career.

The semi-finals were played as the best of 33 frames, held over four sessions, between 3 and 5 May. Maguire and Higgins produced one century break each as they reached the end of the first session tied at four frames each. The scores were still balanced at the end of the second session. Maguire could have gone two in front at 10‍–‍8, but he went in-off into one of the corner pockets after potting a black that was frame ball. However, Maguire then took the next three frames and a 12‍–‍9 lead, and he was also 14‍–‍10 ahead. In turning the scores around for a 17‍–‍15 victory, Higgins made two further century breaks. The second one, a 122 in the 29th frame, was the 1,000th century break ever made at the Crucible. Higgins, who was praiseful of Maguire's "unbelievable pots", thought that having given up on alcohol was helping with his game as he was more focused on practicing. "I just used to go out and enjoy myself and not practice for a few weeks. The weekends were all about going for a few drinks after watching Celtic and going to a club afterwards so I was never practising at weekends", he stated. Maguire, who as of 2024 has never made it to the final of the World Championship, regretted not having won the match despite having been four frames ahead. "I am absolutely numb. I threw away a great opportunity to win the title and can't believe what I've done, he lamented.

Selby, a qualifier and playing in the semi-finals of the World Championship for the first time, fell 1‍–‍5 behind Murphy, who compiled breaks of 70, 101 and 55. Selby had missed easy balls in the first few frames allowing Murphy chances, but managed to put two more frames on the board to head into the interval only two behind. At the end of the second session, the deadlock had yet to be broken at 8‍–‍8. The last session began at 12‍–‍12, and saw Murphy produce century breaks of 101 and 132 and Selby compile a 104, for a total of seven century breaks in the match. The balance was restored once again at 14 each and Murphy then went 16‍–‍14 ahead, only one away from victory, after taking a frame in which Selby needed a four-point snooker to tie, got six penalty points after snookering Murphy behind the pink but then failed to pot the blue to let his opponent in again. Selby, however, came back and, after forcing the second consecutive decider, he wrapped up victory with a break of 64. "I held myself tegether very well, I thought, and now I'm living a dream. This is what I've dreamt of since I was a kid", said Selby after the match. He also thought there was "every chance" he would go on to win the tournament.

Final

John Higgins playing a shot
John Higgins (pictured in 2008) defeated Mark Selby 18‍–‍13 to win the World Championship for the second time.

The final was played as best-of-35-frames, held over four sessions on 6 and 7 May, between Higgins and Selby. Higgins was competing in his third World Championship final, having lost one and won the other one. Selby, a qualifier, made his first appearance in the final. Having made his debut two years earlier, he had never made it past the second round. Selby was competing in the second ranking final of his career, after he was defeated in the 2003 Scottish Open. Eirian Williams took charge of his third world final, having officiated the 2001 and 2005 finals. Although both players scored points in the first two frames, Higgins took them for a 2‍–‍0 early lead. Selby replied with three frames on the trot to turn the scores around, featuring a break of 67 and a century break of 116. Higgins then went on to win seven consecutive breaks for a 9‍–‍3 advantage. The second session ended with an eight-frame cushion for Higgins, a lead that had never been reversed in a World Championship final played at the Crucible.

In the afternoon session, Selby constructed breaks of 109, 61, 62, 42 and 56 as he took six consecutive frames to cut the deficit to only two at 10‍–‍12. Two more frames were scheduled to be played, but it was not possible due to slow play. "I was so delighted. If we had stayed on, Mark would have definitely made it 12‍–‍12 because I was gone at that stage", said Higgins afterwards. At the resumption, Higgins went three clear at 13‍–‍10, but Selby took three of the next four, including one which lasted 55 minutes, and went only one behind at 13‍–‍14. Higgins then won four consecutive frames, featuring breaks of 57, 129 and 78, to win the match and claim the championship.

The last ball of the final was potted at 12:54 a.m. BST, just two minutes later than in the previous final and making it the latest final ever. Higgins claimed his second world title nine years after he won his first. "To join people like Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Williams is a special feeling for me. This is the second one and hopefully there'll be a third and fourth and so on", said Higgins on becoming a double world champion. He also ensured he would be world number one coming into the following season. Selby, who climbed to 11th in the rankings, felt "proud" and promised to "give it a better shot" the following edition. "I didn't really think I could win it, but when I got back to 12‍–‍10, I was believing I could", he said afterwards.

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). The first round draw was done by presenters Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams of BBC Breakfast on 19 March and it was announced on Breakfast at 7.30 am BST the next day.

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
21 April
Scotland Graeme Dott (1)7
26, 27 & 28 April
England Ian McCulloch10
England Ian McCulloch8
21 & 22 April
England Anthony Hamilton (16)13
England Anthony Hamilton (16)10
1 & 2 May
Hong Kong Marco Fu3
England Anthony Hamilton (16)7
23 & 24 April
Scotland Stephen Maguire (9)13
Scotland Stephen Maguire (9)10
27 & 28 April
England Joe Perry3
Scotland Stephen Maguire (9)13
24 April
Northern Ireland Joe Swail8
Wales Mark Williams (8)9
3, 4 & 5 May
Northern Ireland Joe Swail10
Scotland Stephen Maguire (9)15
25 & 26 April
Scotland John Higgins (5)17
Scotland John Higgins (5)10
28, 29 & 30 April
England Michael Holt4
Scotland John Higgins (5)13
22 & 23 April
Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien4
England Barry Hawkins (12)9
1 & 2 May
Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien10
Scotland John Higgins (5)13
25 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)9
Australia Neil Robertson (13)10
29 & 30 April
Wales Ryan Day5
Australia Neil Robertson (13)10
22 & 23 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)13
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)10
6 & 7 May
China Ding Junhui2
Scotland John Higgins (5)18
23 & 24 April
England Mark Selby 13
Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty (3)7
27 & 28 April
Northern Ireland Mark Allen10
Northern Ireland Mark Allen9
21 & 22 April
Wales Matthew Stevens (14)13
Wales Matthew Stevens (14)10
1 & 2 May
Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney2
Wales Matthew Stevens (14)12
21 & 22 April
England Shaun Murphy (6)13
England Steve Davis (11)9
26 & 27 April
England John Parrott10
England John Parrott8
23 April
England Shaun Murphy (6)13
England Shaun Murphy (6)10
3, 4 & 5 May
England Judd Trump6
England Shaun Murphy (6)16
21 & 22 April
England Mark Selby 17
England Peter Ebdon (7)10
29 & 30 April
England Nigel Bond7
England Peter Ebdon (7)8
24 & 25 April
England Mark Selby13
England Stephen Lee (10)7
1 & 2 May
England Mark Selby10
England Mark Selby13
25 & 26 April
England Ali Carter (15)12
England Ali Carter (15)10
28, 29 & 30 April
England Andy Hicks4
England Ali Carter (15)13
24 & 25 April
Scotland Stephen Hendry (2)6
Scotland Stephen Hendry (2)10
England David Gilbert7
Final (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 6 & 7 May 2007. Referee: Eirian Williams
John Higgins (5)
 Scotland 		18–13 Mark Selby
 England
73–25, 58–32, 19–95, 25–76, 10–132, 97–0, 98–24, 86–5, 75–0, 85–9, 101–24, 70–61, 59–75, 98–0, 78–55, 116–0, 36–73, 0–110, 36–65, 4–74, 0–66, 48–72, 81–40, 63–70, 75–2, 22–82, 54–77, 71–33, 57–43, 129–1, 78–1 Century breaks: 5
(Higgins 3, Selby 2)

Highest break by Higgins: 129
Highest break by Selby: 116

73–25, 58–32, 19–95, 25–76, 10–132, 97–0, 98–24, 86–5, 75–0, 85–9, 101–24, 70–61, 59–75, 98–0, 78–55, 116–0, 36–73, 0–110, 36–65, 4–74, 0–66, 48–72, 81–40, 63–70, 75–2, 22–82, 54–77, 71–33, 57–43, 129–1, 78–1
Scotland John Higgins wins the 2007 888.com World Snooker Championship

Preliminary qualifying

The preliminary qualifying rounds for the tournament took place in Pontin's Prestatyn, Wales.

Round 1

England Bradley Jones 5–0 England Neil Selman
England Del Smith 5–4 England Tony Knowles

Round 2

England Bradley Jones 5–0 England Stephen Ormerod
England Les Dodd w/o-w/d India David Singh
England Ali Bassiri 0–5 England Phil Seaton
England Del Smith 5–0 England Barry Stark

Qualifying

Qualifying for the 2007 World Snooker Championship, was held between 23 February to 2 March 2007 at Pontin's, Prestatyn, Wales. The final qualifying round took place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield between the 12–15 March 2007.

Round 1

Thailand Issara Kachaiwong 8–10 England Bradley Jones
Netherlands Roy Stolk 10–7 England Phil Seaton
England Ben Woollaston 10–3 England Del Smith
England James Leadbetter 10–8 England Les Dodd

Rounds 2–5

Round 2
Best of 19 frames		Round 3
Best of 19 frames		Round 4
Best of 19 frames		Round 5
Best of 19 frames
England Alfie Burden10England Dave Gilbert10Northern Ireland Gerard Greene6England Mark King6
Scotland Robert Stephen9England Alfie Burden9England Dave Gilbert10England Dave Gilbert10
China Liu Song10Malta Tony Drago9England Adrian Gunnell10England Michael Holt10
New Zealand Dene O'Kane3China Liu Song10China Liu Song8England Adrian Gunnell7
England Judd Trump10Pakistan Shokat Ali7England Jamie Cope7Thailand James Wattana5
England Bradley Jones8England Judd Trump10England Judd Trump10England Judd Trump10
China Tian Pengfei10England Joe Jogia10Scotland Drew Henry10England Joe Perry10
Netherlands Roy Stolk2China Tian Pengfei4England Joe Jogia7Scotland Drew Henry5
England Mark Joyce10Finland Robin Hullw/dRepublic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien10England Stuart Bingham5
United Arab Emirates Mohammed Shehab6England Mark Joycew/oEngland Mark Joyce4Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien10
England Paul Wykes3England Rory McLeod10England Tom Ford8England Andy Hicks10
Malta Alex Borg10Malta Alex Borg6England Rory McLeod10England Rory McLeod4
England Lee Page10Wales Paul Davies10Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10Hong Kong Marco Fu10
Northern Ireland Dermot McGlinchey1England Lee Page1Wales Paul Davies5Republic of Ireland Michael Judge9
England Matthew Couch10England Jimmy Michie10England Mark Davis10China Ding Junhui10
Wales Jamie Jones5England Matthew Couch4England Jimmy Michie2England Mark Davis6
Wales Ian Preece10Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney10England Barry Pinches9Scotland Alan McManus9
England Ben Woollaston8Wales Ian Preece7Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney10Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney10
China Liang Wenbo10England Mike Dunn10England Dave Harold10Northern Ireland Joe Swail10
England Jeff Cundy5China Liang Wenbo3England Mike Dunn3England Dave Harold9
England Paul Davison10Scotland Jamie Burnett10England Jimmy White4England Nigel Bond10
England Peter Lines8England Paul Davison5Scotland Jamie Burnett10Scotland Jamie Burnett6
Thailand Passakorn Suwannawat10England David Roe8Scotland Marcus Campbell10Wales Ryan Day10
Germany Patrick Einsle4Thailand Passakorn Suwannawat10Thailand Passakorn Suwannawat9Scotland Marcus Campbell5
England Chris Melling6England Andrew Norman10Wales Dominic Dale10England Ian McCulloch10
Republic of Ireland David Morris10Republic of Ireland David Morris8England Andrew Norman8Wales Dominic Dale4
England Lee Spick10Northern Ireland Mark Allen10England Rod Lawler5England Robert Milkins4
England Sean Storey4England Lee Spick5Northern Ireland Mark Allen10Northern Ireland Mark Allen10
England Chris Norbury9England Stuart Pettman3England John Parrott10England David Gray7
England James Leadbetter10England James Leadbetter10England James Leadbetter7England John Parrott10
England Andrew Higginson10Scotland Scott MacKenzie6England Ricky Walden10England Mark Selby10
Scotland Mark Boyle4England Andrew Higginson10England Andrew Higginson9England Ricky Walden6

Century breaks

Televised stage centuries

There were 68 centuries scored in the televised stage of the 2007 championship, which was joint equal highest in the history of the tournament (with the tournament held in 2002) until 2009.

Qualifying stage centuries

Notes

  1. In the event of the defending champion being ranked outside the top 16, he would replace the player ranked world number 16 as an automatic qualifier.

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. Everton, Clive (3 May 2006). "Late dash of Dott pulls Ebdon's revival up short". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  8. ^ "888.com World Championship (2007)". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. "The 2009/2010 Season". snooker.org. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  10. "History". worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008.
  11. "Snooker: World Championship - Episodes". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  12. ^ Everton, Clive. "2010 World Snooker Championship". Snooker Scene. No. April 2010.
  13. ^ "O'Sullivan draw fix claim denied". BBC Sport. 17 April 2007. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
  14. "O'Sullivan faces Ding at Crucible". BBC Sport. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ^ "World Snooker Championship 2007". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  16. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 130.
  17. ^ Caulfield, David (21 April 2024). "Sorcery in Sheffield strikes again – what is the Crucible Curse?". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  18. ^ Everton, Clive (22 April 2007). "Bond shows his steel". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  19. ^ Everton, Clive (27 April 2007). "Higgins eases into second round as Holt self-destructs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  20. ^ Everton, Clive (26 April 2007). "Hendry's focus steers him through". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Debutant overcomes nerves to stun Doherty". The Guardian. 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  22. "World Championship – Outright". EasyOdds.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2007.
  23. Viner, Brian (20 April 2007). "Interview: Snooker player Ding Junhui". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  24. ^ "Robertson reins in the Rocket to set up tense finale". The Guardian. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  25. ^ Everton, Clive (28 April 2007). "Murphy turns the screw and puts an end to Parrott's party". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  26. "Murphy makes Crucible last eight". BBC Sport. 27 April 2007. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  27. "John Parrott". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  28. "Hamilton cruises past McCulloch". BBC Sport. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  29. "Ian McCulloch". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Angry Maguire reaches last eight". BBC Sport. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  31. "Stevens comes through Allen test". BBC Sport. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  32. ^ "In-form Carter ends Hendry hopes". BBC Sport. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  33. "Higgins clinches emphatic victory". BBC Sport. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  34. "Royal London Watches Grand Prix (2006)". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  35. "Welsh Open (2007)". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  36. ^ "Sizzling Selby knocks out Ebdon". BBC Sport. 30 April 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  37. ^ "Awesome Maguire reaches last four". BBC Sport. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  38. ^ "Stephen Maguire". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  39. Everton, Clive (2 May 2007). "O'Sullivan level after Higgins fails to pull away". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Higgins ends O'Sullivan title bid". BBC Sport. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  41. ^ "Murphy fightback shocks Stevens". BBC Sport. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Selby finally shakes off Carter". BBC Sport. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  43. Everton, Clive (3 May 2007). "Higgins fights back against Maguire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  44. Everton, Clive (4 May 2007). "Higgins and Maguire deadlocked as semi heads for tense finale". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  45. Everton, Clive (5 May 2007). "Maguire shrugs off freak foul to burst clear of Higgins". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  46. ^ "Classy Higgins books final berth". BBC Sport. 5 May 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  47. "Snooker: Selby pockets a place in the final; Snooker: 888.com World Championship from Sheffield". Sunday Sun on HighBeam Research. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  48. Lyon, Sam; Dirs, Ben (5 May 2007). "John Higgins (Sco) 17–15 Stephen Maguire (Sco)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  49. ^ "Selby pips Murphy to reach final". BBC Sport. 5 May 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  50. Everton, Clive (5 May 2007). "Murphy leads as Selby struggles". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  51. "John Higgins". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  52. ^ "Mark Selby". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  53. "Eirian Williams". worldsnooker.com. 11 November 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  54. ^ Everton, Clive (7 May 2007). "Experience counts as Higgins surges into commanding lead". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  55. ^ "World Snooker 2007 - Final report". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  56. ^ Weaver, Paul (8 May 2007). "Higgins rallies to take title after Selby comeback". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  57. "John Higgins held off a dogged fightback from Mark Selby to claim his second World Snooker Championship title at The Crucible". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  58. "World Rankings 2007/2008". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  59. "888.Com World Championship 2007". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  60. "2007 World Championships Results". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  61. "2007 888.com World Championship". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 19 August 2007.
  62. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. pp. 64–65.
  64. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 143.
  65. ^ "2007 888.com World Championship Qualifying". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 19 August 2007.
  66. Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 152.
  67. "Crucible Centuries". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
World Snooker Championship
Early events
Match-play
Challenges
Knock-outs
Crucible era
Related articles
Cue sports portal
2006–07 snooker season
« 2005–06 2007–08 »
Ranking events
Non-ranking events
Categories: