World Snooker Championship 2022

[Nadal Braymiller]

TheWorld 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.[1] First held in 1927, it is now one of the three tournaments (together with the UK Championship and the invitational Masters) that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series. The reigning world champion is Kyren Wilson.

Joe Davis dominated the tournament over its first two decades, winning the first 15 world championships before he retired undefeated after his final victory in 1946. The distinctive World Championship trophy, topped by a Greek shepherdess figurine, was acquired by Davis in 1926 for 19 and continues in use to this day.[2] No tournaments were held between 1941 and 1945 due to World War II, or between 1952 and 1963 due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The PBPA held an unofficial alternative, the World Professional Match-play Championship, between 1952 and 1957. The official championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964.

The World Snooker Championship reverted to a knockout tournament format in 1969, beginning what is now known as snooker's modern era. It has taken place annually since then, with every championship since 1977 staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Under a format that has remained largely unchanged since 1982, 32 players reach the Crucible each year; the top 16 players in the world rankings qualify automatically, while another 16 players win places through a qualification tournament. Only three qualifiers have ever won the tournament: Alex Higgins in 1972, Terry Griffiths in 1979, and Shaun Murphy in 2005.

Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have each won seven times to jointly hold the record of most world titles in the modern era. Ray Reardon and Steve Davis have won six titles; John Higgins and Mark Selby four; John Spencer and Mark Williams three; and Alex Higgins two. Hendry is the youngest champion in the tournament's history, winning his first title in 1990 aged 21 years and 106 days. O'Sullivan became the oldest champion in 2022 when he won his seventh title aged 46 years and 148 days. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most Crucible appearances with 32, having taken part in the tournament every year between 1993 and 2024. Fourteen maximum breaks have been made in the history of the tournament, Cliff Thorburn compiled the first in 1983, and Mark Selby the most recent in 2023, which was the first maximum break in a World Championship final. A record 109 century breaks were made at the Crucible in 2022. As of 2024, 28 players have won the World Snooker Championship.

The 1935 Championship introduced some significant changes. It was the first to incorporate "world" in its name, being called the World's Professional Snooker Championship.[23][24] There was also a change in the organisation of the event with the matches being played consecutively at the same venue, Thurston's Hall in London.[23] In the period from 1935 to 1940, nearly all World Championship matches were played there and with good attendances the professionals could make some money from their share of the entrance charges. Because of the importance of gate receipts, all frames were played out, even if a player had already won the match.[citation needed]

The period from 2000 to 2013 was dominated by three players, who were all born in 1975 and turned professional in 1992, dubbed the "class of '92": Ronnie O'Sullivan won five times in this period, John Higgins three times and Mark Williams twice. Higgins had also won in 1998; Williams would win again in 2018 and O'Sullivan went on to win in 2020 and 2022.

The televised stages of the World Championship have used the same format since 1982, with the exception of a change to the semi-final format that was introduced in 1997. The main competition is a single-elimination (knockout) tournament with 32 players, contested over 17 days ending on the first Monday in May, which is May Day bank holiday in the United Kingdom. Of the 32 players, 16 are seeded automatically into the main draw and the other 16 need to earn a place through a qualifying competition, which takes place immediately before the main competition but at a separate venue. The reigning world champion receives a direct entry and is the number one seed in the draw. The other 15 direct entries are based on the latest world rankings, these players being seeded according to their world ranking positions. As the defending champion is usually a player that is ranked in the top 16, it is normally the top 16 ranked players that receive a direct entry to the main competition (if the defending champion is outside the top 16, then the top 15 ranked players receive a direct entry in addition to the defending champion).

Before 1982, there were a number of different formats used for the championship. In 1980 and 1981, 24 players competed in the final stages at the Crucible; the top eight seeds had a bye in the first round while seeds 9 to 16 played in the first round against eight qualifiers. From 1977 to 1979, the first three years at the Crucible, there were only 16 players in the final stages, eight seeds playing eight qualifiers in the first round. For information on the players involved, see list of players to appear in the World Snooker Championship.

The length of the matches varies per round as follows: the first round is played as the best of 19 frames, spread over two sessions of play; the second round and the quarter-finals are the best of 25 frames, played over three sessions; the semi-finals are the best of 33 frames, played over four sessions on three consecutive days of play; and the final is a maximum of 35 frames, over four sessions on two consecutive days of play. For the first 12 days of the tournament, until the end of the quarter-final stage, two tables are set up in the arena to allow two matches to be played concurrently. For the last five days of the competition (the semi-finals and final), only one table is used.

From 1980 to 1996, the semi-finals were played as the best of 31 frames, and this was changed to the best of 33 frames from 1997 onwards. Since first becoming a 17-day event in 1982, the World Championship has nearly always ended on the first Monday in May, with five exceptions. In 1982, the tournament ended on Sunday 16 May, and it ended on the last Sunday of April in 1985, 1990 and 1995; in all of these cases, the event started on a Friday rather than a Saturday. The fifth and most recent instance of the tournament starting on a Friday was the 2020 edition: because of a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the main competition was played over 17 days from Friday 31 July to Sunday 16 August.

Several changes to the qualifying system came into effect for the 2015 championship. All living world champions would be extended an opportunity to play in the qualifying rounds. The top 16 seeds would still qualify automatically for the first round at the Crucible, but all non-seeded players would have to start in the first of three qualifying rounds. Previously players seeded 17 to 32 only had to win one qualifying match to reach the final stages. The overall championship would increase from 128 to 144 players, with the additional places made available to former world champions and players from emerging countries.[150]

From its foundation in 1927, the world snooker championship was dominated by Joe Davis, who won each of the first 15 tournaments before retiring undefeated in 1946. In 1952, a dispute between the BACC and the PBPA led to the formation of the World Professional Match-play Championship, whose winners are generally acknowledged as world champions. No championship was held between 1957 and 1964, when it was revived on a challenge basis until 1968.

Except for two championships played in Australia, all championships from 1969 to 2005 were sponsored by tobacco companies. In 1969 and 1970 the championship was sponsored by John Player under the brand Player's No.6. The Gallaher Group sponsored under the brand Park Drive from 1972 to 1974, while from 1976 to 2005 Imperial Tobacco sponsored under the brand Embassy. Legislation in 2003 placed restrictions on tobacco advertising, including sponsorship of sporting events. Embassy received special dispensation to continue snooker sponsorship until 2005.

From 2006 to 2022, all championships were sponsored by betting companies. In 2006, 888.com took over sponsorship of the event under a five-year deal,[162] but it pulled out after just three years.[163] Betfred.com was the sponsor from 2009 to 2012,[164] followed by Betfair in 2013,[165] Dafabet in 2014,[166] and Betfred again from 2015 to 2022.[167][168]

Before the world championship moved to the Crucible in 1977, TV coverage was very limited. In the 1950s, the BBC occasionally showed snooker on black and white television, including 30-minute programmes of the 1953 and 1955 finals, with commentary by Sidney Smith.[170][171] Despite the launch of Pot Black in colour in 1969, there was little coverage of the World Championship. There was some coverage of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 world championships in Manchester on two Saturday afternoon Grandstand programmes during those three years. Commentary was by Ted Lowe.[172][173]

BBC TV coverage for the first Crucible championship in 1977 was increased but was limited to highlights of the semi-finals and some coverage of the final on Grandstand and a late night highlights programme. The commentator was Ted Lowe with the highlight programmes presented by Alan Weeks.[174][175][176] The 1978 championship was the first to have daily BBC TV coverage with 14 nightly highlights programmes as well as Saturday afternoon coverage on Grandstand.[177] Ted Lowe commentated while the programmes were presented by David Vine and Alan Weeks.[178] In 1979, TV coverage was extended to include an early-evening "Frame of the Day"[179] as well as live coverage of parts of the final. David Vine was the presenter while the commentary team was extended to include Jack Karnehm and Clive Everton.[180] In 1980, TV coverage included daily live coverage for the first time.[181] Coverage of the final was interrupted to bring live coverage of the Iranian Embassy Siege.[182]

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