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2008 World Snooker Championship

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2008 888.com World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates19 April – 5 May 2008 (2008-04-19 – 2008-05-05)
VenueCrucible Theatre
CitySheffield
CountryEngland
OrganisationWPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£1,050,000
Winner's share£250,000
Highest break Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (147)
 Ali Carter (ENG) (147)
Final
Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)
Runner-up Ali Carter (ENG)
Score18–8
← 2007
2009 →

The 2008 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 19 April and 5 May 2008 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 32nd consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was held at the Crucible Theatre, and the seventh and final ranking event of the 2007–08 snooker season. The tournament was organised by World Snooker, and sponsored by betting company 888.com. The tournament featured a total prize fund of £1,050,000 with £250,000 being awarded to the winner.

Qualifying for the event took place between 6 and 11 January at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales. Sixteen players progressed from a four-round qualification tournament to meet a further sixteen seeded players. John Higgins was the defending champion who had won his second championship the previous year, defeating Mark Selby in the final 18–13. This year, Higgins lost in the second round 9–13 to Ryan Day. Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Ali Carter in the final 18–8 to win his 20th ranking title.

Overview

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The World Snooker Championship is an annual cue sport tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker.[1] Founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India,[2] the sport was popular in Great Britain.[3] In modern times it has been played worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand.[4] The event was sponsored by 888.com.[5]

In the 2008 tournament, 32 professional players competed in one-on-one snooker matches played over several frames, using a single-elimination tournament format.[6] The 32 players were selected for the event using the snooker world rankings and a pre-tournament qualification competition.[7] In 1927, the first world championship was won by Joe Davis. The event's final took place in Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, England.[5][8] Since 1977, the event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.[9] The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.[10][11] Scotsman John Higgins was the defending champion, having defeated Mark Selby 18–13 in the previous years final.[12]

Format

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The 2008 World Snooker Championship took place from 19 April to 5 May 2008 in Sheffield, England. The tournament was the last of seven ranking events in the 2007–08 snooker season on the World Snooker Tour.[13] It featured a 32-player main draw that was held at the Crucible Theatre, as well as a qualifying draw that was played at the Pontin's, Prestatyn Sands, from 6 to 11 January.[6] This was the 32nd consecutive year that the tournament had been staged at the Crucible.[14]

The top 16 players in the latest world rankings automatically qualified for the main draw as seeded players.[15][a] Higgins was seeded first overall as the defending champion, and the remaining 15 seeds were allocated based on the latest world rankings.[15] 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.[16] All 16 non-seeded spots in the main draw were filled with players from the qualifying rounds.[6] The event was broadcast by the BBC and Eurosport in Europe.[16]

Prize fund

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The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:[6][17]

Tournament summary

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Early rounds

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The first round was played between 20 and 24 April as the best of 19 frames, held over two sessions.[18] Defending champion John Higgins defeated Matthew Stevens 10–5,[19] but runner-up Mark Selby was knocked out by qualifier Mark King 10–8.[20][21] Ding Junhui's 10–9 victory over Marco Fu was his first ever win at the Crucible.[22] Stephen Maguire took the first eight frames in the first session of his first round match against Anthony Hamilton, before Hamilton won frame 9. Maguire won the match 10–3.[6] Three players were making their debuts at the event; Jamie Cope,[23] Liu Chuang[24] and Liang Wenbo.[25] Of the three, Wenbo won their first round match, as he defeated Ken Doherty 10–5. The defeat caused Doherty to drop out of the top 16 of the World Rankings for the first time since the 1992/93 season.[26] Cope lost in a deciding frame to Peter Ebdon, despite having led 5–2 earlier in the match.[27]

The second round was played from 24 to 28 April as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions.[18] Defending champion Higgins was defeated by Ryan Day 9–13. This was the first time Day had progressed to the quarter-finals at the event.[28] Ronnie O'Sullivan made a maximum break against Mark Williams in the final frame of his 13–7 win.[29] That achievement made O'Sullivan the first player to have scored three 147s at the venue. Williams, ranked twelfth in the world before the tournament, fell out of the top 16 after the loss.[30] Hendry reached the quarter-finals for the seventeenth time in his career, after a 13–7 win over Ding Junhui.[31] Maguire also won the first eight frames of the match in his second round clash with Neil Robertson, which he won 13–7.[6] Leading at 12–10, Liang Wenbo punched the air in celebration as he potted match ball. However, his opponent, Joe Swail earned the snookers he required, and also won the next frame to force the match into a deciding frame. Swail missed a brown ball allowing Wenbo to win the match 13–12. After the match, Swail complained bitterly that in the final frame the referee had incorrectly replaced the cue ball after calling a miss, giving Liang an easier escape from a snooker, and accused Liang of unprofessional conduct for not pointing out the referee's mistake.[32]

Later rounds (Quarter-finals–final)

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Photo of Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan won the event, his third win at the event

The quarter-finals were played on 29 and 30 April as the best of 25 frames held over three sessions.[18] Carter made a maximum break in his 13–9 win over Ebdon.[33] His opponent came very close to a maximum of his own just a frame earlier, but narrowly missed the fifteenth black. Just minutes before on the other table, Stephen Hendry was also attempting a maximum of his own but also missed the fifteenth red.[34] Hendry reached the 12th Crucible semi-final of his career after a 13–7 win over Day, setting a record for one-table appearances that still stands.[35] Wenbo was the first player from mainland China to reach the quarter-finals of the world championships, but lost 7–13 to O'Sullivan.[34] Perry defeated Maguire on a deciding frame 13–12.[36]

The semi-finals were played from the 1 to 3 May as the best of 33 frames.[18] After tying the first session 4–4, O'Sullivan completed an 8–0 whitewash over Hendry in their second session, and won the first frame of session three, meaning that O'Sullivan had won twelve consecutive frames from 1–4 down to 13–4 in front. At one point O'Sullivan scored 448 points without reply. This was the first time Hendry had lost every frame in a full session at the Crucible.[37] O'Sullivan won the match 17–6 with a session to spare.[38] Carter reached his first ranking final by defeating Perry 17–15.[39]

The final was played on 4 and 5 May between O'Sullivan and Carter.[18] Both men were English for the first time since the 1991 event, when John Parrott defeated Jimmy White 18–11.[40] O'Sullivan led 11–5 after the first day's play and won the match 18–8.[41] This was O'Sullivan's third world championship joining Steve Davis and Hendry having won more than two World titles at the Crucible; and was his 20th career ranking title.[40][42] In post-match interviews, both players admitted to not having played particularly well, with O'Sullivan commenting "Ali and I are disappointed not to put on a better performance". Carter's performance was described as "jaded".[41] The win also gave O'Sullivan the top spot in the world rankings.[43]

Main draw

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Shown below are the results for each round. The numbers in parentheses beside some of the players are their seeding ranks.[6][7]

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
19 April
Scotland John Higgins (1)10
24, 25 & 26 April
Wales Matthew Stevens5
Scotland John Higgins (1)9
20 & 21 April
Wales Ryan Day (16)13
Wales Ryan Day (16)10
29 & 30 April
Republic of Ireland Michael Judge6
Wales Ryan Day (16)7
22 April
Scotland Stephen Hendry (8)13
China Ding Junhui (9)10
25 & 26 April
Hong Kong Marco Fu9
China Ding Junhui (9)7
20 & 21 April
Scotland Stephen Hendry (8)13
Scotland Stephen Hendry (8)10
1 & 2 May
Northern Ireland Mark Allen9
Scotland Stephen Hendry (8)6
23 & 24 April
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)17
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)10
26, 27 & 28 April
China Liu Chuang5
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)13
21 & 22 April
Wales Mark Williams (12)7
Wales Mark Williams (12)10
29 & 30 April
England Mark Davis3
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)13
19 & 20 April
China Liang Wenbo7
England Stephen Lee (13)4
27 & 28 April
Northern Ireland Joe Swail10
Northern Ireland Joe Swail12
23 April
China Liang Wenbo13
Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty (4)5
4 & 5 May
China Liang Wenbo10
England Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)18
22 & 23 April
England Ali Carter (14)8
England Shaun Murphy (3)10
25 & 26 April
England Dave Harold3
England Shaun Murphy (3)4
19 & 20 April
England Ali Carter (14)13
England Ali Carter (14)10
29 & 30 April
England Barry Hawkins9
England Ali Carter (14)13
21 & 22 April
England Peter Ebdon (6)9
England Mark Selby (11)8
24 & 25 April
England Mark King10
England Mark King9
19 & 20 April
England Peter Ebdon (6)13
England Peter Ebdon (6)10
1, 2 & 3 May
England Jamie Cope9
England Ali Carter (14)17
19 & 20 April
England Joe Perry15
Australia Neil Robertson (7)10
26, 27 & 28 April
England Nigel Bond4
Australia Neil Robertson (7)7
23 & 24 April
Scotland Stephen Maguire (10)13
Scotland Stephen Maguire (10)10
29 & 30 April
England Anthony Hamilton3
Scotland Stephen Maguire (10)12
21 April
England Joe Perry13
England Steve Davis (15)8
27 & 28 April
England Stuart Bingham10
England Stuart Bingham9
22 & 23 April
England Joe Perry13
Scotland Graeme Dott (2)7
England Joe Perry10
Final (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 4 May & 5 May 2008. Referee: Jan Verhaas[44]
Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)
 England 		18–8 Ali Carter (14)
 England
81–56, 127–0, 99–0, 0–104, 86–4, 62–76, 65–18, 73–0, 78–0, 36–60, 86–4, 28–93, 45–80, 123–0, 77–32, 110–5, 66–48, 74–0, 25–64, 85–0, 0–84, 58–42, 4–89, 68–39, 75–32, 62–16 Century breaks: 2
(O'Sullivan 1, Carter 1)

Highest break by O'Sullivan: 106
Highest break by Carter: 104

81–56, 127–0, 99–0, 0–104, 86–4, 62–76, 65–18, 73–0, 78–0, 36–60, 86–4, 28–93, 45–80, 123–0, 77–32, 110–5, 66–48, 74–0, 25–64, 85–0, 0–84, 58–42, 4–89, 68–39, 75–32, 62–16
England Ronnie O'Sullivan wins the 2008 888.com World Snooker Championship

Qualification

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Preliminary qualifying

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The preliminary qualifying rounds for the tournament took place at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales between 3 and 5 January 2008.[6][45]

Round 1

England Phil Seaton 5–2 Wales Donald Newcombe

Round 2

England Colin Mitchell 5–4 England Phil Seaton
England Les Dodd 1–5 India David Singh
England Adam Osbourne 0–5 England Sean Storey
England Tony Knowles 5–1 England Ali Bassiri
England Neil Selman 5–1 England John Wilson
England Ian Stark 5–4 England Del Smith
England Tony Brown 5–1 England Christopher Flight
England Stephen Ormerod w/o–w/d England Paul Wykes

Round 3

England Colin Mitchell 5–3 India David Singh
England Sean Storey 5–0 England Tony Knowles
England Neil Selman 4–5 England Ian Stark
England Tony Brown 3–5 England Stephen Ormerod

Qualifying

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The qualifying rounds 1–4 for the tournament took place at Pontin's in Prestatyn, Wales between 6 and 11 January 2008. The final round of qualifying took place at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield between 7 and 10 March.[6][45]

Round 1

Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace 10–1 England Sean Storey
England Jimmy Robertson 10–5 England Stephen Ormerod
Republic of Ireland Rodney Goggins 10–4 England Ian Stark
China Liu Chuang 10–0 England Colin Mitchell

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 Alex Davies10Wales Ian Preece10England Adrian Gunnell10England Stuart Bingham10
Australia Steve Mifsud2England Alex Davies9Wales Ian Preece9England Adrian Gunnell3
England Mark Joyce10England Jimmy Michie10Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10England Michael Holt6
Northern Ireland Patrick Wallace8England Mark Joyce4England Jimmy Michie6Republic of Ireland Michael Judge10
Scotland James McBain10Scotland Marcus Campbell9Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien10England Jamie Cope10
Belgium Kevin Van Hove2Scotland James McBain10Scotland James McBain4Republic of Ireland Fergal O'Brien5
China Tian Pengfei10England Mike Dunn10England Andrew Norman2England Dave Harold10
England Ashley Wright4China Tian Pengfei2England Mike Dunn10England Mike Dunn4
England Munraj Pal8England David Roe10England Andy Hicks10England Barry Hawkins10
China Xiao Guodong10China Xiao Guodong5England David Roe5England Andy Hicks8
England Matthew Selt10England Jimmy White10England A Higginson7England Mark King10
Scotland Fraser Patrick6England Matthew Selt4England Jimmy White10England Jimmy White3
China Liu Song10Scotland Scott MacKenzie10Thailand James Wattana8England Anthony Hamilton10
England Jimmy Robertson6China Liu Song5Scotland Scott MacKenzie10Scotland Scott MacKenzie2
Norway Kurt Maflin9Wales Paul Davies8England John Parrott10England Joe Perry10
Wales Gareth Coppack10Wales Gareth Coppack10Wales Gareth Coppack3England John Parrott8
England Shailesh Jogia4England Barry Pinches10England Robert Milkins4England Nigel Bond10
Wales Michael White10Wales Michael White4England Barry Pinches10England Barry Pinches7
England Lee Spick9England Judd Trump10Scotland Jamie Burnett2Northern Ireland Joe Swail10
Republic of Ireland Rodney Goggins10Republic of Ireland Rodney Goggins4England Judd Trump10England Judd Trump9
England Jamie O'Neill8England Stuart Pettman4England Rory McLeod10Wales Matthew Stevens10
England Martin Gould10England Martin Gould10England Martin Gould8England Rory McLeod5
China Liang Wenbo10England Rod Lawler6England Dave Gilbert3England Ian McCulloch5
England Ben Woollaston3China Liang Wenbo10China Liang Wenbo10China Liang Wenbo10
Wales Lee Walker9Republic of Ireland Joe Delaney5England David Gray5Wales Dominic Dale9
China Liu Chuang10China Liu Chuang10China Liu Chuang10China Liu Chuang10
Republic of Ireland Leo Fernandez10Scotland Drew Henry2England Mark Davis10Northern Ireland Gerard Greene2
England Alfred Burden4Republic of Ireland Leo Fernandez10Republic of Ireland Leo Fernandez9England Mark Davis10
Republic of Ireland David Morris9Finland Robin HullScotland Alan McManus10Hong Kong Marco Fu10
Thailand Supoj Saenla10Thailand Supoj SaenlaW/OThailand Supoj Saenla2Scotland Alan McManus3
Malta Tony Drago9England Tom Ford5England Ricky Walden10Northern Ireland Mark Allen10
Thailand I Kachaiwong10Thailand I Kachaiwong10Thailand I Kachaiwong4England Ricky Walden8

Century breaks

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Televised stage centuries

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The highest break received a prize of £10,000, and a maximum break received a prize of £147,000 – a total of £157,000. This prize was shared, as two players made a 147, winning £78,500 each. In total there were 63 century breaks made at this year's world championships. O'Sullivan and Carter both made a maximum break during the event.[6]

Qualifying stage centuries

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The highest break in qualifying was a 139 made by Patrick Wallace.[6]

Notes

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  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.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Why Sheffield truly is the 'home of snooker' as World Championship gets underway". thestar.co.uk. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  2. ^ Clare, Peter (2008). "Origins of Snooker". Billiard & Snooker Heritage Collection. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  3. ^ Everton, Clive (1991). Snooker and Billiards: Techniques, Tactics and Training (Crowood Sports Guides). The Crowood Press. Chapter 1. ISBN 978-1-85223-480-5
  4. ^ "The Rise Of China – World Snooker". World Snooker. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b Turner, Chris. "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.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "World Snooker Championship 2008". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  7. ^ a b "888.Com World Championship 2008". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  8. ^ "1927 World Professional Championship". globalsnookercentre.co.uk. Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 10 October 2004. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  9. ^ Historic England. "The Crucible Theatre (1392311)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  10. ^ Digital, TLC. "World Snooker Championship Betting Tips & Odds Guide (2020)". ThePuntersPage.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  11. ^ Gratton, Chris; Solberg, Harry Arne (11 June 2007). The Economics of Sports Broadcasting. Routledge. ISBN 9781134325603. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Higgins beats brave Selby in epic". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  13. ^ "The 2007/2008 Season". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  14. ^ "History". worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ a b c Everton, Clive. "2008 World Snooker Championship". Snooker Scene. No. April 2008.
  16. ^ a b "WWW Snooker: 888.Com World Championship 2008". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  17. ^ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 130.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Drawsheet/ Results". worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  19. ^ Casey, Phil. "Higgins wary of Stevens threat". Sporting Life. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  20. ^ Roopanarine, Les (22 April 2008). "King reigns supreme as Selby makes early exit". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  21. ^ King, John (20 April 2008). "Red has Matt feeling blue". Sunday Mirror on Find Articles. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  22. ^ "Ding Junhui". betfred.com. Betfred. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Higgins shrugs off early nerves to thwart Stevens' fightback". The Independent on Sunday. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  24. ^ "End Of The World For White". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  25. ^ "Liang stuns Doherty; Liu hangs on". China Internet Information Center. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  26. ^ Everton, Clive (24 April 2008). "Liang downs off-form Doherty". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  27. ^ "Snooker: Allen edges Hendry towards exit". The Guardian. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  28. ^ Yates, Phil (27 April 2008). "Cut of the cloth leaves Higgins out and angry". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  29. ^ Everton, Clive (28 April 2008). "O'Sullivan hits maximum to complete win". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  30. ^ "World Rankings 2008/2009". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  31. ^ Yates, Phil (28 April 2008). "Steady approach gets Stephen Hendry to last eight". The Times. Retrieved 12 September 2011.[dead link]
  32. ^ "Liang edges out Swail in classic". BBC Sport. 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  33. ^ "Carter seals semi-final place". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  34. ^ a b Everton, Clive (30 April 2008). "Carter's 'pure adrenaline rush' takes him to a maximum". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  35. ^ "O'Sullivan joins Carter, Perry and Hendry in semi-finals". Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  36. ^ "Maguire regrets discounting Perry". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  37. ^ "O'Sullivan sends Hendry reeling". The Guardian. London. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  38. ^ Humphries, Adrian. "Brilliant Rocket 7–1 to win with a session to spare". Racing Post on TheFreeLibrary.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  39. ^ "Carter holds nerve to make final". BBC. 3 May 2008. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  40. ^ a b Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  41. ^ a b "O'Sullivan wins third world title". BBC Sport. 5 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  42. ^ "O'Sullivan completes world hat-trick". worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  43. ^ "O'Sullivan top of the world". worldsnooker.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  44. ^ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. p. 143.
  45. ^ a b Årdalen, Hermund. "888.com World Championship Qualifiers 2 (2008) - snooker.org". snooker.org. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
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