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1996 World Snooker Championship

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1996 Embassy World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates20 April – 6 May 1996 (1996-04-20 – 1996-05-06)
VenueCrucible Theatre
CitySheffield
CountryEngland
OrganisationWPBSA
FormatRanking event
Total prize fund£1,200,000
Winner's share£200,000
Highest break Peter Ebdon (ENG) (144)
 Tony Drago (MLT) (144)
Final
Champion Stephen Hendry (SCO)
Runner-up Peter Ebdon (ENG)
Score18–12
← 1995
1997 →

The 1996 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 1996 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 20 April and 6 May 1996 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 20th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship was staged at the venue. Sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy, the tournament was the tenth and final ranking event of the 1995–96 season. The winner received £200,000 from a total prize fund of £1,200,000.

The top 16 players from the snooker world rankings were seeded through to the main stage at the Crucible. They were joined by the 16 successful players from ten qualifying rounds. There were five Crucible debutants at the tournament: Jimmy Michie, Jamie Burnett, Nick Terry, Euan Henderson and Anthony Hamilton.

Stephen Hendry was the defending champion, having defeated Nigel Bond 18–9 in the 1995 final to win his fifth world title. He retained the title by beating Peter Ebdon 18–12. It was Hendry's fifth consecutive title and his sixth in total, equalling Ray Reardon's and Steve Davis's record in the modern era. The main stage of the tournament produced 47 century breaks, of which the highest were breaks of 144 by Ebdon and Tony Drago.

Background

[edit]
Two snooker tables in a theatre
Setup of the arena at the Crucible Theatre, shown during the 2024 World Snooker Championship

The inaugural 1927 World Snooker Championship, then known as the Professional Championship of Snooker, took place at various venues in England between November 1926 and May 1927. Joe Davis won the final—held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham from 9 to 12 May 1927—and went on to win the tournament 15 consecutive times before retiring undefeated after the 1946 edition (no tournaments were held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II).[1][2][3] The tournament went into abeyance after only two players contested the 1952 edition. The six editions of the World Professional Match-play Championship held between 1952 and 1957 are retroactively regarded as legitimate continuations of the World Snooker Championship, but that tournament was discontinued due to waning public interest in snooker in the post-war era. The world title was uncontested between 1958 and 1963.[1][2]

Then-professional player Rex Williams was instrumental in reviving the World Snooker Championship on a challenge basis in 1964. John Pulman, winner of the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship, defended the world title across seven challenge matches between 1964 and 1968. The World Snooker Championship reverted to an annual knockout tournament for the 1969 edition, marking the beginning of the championship's "modern era".[4][5] The 1977 edition was the first staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it has remained since.[6][7] As of 1996, the most successful players in the modern era were Ray Reardon and Steve Davis, each having won the title six times.[8][9][10] Stephen Hendry was the tournament's youngest winner, having captured his first title at the 1990 event, aged 21 years and 106 days.[11] Reardon was the oldest winner, having secured his sixth title at the 1978 event, aged 45 years and 203 days.[12]

Overview

[edit]

The 1996 edition of the tournament—the 27th successive year that the World Snooker Championship was contested through the modern knockout format—took place from 20 April to 6 May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 20th consecutive year that the World Championship was staged at the venue.[13][7][14][15] Sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy, it was the tenth and last ranking tournament of the 1995–96 season, held after the British Open.[16][17] The defending champion was Stephen Hendry, who had defeated Nigel Bond 18–9 in the final of the 1995 World Championship to win the title.[18]

Format

[edit]

The top 16 players in the snooker world rankings were seeded through to the main stage at the Crucible Theatre. They faced 16 players who progressed through the qualifying rounds.[13][19] First-round matches were played as the best of 19 frames, held over two sessions. Second-round and quarter-final matches were played as the best of 25 frames, held over three sessions. The semi-final matches were played as the best of 31 frames, held over four sessions. The final was the best of 35 frames, also held over four sessions.[20][13]

Prize fund

[edit]

The winner of the event received £200,000 from a total prize fund of £1,200,000. The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:[21][22]

  • Winner: £200,000
  • Runner-up: £120,000
  • Semi-final: £60,000
  • Quarter-final: £30,500
  • Last 16: £16,000
  • Last 32: £9,000
  • 10th qualifying round losers: £7,800
  • 9th qualifying round losers: £4,800
  • 8th qualifying round losers: £2,700
  • 7th qualifying round losers: £1,800
  • Highest break of the main event: £17,000
  • Highest break of the qualifying event: £17,000
  • Maximum break: £147,000
  • Total: £1,200,000

Summary

[edit]

Qualifying

[edit]

There were ten rounds in the qualifying competition.[23] The first nine rounds were held at the Norbreck Hotel, Blackpool, between 1 and 25 January 1996.[24] The final round was at the Telford International Centre on 21 and 22 March.[24] Rounds one to five were the best of 9 frames and the later rounds were the best of 19.[23] Paul Hunter, described by Snooker Scene magazine as "the season's outstanding rookie", won the deciding frame against Dean Venables in round 4; he only lost two more frames as he won three more matches to progress to round six.[25] Against expectations, the world number 184 Richard McDonald defeated Matthew Stevens, ranked 48th, 5–4 in the fifth round.[25] Reigning Women's World Champion Karen Corr defeated Mario Wehrmann 5–0 in the third round but then lost 3–5 to Wayne Lloyd.[25] The highest break of the first five rounds was 136, by Jason Greaves in his fourth round win against Daniel Zagaroli.[25]

In the sixth round, Nick Dyson compiled a 137 break during his 10–1 defeat of Andrew Atkinson.[26] Hunter lost 4–10 to Nick Walker in round seven, and Karl Burrows beat Robert Milkins 10–7, leaving Chris Shade, who defeated Stuart Pettman 10–6, as the only first-year professional to reach the eighth round.[26] Two players who had featured in the main stage regularly in the 1980s, Tony Meo and David Taylor, were beaten by Stephen O'Connor and Surinder Gill respectively.[26]

In the eighth round, Dominic Dale made a break of 141 and defeated the 1986 champion Joe Johnson 10–7.[27] The 1980 winner, Cliff Thorburn, went out 3–10 to Paul Davies, and 1981 runner-up Doug Mountjoy lost 10–4 to Gerard Greene.[27] Thorburn said that playing in the qualifying was demoralising: "Four days before I left home I played an exhibition in front of 1,000 people. Then I get here, there's one or two people in the audience, and mentally it's so tough to deal with."[27] The 1972 and 1982 champion Alex Higgins lost 7–10 to Gill in what Snooker Scene magazine described as "an acrimonious and undignified end to by far the worst season of his 25 year professional career".[28] After the match, Higgins said that he had lodged 17 complaints against the WPBSA and would be taking them to court unless they gave him a satisfactory response.[28][29] The match between John Read and Mark King was decided on the final black ball in the deciding frame; Read potted the black but then went in-off, meaning that King won.[27] Shade led Jonathan Birch 9–5, but Birch levelled at 9–9, helped by a break of 141 in frame 17, and won the deciding frame by 57 points.[27] Mark Williams recovered from 3–6 to 6–6 and from 6–8 to 8–8 but eventually lost 8–10 to Jamie Burnett.[27] Ian McCulloch, ranked 193rd, was the lowest-ranked player to win in round nine, defeating Fergal O'Brien 10–6.[30] Greene won six successive frames from 4–9 behind to beat Dale.[30]

Ten of the sixteen players seeded into the final qualifying round won their matches.[31] Andy Hicks, a semi-finalist in the previous edition, lost 6–10 to Jimmy Michie.[31] The 1985 champion Dennis Taylor was beaten 6–10 by Rod Lawler, but made a break of 140, his highest in 20 years of competing in the world Championship.[31] Taylor had appeared at the main event every year from 1977 to 1994.[31] Willie Thorne, who had played in the main event every year except one since 1978, qualified again by beating Danny Fowler 10–4.[31] Neal Foulds defeated Chris Small 10–9 in a contest that lasted 8 hours and 56 minutes.[31] Tony Knowles recovered from 3–8 to 8–9 against Drew Henry, but Henry clinched the match by winning frame 18.[31]

Dale and Birch shared the £5,400 prize for the highest break in qualifying, each having made a break of 141.[31] There were five players who qualified for the main event for the first time: Michie, Burnett, Nick Terry, Euan Henderson, and Anthony Hamilton. Burnett beat Brian Morgan 10–7 and Terry defeated Dean Reynolds by the same margin.[31] Hamilton was a 10–3 winner over Walker and Henderson won 10–9 against Joe Swail.[31]

First round

[edit]

The first round took place from 20 to 25 April, each match played as the best of 19 frames over two sessions.[20] The defending champion, Stephen Hendry, made two century breaks and a break of 91 in the first session, but Jason Ferguson took a 6–3 lead with breaks of 60 and 129. Hendry won the first four frames of the second session to go in front, but the match was tied at 8–8. Breaks of 44 and 104 allowed Hendry to secure a 10–8 victory.[32] "If I had lost today it would have been a disaster for me. Jason [Ferguson] punished every mistake. I don't normally feel vulnerable at this venue, but I was today," Hendry said.[33]

Snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan plays a shot left-handed
Ronnie O'Sullivan (pictured in 2012) played some left-handed shots in his first-round match against Alain Robidoux. His rival called this "disrespectful".

Ronnie O'Sullivan eliminated Alain Robidoux 10–3, making two century breaks and further half-centuries of 67, 62, 67, and 76.[34] O'Sullivan played some of the shots in frame 11 with his left-hand, which Robidoux regarded as "disrespectful". He refused to shake hands at the end of the match. "It is bad and I don't like it. It might be good for the crowd but I was struggling with my game and he was only rubbing it in. Ronnie [O'Sullivan] is a great player with a great talent who doesn't need to do this. He should keep the left-handed stuff for the exhibition circus," Robidoux said. "Whether playing left-handed does any harm, I don't know but I will do it again if the chance to do so comes along. People want to be entertained and I can make 90 breaks in this way. I'm better left-handed than he is right-handed," O'Sullivan replied.[35] The tournament director submitted a report to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the governing body of the sport.[36]

Dene O'Kane won the opening frame with a half-century, but Peter Ebdon compiled breaks of 144, 82, 138, 62, 67, 81, and 92 as he won ten consecutive frames for a 10–1 victory.[34] Tony Drago compiled breaks of 60, 72, and 115 as he defeated Steve James 10–2.[34][35] Dave Harold produced breaks of 67, 123, 50, 66, 66, 68, 101, 95, 64, and 120 to eliminate Neal Foulds 10–4.[32] "That's the best I've played," Harold said.[35] The six-time World Champion Steve Davis made a 103 break in the first session of his match against Willie Thorne, which ended 4–4. Thorne then led 8–5, but Davis won five frames in a row to secure victory.[34][36]

John Parrott, the 1991 World Champion, lost in the first round for the first time since his debut in 1984. Trailing Rod Lawler 3–6 at the conclusion of the first session, Parrott made breaks of 99, 60, and 87 to level the match. Lawler took the next four frames for victory. "I suppose I had to lose in this round sometime but it's a disappointing way to end what has been a good season for me," Parrott said.[32][36] Gary Wilkinson won the opening frame against David Roe, but he fell 3–6 behind at the end of the first session. The first four frames of the second session were shared, and Wilkinson then won four in a row to go 9–8 ahead. Roe forced a decider with a 74 break, but Wilkinson progressed with a 60 contribution. "[Roe] is scary in practice but never seems to show his true potential at the match table. But while his 6–3 lead wasn't a true reflection of the exchanges, he probably deserved it because he went for more balls than I did," Wilkinson said.[32][36]

Hamilton recovered from 0–5 behind to level the match against Nigel Bond. Hamilton then took the lead with a highest break of 115. Bond had a chance to secure victory in frame 18, but he missed a black ball and Hamilton forced a deciding frame. Hamilton was in first in the decider, but he missed a blue and Bond won the match.[32][37] "It was difficult playing Anthony [Hamilton] because we know each other's game so well having practised together quite a lot, though not so much these days because of the possibility of meeting in tournaments," Bond said. He secured a place in the English team for the 1996 World Cup, held in Thailand.[38] The ninth seed Ken Doherty trailed qualifier Terry 3–5 at the end of the first session, but he then won all seven frames played in the second to progress to the second round with a 10–5 result.[32][37] "People might not recognise some of the qualifiers here but there are no Joe Soaps about, they just haven't made the breaktrough. We know them and they're all good players," Doherty said.[38]

Alan McManus, a two-time semi-finalist, trailed Mick Price 3–5 at the conclusion of the first day of the match. McManus won all seven frames of the second session, featuring breaks of 55, 125, and 64, to claim victory with a 10–5 result. "Experience came into it afterwards because I knew how to handle the situation. It also made my job easier when I noticed Mick [Price]'s head starting to go down. I would have been gutted had I lost. I've put in a lot of hard work during the past two weeks and I can now look forward to playing over 25 frames," McManus said regarding the second round of the tournament.[34][38] Burnett, making his debut at the Crucible, built a 6–0 lead against Terry Griffiths, producing two half-centuries. Griffiths took the seventh frame with a 70 break and also secured the last of the session to reduce the deficit to four frames. The first six frames of the second session were shared. Griffiths then took four frames in a row to force a decider, which he won by potting the last black ball. The match lasted almost 8 hours. "I don't deserve to be in the top 16 and, anyway, I will have to qualify to come back here next year," Griffiths said.[34][39]

John Higgins was deemed the "second favourite" by John Dee, writing for The Daily Telegraph. He produced breaks of 87, 55, and 63 to lead Martin Clark 6–3 after the first session. Breaks of 72, 57, 52, 50, 91, and 101 allowed Higgins to take four of the six frames played in the second session and clinch a 10–5 victory.[34][39] Darren Morgan, the 1996 Irish Masters winner, fell 1–4 behind Henry. Morgan compiled two half-centuries to win three of the last five frames of the session to reduce the deficit to one frame. Henry led 7–5, but Morgan tied the match at 7–7 and then won three frames in a row to secure a 10–8 victory.[32][39] Henderson compiled breaks of 59 and 103 as he took a 5–4 lead against the six-time runner-up Jimmy White at the end of the first session. White led 9–6, but breaks of 66, 50, and 58 by Henderson took the match to a decider.[34] White laid a snooker and then produced a 56-point clearance to win the match. "My game has been a nightmare and I am just delighted to have got through this match. Hopefully now I can enjoy the rest of the tournament," said White,[40] who dedicated victory to his wife.[41]

Facing Jimmy Michie, James Wattana needed to win his first-round match to secure a top-16 place for the next season. Michie won the first two frames of the first session and also the last two to lead 5–4. Wattana began the second session with four consecutive frames. Michie took frames 16 and 17 to reduce his arrears to 8–9, but Wattana secured a 10–9 victory. "I'm through and, most important of all, I'm still in the top 16. I didn't play all that well but Jimmy [Michie] is such an unpredictable player. It's so difficult playing someone like Jimmy. The crowd love the way he plays and at times it did break my concentration. I'm just glad to have got through," Wattana said.[34][41]

Second round

[edit]

The second round took place from 26 to 29 April, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[20] Drago compiled a highest break of 144, but O'Sullivan produced breaks of 57, 62, 100, and 120 to lead 6–2 at the end of the first session. O'Sullivan won six of the eight frames of the second session and also took the first of the third session to advance with a 13–4 victory.[32] "I'm buzzing and that's the best I've ever played. I couldn't be more confident about my chances. It's a big stage I'm playing on and I feel I'm up for the job. No one frightens me," O'Sullivan said.[42] The match lasted 167 minutes and 33 seconds, setting a record for the fastest best-of-25-frame match.[43] O'Sullivan was then found guilty of assaulting an official and received a two-year suspended ban and a £20,000 fine, plus another £10,000 to be donated to charity.[44][13][45]

Snooker player Terry Griffiths playing shot
Terry Griffiths (pictured in 1991) lost 8–13 to Steve Davis in the second round, his seventh loss to him in seven matches at the Crucible Theatre. He lost his place at the top 16 of the snooker world rankings after seventeen consecutive seasons.

In the opening frame, Griffiths required a snooker with only the blue, pink, and black remaining, but Davis went in-off and Griffiths produced a clearance to steal it. Davis produced a 105 break to take the second frame, and the remaining frames of the first session were shared. Griffiths led 8–7 going into the last session, in which Davis compiled breaks of 64, 52, 51, and 72 to win all six frames for a 13–8 victory. It was Griffiths's seventh loss in seven matches against Davis at the Crucible.[32][42] Griffiths fell off the top 16 after seventeen consecutive seasons.[45] Hendry built a 4–0 lead with breaks of 85, 68, and 135. Wilkinson, trailing 3–5 at the end of the first session, tied the match in the second session at 6–6. Hendry made two breaks of 76 as he took four consecutive frames. In the third session, Hendry made a century break and sealed victory with a 13–7 scoreline.[32] From 4–4, Harold won seven consecutive frames against Lawler. Harold added two more frames in the third session to win 13–6 and reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time in his career.[32][42]

White trailed Ebdon 3–5,[45] but he won five consecutive frames in the second session, featuring a century break, as he took a 9–7 lead. Ebdon made a century in the first frame of the final session and also took three consecutive frames to lead 11–10. Breaks of 90 and 55 allowed White to force a decider, which Ebdon won with a 123 break.[32] "This is the most memorable game I have ever been involved in. There are so many mixed emotions playing Jimmy [White]. The reason why I started playing this game was because of Jimmy and Steve Davis and for me to beat him here when he is back in form is unbelievable," Ebdon said.[46] Higgins faced McManus, who had defeated him in the first round of the previous edition. Higgins produced breaks of 80, 62, 84, 54, and 73 to build a 6–2 lead after the first session. He also won seven of the eight frames of the second session, with a 130 break in the last to go 12–4, one away from victory. He sealed victory in the second frame of the third session with a 77-point visit. "I've run into form at the right time and I fancy my chances very strongly of winning the title," Higgins said.[32][46]

The first session between Wattana and Bond was shared. Bond produced breaks of 71, 64, 57, and 99 as he took all eight frames played in the second session and also won the first of the third with a 53 break, for a 13–4 victory.[32] "It was amazing to lose all those frames. I didn't think either of us played particularly well and in four or five close frames Nigel [Bond] nicked them all. But I'm not complaining. My form wasn't good enough and I didn't deserve to win," Wattana said.[46] Morgan constructed a 110 break as he took a 5–3 lead against Doherty. Morgan compiled three half-centuries to secure the first three frames of the second session. Doherty forfeited the next frame on the three-miss rule, the first time this happened at the World Championship. Morgan won three more frames, making it eight in a row. Doherty produced a 109 break and also won the first frame of the third session, but Morgan clinched a 13–5 victory with a 79 break.[32][46]

Quarter-finals

[edit]

The quarter-finals took place on 30 April and 1 May, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[20] Facing Harold, Bond took the first three frames and led 5–3 at the end of the first session. He also won the first four frames of the second session for a 9–3 lead, before Harold won three of the last four, making breaks of 96, 68, and 99. Harold took frame 17 wih a 75 break, but Bond won three frames in succession for a 13–7 victory.[34]

Higgins took the opening frame, but O'Sullivan replied by winning the second on the black. O'Sullivan made two half-centuries to win frames three and four, but Higgins secured the remaining four, making a 137 break in frame six. O'Sullivan produced a century break in the first frame of the second session, but Higgins made breaks of 94, 104, and 70 as he extended his lead at 10–6. O'Sullivan made a 106 break as he took the first four frames of the final session and levelled the match. Higgins then won two frames to get within one of victory at 12–10. O'Sullivan halved the deficit in the next and then tied the match after Higgins missed the final pink ball. O'Sullivan won the decider for victory.[34][47][48]

Hendry trailed Morgan 1–3, but he compiled breaks of 55, 82, 92, and 63 to win four consecutive frames and lead at the conclusion of the first session. Morgan took the first frame of the second session, but Hendry followed with breaks including 55, 110, 108, and 71 as he won the remaining seven in succession. Morgan won the first frame of the third session with a highest break of 96, but Hendry took the next for a 13–5 victory.[34][47] "I haven't been at my best so far but I'm still here. I must have a good chance of winning," Hendry said.[48] Ebdon led Davis 2–1. In the fourth frame, Ebdon miscued and damaged the cloth, which had to be replaced at the end of the session. Ebdon made a 137 break as he took three consecutive frames for a 5–1 lead. In the second session, Davis compiled breaks of 104, 73, 75, 116, and 54 as he took six of the eight frames to level the match at 7–7. Davis led 8–7, 9–8 and 10–9, but Ebdon won the last four frames in succession to claim victory with a 13–10 result.[34][47]

Semi-finals

[edit]
Snooker player Peter Ebdon playing a shot
Peter Ebdon (pictured in 2014) defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 16–14 to reach the final.

The semi-finals were played as the best of 31 frames, held over four sessions, between 2 and 4 May.[20] O'Sullivan took the opening frame, but Ebdon led 2–1. In frame four, O'Sullivan potted the last pink to secure the frame, but then made a foul, playing the black with one hand before the cue ball had come to rest. Seven penalty points were awarded to Ebdon by the referee, Lawrie Annandale, but O'Sullivan took the frame. Ebdon also led 3–2 and 4–3, making a century break to close the first session. In the second session, O'Sullivan tied the match at 5–5, but Ebdon won four consecutive frames, featuring breaks of 57, 58, and 107, to build a 9–5 lead. O'Sullivan made three century breaks and further breaks of 63, 94, and 66 as he levelled the scores at 11–11 at the conclusion of the third session. The second of those century breaks, a 139, was his 100th in professional competition. Ebdon then recorded a 100 break to go 13–11 in front. O'Sullivan recovered with breaks of 77 and 85 to tie at 14–14, before Ebdon won the last two frames for a 16–14 victory.[34][49][50]

Hendry made a 98 break in the first frame against Bond, who built a 3–1 lead with breaks of 55 and 77. Hendry secured the remaining three frames of the first session to lead 4–3. John Dee, reporting for The Independent, wrote that Hendry "stuttered through a series of mishaps until a surge of form after the interval."[49] Hendry compiled breaks of 77, 52, 64, 121, 76, and 71 as he won six of the seven frames played in the second session, which ended with a 10–4 scoreline. Hendry extended his lead to seven frames by taking the first frame of the third session with a half-century, but Bond then won three frames in succession. Hendry made a 113 break in frame 19 and also took the remaining three of the session to lead 15–7. He only needed one frame of the fourth session to secure a place in the final.[34]

Final

[edit]
Snooker player Stephen Hendry playing a shot
Stephen Hendry (pictured in 2011) defeated Peter Ebdon 18–12 in the final to claim his fifth consecutive World Championship. He tied Ray Reardon and Steve Davis, with six titles in the modern era.

The best-of-35-frame final took place over four sessions on 5 and 6 May between Hendry and Ebdon.[20] Referee John Williams officiated the match.[51] Ebdon produced a 79 break as he took the opening frame. Hendry won the second, but Ebdon built a 4–2 lead. Hendry made a 83 break in the last frame of the first session to halve the deficit. Hendry then took the first two frames of the second session to take the lead. In the third, he attempted a maximum break, but he missed the final brown ball and ended the break on 125. He would have won a £164,000 bonus. The next two frames were shared and Ebdon took frame 13 on a re-spotted black, before Hendry secured the last three frames of the day to lead 10–6 overnight.[34][52] The third session was shared, with four half-centuries by Hendry and three by Ebdon. Resuming at 14–10 ahead, Hendry won three consecutive frames at the start of the last session to increase his lead to seven frames, with only one more needed for victory. Ebdon took frames 28 and 29, before Hendry sealed a 18–12 victory with a 73 break in the 30th.[34][53][54] It was the first final at the Crucible at which the World Champion did not take the last shot of the championship.[55] Needing snookers, Ebdon missed a shot and decided to concede the match rather than let Hendry continue.[55]

"Peter [Ebdon] is a great player who has improved so much over the last two seasons. He is the toughest in the world to play against at the moment, though I didn't think either of us played well and I was poor in the first session," Hendry said. He later wrote that as he shook Ebdon's hand he told Ebdon that "You're a hard bastard to beat."[55] After the final, Ebdon said that he had felt "jaded and fatigued" on the first day, following his three previous matches.[54] Snooker journalist and historian Clive Everton commented that "Even for Ebdon's famed mental stamina, the final that year was a match too far."[56] "Stephen [Hendry], without question, is the greatest player the game has seen but I would fancy my chances more in a year's time. His experience of the big occasion showed in this match and my lack of experience was a major factor. I tried for my life today, it just didn't happen," Ebdon said.[53] In David Hendon's 2025 book Pots of Gold, Ebdon reflected: "I wasn't ready for that sort of test, with that sort of pressure, against the person who was then the greatest player of all time. Stephen's mentality as a winner was second to none.[57]

It was Hendry's fifth consecutive title, a record for the modern era.[58] Hendry felt that the result, equalling Ray Reardon's and Davis's record of six wins in the modern era,[58] meant that "the path was now clear" to setting a new record.[55] The clothing company Sweater Shop, which sponsored Hendry, awarded him a red Ferrari 348 convertible.[59] The company's owner Graham de Zille flew Hendry and his wife Mandy to Mugello Circuit by private jet so that Hendry could drive the circuit in a selection of Ferrari cars.[59] BBC commentator Ted Lowe retired after the conclusion of the final.[55] In the annual update to the world rankings which were calculated following the tournament on the basis of results over two years, Hendry retained the top place that he had held since 1990, with 36,911 points.[60] John Higgins rose from eleventh to second with 32,341 points and Ebdon moved from tenth to third on 28,115 points.[60]

Main draw

[edit]

The draw for the main tournament is shown below. The numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the seedings for the 16 seeded players. The match winners are shown in bold.[13][20]

First round
Best of 19 frames		Second round
Best of 25 frames		Quarter-finals
Best of 25 frames		Semi-finals
Best of 31 frames		Final
Best of 35 frames
20 April
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 10
26 & 27 April
 Jason Ferguson (ENG) 8
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 13
21 & 22 April
 Gary Wilkinson (ENG) 7
 David Roe (ENG) (16) 9
30 April & 1 May
 Gary Wilkinson (ENG) 10
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 13
23 April
 Darren Morgan (WAL) (8) 5
 Ken Doherty (IRL) (9) 10
28 & 29 April
 Nick Terry (ENG) 5
 Ken Doherty (IRL) (9) 5
24 April
 Darren Morgan (WAL) (8) 13
 Darren Morgan (WAL) (8) 10
2, 3 & 4 May
 Drew Henry (SCO) 8
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 16
24 & 25 April
 Nigel Bond (ENG) (12) 7
 James Wattana (THA) (5) 10
27, 28 & 29 April
 Jimmy Michie (ENG) 8
 James Wattana (THA) (5) 4
22 & 23 April
 Nigel Bond (ENG) (12) 13
 Nigel Bond (ENG) (12) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Anthony Hamilton (ENG) 9
 Nigel Bond (ENG) (12) 13
20 & 21 April
 Dave Harold (ENG) (13) 7
 Dave Harold (ENG) (13) 10
25, 26 & 27 April
 Neal Foulds (ENG) 4
 Dave Harold (ENG) (13) 13
21 & 22 April
 Rod Lawler (ENG) 6
 John Parrott (ENG) (4) 6
5 & 6 May
 Rod Lawler (ENG) 10
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 18
20 & 21 April
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10) 12
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (3) 10
25 & 26 April
 Alain Robidoux (CAN) 3
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (3) 13
20 & 21 April
 Tony Drago (MLT) (14) 4
 Tony Drago (MLT) (14) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Steve James (ENG) 2
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (3) 13
23 & 24 April
 John Higgins (SCO) (11) 12
 John Higgins (SCO) (11) 10
27, 28 & 29 April
 Martin Clark (ENG) 5
 John Higgins (SCO) (11) 13
22 & 23 April
 Alan McManus (SCO) (6) 5
 Alan McManus (SCO) (6) 10
2, 3 & 4 May
 Mick Price (ENG) 5
 Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (3) 14
24 & 25 April
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10) 16
 Jimmy White (ENG) (7) 10
28 & 29 April
 Euan Henderson (SCO) 9
 Jimmy White (ENG) (7) 12
20 & 21 April
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10) 13
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10) 10
30 April & 1 May
 Dene O'Kane (NZL) 1
 Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10) 13
23 & 24 April
 Steve Davis (ENG) (2) 10
 Terry Griffiths (WAL) (15) 10
26 & 27 April
 Jamie Burnett (SCO) 9
 Terry Griffiths (WAL) (15) 8
22 April
 Steve Davis (ENG) (2) 13
 Steve Davis (ENG) (2) 10
 Willie Thorne (ENG) 8

Final: frame scores

[edit]
Final: (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 5 & 6 May 1996
Referee: John Williams[51]
 Stephen Hendry (SCO) (1) 18–12  Peter Ebdon (ENG) (10)
Session 1: 3–4
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hendry 2 75† 34 34 65† 18 103† (83) N/A N/A N/A
Ebdon 121† (79) 42 78† (59) 61† 51 57† 4 N/A N/A N/A
Session 2: 7–2 (10–6)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hendry 74† 60† 125† (125) 22 70† (60) 70 (70) 134† (55, 79) 75† 82† N/A
Ebdon 39 58 0 81† (68) 31 77† (51) 0 0 0 N/A
Session 3: 4–4 (14–10)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hendry 85† (55) 1 86† (58) 83† (83) 34 0 60 96† (57) N/A N/A
Ebdon 14 75† (61) 21 23 89† 77† (77) 66† (51) 0 N/A N/A
Session 4: 4–2 (18–12)
Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hendry 54† 78† 77† 1 39 73† (73) N/A N/A N/A N/A
Ebdon 27 23 25 71† 83† (52) 16 N/A N/A N/A N/A
125 Highest break 79
1 Century breaks 0
11 50+ breaks 8
Stephen Hendry wins the 1996 World Snooker Championship
Breaks over 50 are shown in parentheses.

† = Winner of frame

Qualifying results

[edit]

Ten qualifying rounds were played.[23]

Round 1

[edit]

Results for round 1 are shown below.[23]

  •  John Daniels (ENG) 5–4  Marcus Lord (ENG)
  •  Munraj Pal (ENG) 5–4  Garoid O'Connor (ENG)

Rounds 2–6

[edit]

Results for rounds 2 to 6 are shown below.[23]

Second qualifying round
Best of 9 frames		Third qualifying round
Best of 9 frames		Fourth qualifying round
Best of 9 frames		Fifth qualifying round
Best of 9 frames		Sixth qualifying round
Best of 19 frames
 Paul Stockwell (ENG)5 Matthew McGrotty (ENG)5 Gary Peters (WAL)2 Anton Bishop (ENG)5 Mark Rowing (ENG)10
 David Blakey (ENG)2 Paul Stockwell (ENG)0 Matthew McGrotty (ENG)5 Matthew McGrotty (ENG)1 Anton Bishop (ENG)1
 Eddie Barker (ENG)5 Roy Bigg (ENG)5 Neil Tomkins (WAL)5 Mark Gray (ENG)4 Dominic Dale (WAL)10
 Simon Bedford (ENG)4 Eddie Barker (ENG)1 Roy Bigg (ENG)4 Neil Tomkins (WAL)5 Neil Tomkins (WAL)6
 Kamal Jit Singh (ENG)5 Peter Bullen (BEL)3 Neil Wood (ENG)5 Robert Foxall (ENG)5 Ian Graham (ENG)5
 Mohammed Shazi (ENG)2 Kamal Jit Singh (ENG)5 Kamal Jit Singh (ENG)0 Neil Wood (ENG)3 Robert Foxall (ENG)10
 Robert Harrhy (WAL)5 Matthew Spade (ENG)4 Jason Whittaker (ENG)1 Jason Pegram (ENG)4 Gerard Greene (NIR)10
 Mark Colmer (ENG)1 Robert Harrhy (WAL)5 Robert Harrhy (WAL)5 Robert Harrhy (WAL)5 Robert Harrhy (WAL)6
 Anthony Massey (ENG)w/o Paul Dawson (ENG)5 John Bayliss (ENG)5 Gary Lees (ENG)4 Matthew Couch (ENG)5
 Craig Newson (ENG)w/d Anthony Massey (ENG)0 Paul Dawson (ENG)4 John Bayliss (ENG)5 John Bayliss (ENG)10
 Richard Jones (WAL)5 Richard King (ENG)4 Robert Chapman (ENG)5 Graeme Dott (SCO)5 Silvino Francisco (RSA)4
 David Thompson (ENG)1 Richard Jones (WAL)5 Richard Jones (WAL)4 Robert Chapman (ENG)2 Graeme Dott (SCO)10
 Myles Deleuse (ENG)5 Will Jerram (ENG)5 Steve Harrison (ENG)5 Steve Prest (ENG)2 Troy Shaw (ENG)10
 Richard Alford (ENG)1 Myles Deleuse (ENG)3 Will Jerram (ENG)0 Steve Harrison (ENG)5 Steve Harrison (ENG)9
 Dean Richardson (ENG)5 Damian Massey (ENG)4 Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)5 Pat Kenny (ENG)4 Jeff Cundy (ENG)5
 Graham Francis (ENG)0 Dean Richardson (ENG)5 Dean Richardson (ENG)1 Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)5 Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)10
 Neal Jones (ENG)5 Andrew Peters (WAL)5 Peter Gilchrist (ENG)1 Eddie Lott (ENG)0 Adrian Rosa (ENG)10
 Paul Reeve (ENG)4 Neal Jones (ENG)4 Andrew Peters (WAL)5 Andrew Peters (WAL)5 Andrew Peters (WAL)6
 Donal Bonar (IRL)w/o Anthony Buckley (ENG)w/o Alistair Fleming (SCO)5 Paul S. Davison (ENG)5 Steve Judd (ENG)10
 Paul Burrell (RSA)w/d Donal Bonar (IRL)w/d Anthony Buckley (ENG)4 Alistair Fleming (SCO)1 Paul S. Davison (ENG)4
 Jason Dunworth (ENG)5 Declan Hughes (NIR)3 Michael Leach (ENG)5 Bjorn L'Orange (NOR)5 Ken Owers (ENG)7
 Andrew Hall (ENG)0 Jason Dunworth (ENG)5 Jason Dunworth (ENG)3 Michael Leach (ENG)0 Bjorn L'Orange (NOR)10
 Lee Mallen (ENG)5 Richard Batty (ENG)4 Jamie Rous (ENG)1 David McLellan (SCO)5 David McDonnell (IRL)9
 Vipul Patel (ENG)2 Lee Mallen (ENG)5 Lee Mallen (ENG)5 Lee Mallen (ENG)2 David McLellan (SCO)10
 Stephen Tierney (SCO)5 Anthony Taylor (ENG)4 Steve Archer (ENG)5 Dermot McGlinchey (NIR)4 Sean Lanigan (ENG)4
 Miles Green (ENG)0 Stephen Tierney (SCO)5 Stephen Tierney (SCO)0 Steve Archer (ENG)5 Steve Archer (ENG)10
 Huseyin Hursid (TUR)5 Andrew Duff (SCO)5 Mark Fenton (WAL)5 John Lardner (SCO)3 Noppadon Noppachorn (THA)10
 Udesh Pillay (ENG)4 Huseyin Hursid (TUR)0 Andrew Duff (SCO)1 Mark Fenton (WAL)5 Mark Fenton (WAL)7
 Gary Thomson (SCO)5 Andy Neck (ENG)1 Darren Lennox (IRL)4 Paul Wykes (ENG)5 Joe Grech (MLT)10
 Rogelio Esteiro (ENG)1 Gary Thomson (SCO)5 Gary Thomson (SCO)5 Gary Thomson (SCO)1 Paul Wykes (ENG)5
 Jason Curtis (ENG)5 Scott Cooney (ENG)3 Andrew Atkinson (ENG)5 Anthony Harris (ENG)4 Nick Dyson (ENG)10
 Eden Butterworth (ENG)3 Jason Curtis (ENG)5 Jason Curtis (ENG)2 Andrew Atkinson (ENG)5 Andrew Atkinson (ENG)1
 John Whitty (ENG)5 Ian Williamson (ENG)1 Steve Ventham (ENG)0 Tai Pichit (THA)3 Barry Pinches (ENG)10
 Hitesh Lakhani (ENG)2 John Whitty (ENG)5 John Whitty (ENG)5 John Whitty (ENG)5 John Whitty (ENG)6
 Andreas Ahmed (ENG)5 Jack Fitzmaurice (ENG)5 Ian Bullimore (ENG)5 Steve Duggan (ENG)4 Karl Payne (NIR)10
 Alex Peart (JAM)1 Andreas Ahmed (ENG)4 Jack Fitzmaurice (ENG)0 Ian Bullimore (ENG)5 Ian Bullimore (ENG)3
 Colin Donaldson (SCO)w/o Nick Spelman (ENG)5 Paul Sweeny (ENG)5 Mark O'Sullivan (IRL)2 Yasin Merchant (IND)10
 Steven Cook (ENG)w/d Colin Donaldson (SCO)3 Nick Spelman (ENG)2 Paul Sweeny (ENG)5 Paul Sweeny (ENG)6
 Leo Fernandez (IRL)5 Karl Townsend (ENG)1 Mark Williams (ENG)0 Leigh Robinson (ENG)5 Jimmy Michie (ENG)10
 Johan van Goetham (BEL)3 Leo Fernandez (IRL)5 Leo Fernandez (IRL)5 Leo Fernandez (IRL)2 Leigh Robinson (ENG)3
 Karen Corr (NIR)w/o Mario Wehrmann (NED)0 Wayne Lloyd (WAL)5 Sergio Beggiato (ENG)5 Stephen O'Connor (IRL)10
 Dean Bracey (ENG)w/d Karen Corr (NIR)5 Karen Corr (NIR)3 Wayne Lloyd (WAL)4 Sergio Beggiato (ENG)5
 Neil Gilder (ENG)5 Steven Gough (ENG)1 Darren Limburg (ENG)5 Mehmet Husnu (CYP)2 Tony Meo (ENG)10
 Andrew Milliard (ENG)0 Neil Gilder (ENG)5 Neil Gilder (ENG)2 Darren Limburg (ENG)5 Darren Limburg (ENG)4
 Stuart Bingham (ENG)5 Darren Paris (SUI)5 Julian Goodyear (ENG)0 Joe Delaney (IRL)5 Nick Walker (ENG)10
 Robert Grenville-Smith (ENG)0 Stuart Bingham (ENG)2 Darren Paris (SUI)5 Darren Paris (SUI)4 Joe Delaney (IRL)9
 Paul Hunter (ENG)5 Patrick Wallace (NIR)2 Dean Venables (ENG)4 David Rippon (ENG)0 Robin Hull (FIN)6
 Andrea Barbacane (ITA)0 Paul Hunter (ENG)5 Paul Hunter (ENG)5 Paul Hunter (ENG)5 Paul Hunter (ENG)10
 Darren Swinburn (ENG)5 Chris Barnard (ENG)5 Eddie Manning (ENG)5 Martin O'Neill (NIR)5 Stuart Reardon (ENG)5
 Steven de Baets (BEL)1 Darren Swinburn (ENG)3 Chris Barnard (ENG)0 Eddie Manning (ENG)3 Martin O'Neill (NIR)10
 Stephen Waldron (ENG)5 Brett Patmore (ENG)5 Mario Geudens (BEL)5 John Burns (ENG)4 Oliver King (ENG)10
 David Manley (WAL)3 Stephen Waldron (ENG)3 Brett Patmore (ENG)2 Mario Geudens (BEL)5 Mario Geudens (BEL)1
 Gareth Atkins (ENG)5 John Dunning (ENG)4 Alfie Burden (ENG)5 Joe O'Boye (IRL)3 Peter Lines (ENG)10
 Grant Conquest (ENG)3 Gareth Atkins (ENG)5 Gareth Atkins (ENG)0 Alfie Burden (ENG)5 Alfie Burden (ENG)5
 John Buckley (IRL)w/o Neil Selman (ENG)w/o Stephen Taylor (ENG)3 Paul Davison (ENG)5 Dylan Leary (NIR)7
 Stephen Pieroni (ENG)w/d John Buckley (IRL)w/d Neil Selman (ENG)5 Neil Selman (ENG)1 Paul Davison (ENG)10
 John Wilson (ENG)5 Mark Miller (ENG)5 Sam Chong (MYS)1 Wayne Brown (ENG)5 Karl Broughton (ENG)9
 Evan Munro (SCO)2 John Wilson (ENG)2 Mark Miller (ENG)5 Mark Miller (ENG)3 Wayne Brown (ENG)10
 Neil Johnson (ENG)5 Alan Edmonds (ENG)2 Peter McCullagh (ENG)5 David Wilson (ENG)5 Darryn Walker (ENG)8
 David Mole (ENG)2 Neil Johnson (ENG)5 Neil Johnson (ENG)1 Peter McCullagh (ENG)4 David Wilson (ENG)10
 Sanjay Meghani (ENG)5 Michael O'Sullivan (ENG)5 Jason Smith (ENG)0 David Coles (ENG)5 Colin Morton (ENG)10
 Mark Canovan (NZL)3 Sanjay Meghani (ENG)0 Michael O'Sullivan (ENG)5 Michael O'Sullivan (ENG)2 David Coles (ENG)6
 Justyn Barnes (ENG)5 Iain Trimble (ENG)2 Scott Bigham (SCO)5 Mike Dunn (ENG)5 Darren Clarke (ENG)10
 Carl Stringer (ENG)4 Justyn Barnes (ENG)5 Justyn Barnes (ENG)1 Scott Bigham (SCO)4 Mike Dunn (ENG)7
 Paul Radin (ENG)5 Jimmy Singh (ENG)5 Steve Elliott (ENG)5 Darren Hackeson (ENG)5 Ian Brumby (ENG)10
 David Athorn (ENG)1 Paul Radin (ENG)2 Jimmy Singh (ENG)4 Steve Elliott (ENG)3 Darren Hackeson (ENG)3
 Richard Somauroo (ENG)w/o Lyndon Smith (ENG)w/d Simon Parker (ENG)5 Anthony O'Connor (IRL)4 John Giles (ENG)10
 Steve Harrod (ENG)w/d Richard Somauroo (ENG)w/o Richard Somauroo (ENG)3 Simon Parker (ENG)5 Simon Parker (ENG)8
 Chris Shade (SCO)5 Alfonso Bellusci (ENG)2 Patrick Delsemme (BEL)4 Sefton Payne (ENG)4 Robby Foldvari (AUS)9
 Norman MacLachlan (SCO)2 Chris Shade (SCO)5 Chris Shade (SCO)5 Chris Shade (SCO)5 Chris Shade (SCO)10
 Julian Mills (ENG)5 Stephen Popplewell (ENG)5 Craig Harrison (ENG)5 Mukesh Parmar (ENG)1 Stuart Pettman (ENG)10
 Gary Skipworth (ENG)3 Julian Mills (ENG)1 Stephen Popplewell (ENG)1 Craig Harrison (ENG)5 Craig Harrison (ENG)5
 Steve Day (ENG)5 Andrew Radford (ENG)2 Graham Fisken (ENG)5 Graham Horne (SCO)3 Shokat Ali (PAK)10
 Ian Barry Stark (ENG)3 Steve Day (ENG)5 Steve Day (ENG)2 Graham Fisken (ENG)5 Graham Fisken (ENG)7
 Del Smith (ENG)5 Nick Jones (WAL)1 Mick Fisher (ENG)w/d Garry Baldrey (ENG)5 Craig Edwards (ENG)6
 Paul McCullough (ENG)4 Del Smith (ENG)5 Del Smith (ENG)w/o Del Smith (ENG)2 Garry Baldrey (ENG)10
 Jamie Moreland (ENG)5 Simon Smith (ENG)5 Wayne Saidler (ENG)1 Karl Burrows (ENG)5 Eugene Hughes (IRL)9
 Damian Astre (ENG)4 Jamie Moreland (ENG)3 Simon Smith (ENG)5 Simon Smith (ENG)2 Karl Burrows (ENG)10
 Robert Milkins (ENG)5 Lee Walker (WAL)3 Paul Florence (ENG)w/d Amrik Cheema (IND)1 Barry West (ENG)2
 Mark Ganderton (ENG)3 Robert Milkins (ENG)5 Robert Milkins (ENG)w/o Robert Milkins (ENG)5 Robert Milkins (ENG)10
 Matt Jones (WAL)5 James Vicarey (ENG)5 Joe Jogia (ENG)5 Murdo MacLeod (SCO)5 John Read (ENG)10
 Rajan Sharma (ENG)3 Matt Jones (WAL)4 James Vicarey (ENG)2 Joe Jogia (ENG)0 Murdo MacLeod (SCO)5
 Philip Minchin (ENG)5 Raymon Fabrie (NED)5 Jason Walton (ENG)4 Bradley Jones (ENG)5 Jim Chambers (ENG)10
 Dessie Sheehan (IRL)4 Philip Minchin (ENG)0 Raymon Fabrie (NED)5 Raymon Fabrie (NED)0 Bradley Jones (ENG)6
 Paul Clarke (ENG)5 Richard Culham (ENG)3 Mario Fernandez (IRL)2 Gareth Chilcott (WAL)5 Andrew Cairns (ENG)10
 Ian Glover (ENG)0 Paul Clarke (ENG)5 Paul Clarke (ENG)5 Paul Clarke (ENG)3 Gareth Chilcott (WAL)6
 Kevin Smith (ENG)5 Chris O'Sullivan (ENG)w/d Micky Roughan (IRL)5 Leigh Griffin (ENG)2 Lee Richardson (ENG)10
 Kristjan Helgason (ISL)4 Kevin Smith (ENG)w/o Kevin Smith (ENG)1 Micky Roughan (IRL)5 Micky Roughan (IRL)4
 Grant Peabody (ENG)w/o John Herbert (WAL)5 Steve Whalley (ENG)5 Matt Wilson (ENG)5 Brian Rowswell (ENG)7
 Quinten Hann (AUS)w/d Grant Peabody (ENG)1 John Herbert (WAL)3 Steve Whalley (ENG)1 Matt Wilson (ENG)10
 Mark Whatley (ENG)5 Glenn Stevenson (ENG)1 Craig Bradshaw (ENG)5 Scott MacFarlane (SCO)5 Jamie Woodman (ENG)10
 Juan Rosales (CHL)4 Mark Whatley (ENG)5 Mark Whatley (ENG)2 Craig Bradshaw (ENG)1 Scott MacFarlane (SCO)6
 Ahmed Osman (BEL)5 Adrian Gunnell (ENG)5 Justin Buckingham (ENG)3 Ian McCulloch (ENG)5 Peter Daubney (ENG)6
 Zulfigar Cheema (PAK)0 Ahmed Osman (BEL)1 Adrian Gunnell (ENG)5 Adrian Gunnell (ENG)1 Ian McCulloch (ENG)10
 Barry Mapstone (ENG)5 Stephen Kershaw (ENG)5 Matthew Stevens (WAL)5 Richy McDonald (SCO)5 Nick Fruin (ENG)6
 Kevin Sullivan (ENG)4 Barry Mapstone (ENG)2 Stephen Kershaw (ENG)4 Matthew Stevens (WAL)4 Richy McDonald (SCO)10
 Mark Weston (ENG)5 Bjorn Haneveer (BEL)5 Andrew Hannah (ENG)5 Shaun Mellish (ENG)4 Jason Wallace (ENG)10
 Tony Brown (ENG)1 Mark Weston (ENG)3 Bjorn Haneveer (BEL)4 Andrew Hannah (ENG)5 Andrew Hannah (ENG)8
 Tony Kenny (ENG)5 Graham Cripsey (ENG)5 Simon Morris (ENG)5 Nick Marsh (ENG)1 Antony Bolsover (ENG)10
 Stephen Jamieson (ENG)0 Tony Kenny (ENG)3 Graham Cripsey (ENG)1 Simon Morris (ENG)5 Simon Morris (ENG)5
 Shaun Wilkes (ENG)5 Ryan Michael (ENG)5 Philip Seaton (ENG)4 Jamie Bodle (ENG)4 Sean Storey (ENG)10
 Munier Cassim (RSA)4 Shaun Wilkes (ENG)3 Ryan Michael (ENG)5 Ryan Michael (ENG)5 Ryan Michael (ENG)6
 Stephen Ormerod (ENG)5 Hugh Abernethy (SCO)5 Iwan Jones (WAL)1 Joe Perry (ENG)5 Euan Henderson (SCO)10
 Gary Clarke (ENG)3 Stephen Ormerod (ENG)1 Hugh Abernethy (SCO)5 Hugh Abernethy (SCO)1 Joe Perry (ENG)5
 Mark Congram (ENG)5 Andrew Photiou (ENG)5 David Singh (IND)5 Wayne Rendle (ENG)5 Paul Davies (WAL)10
 Gary Irvine (NIR)3 Mark Congram (ENG)3 Andrew Photiou (ENG)3 David Singh (IND)2 Wayne Rendle (ENG)3
 Indika Dodangoda (LKA)5 Scott Rigg (ENG)5 Philip Williams (WAL)5 Nic Barrow (ENG)0 Marcus Campbell (SCO)10
 Neil Hoggarth (ENG)2 Indika Dodangoda (LKA)4 Scott Rigg (ENG)3 Philip Williams (WAL)5 Philip Williams (WAL)3
 Johan Oenema (NED)5 Jason Greaves (ENG)5 Daniele Zagaroli (ITA)4 Stuart Parnell (ENG)5 Chris Scanlon (ENG)10
 Paul Green (ENG)0 Johan Oenema (NED)3 Jason Greaves (ENG)5 Jason Greaves (ENG)3 Stuart Parnell (ENG)8
 Guo Hua (CHN)5 Darren Shaw (ENG)4 Shane Haines (ENG)5 Ian Sargeant (WAL)5 Stefan Mazrocis (ENG)10
 James O'Sullivan (ENG)2 Guo Hua (CHN)5 Guo Hua (CHN)3 Shane Haines (ENG)0 Ian Sargeant (WAL)7
 Elliott Clark (ENG)5 Matt Bailey (ENG)5 Ian Hurdman (ENG)5 Alex Borg (MLT)2 Jason Weston (ENG)8
 John Mills (WAL)3 Elliott Clark (ENG)0 Matt Bailey (ENG)3 Ian Hurdman (ENG)5 Ian Hurdman (ENG)10
 Kieran McMahon (NIR)5 Jonathan Bagley (ENG)5 Colm Gilcreest (IRL)5 Craig MacGillivray (SCO)5 Paul Cavney (ENG)4
 Neville Atkins (ENG)0 Kieran McMahon (NIR)4 Jonathan Bagley (ENG)4 Colm Gilcreest (IRL)3 Craig MacGillivray (SCO)10
 Mark Love (ENG)5 John Manley (ENG)2 Graham MacDonald (ENG)2 Suriya Suwannasingh (THA)1 Jamie Burnett (SCO)10
 Johangir Khan (ENG)0 Mark Love (ENG)5 Mark Love (ENG)5 Mark Love (ENG)5 Mark Love (ENG)4
 Eddie Glass (ENG)5 Geoff Dunn (SCO)5 Pat Horne (ENG)3 Neil Mosley (ENG)3 Jim Wych (CAN)w/d
 Andrew Highfield (ENG)4 Eddie Glass (ENG)4 Geoff Dunn (SCO)5 Geoff Dunn (SCO)5 Geoff Dunn (SCO)w/o
 Paul Fung (HKG)5 Lee Walters (ENG)0 Steve Russell (ENG)5 Sean Lynskey (ENG)2 Michael Judge (IRL)10
 Christopher McGee (ENG)4 Paul Fung (HKG)5 Paul Fung (HKG)3 Steve Russell (ENG)5 Steve Russell (ENG)1
 Matthew Bray (ENG)5 Graham Stevens (ENG)2 Carl Waters (ENG)1 Steve Meakin (ENG)2 Gary Ponting (ENG)10
 Nicholas Segal (ENG)2 Matthew Bray (ENG)5 Matthew Bray (ENG)5 Matthew Bray (ENG)5 Matthew Bray (ENG)6
 Anthony Bridge (ENG)0 Tim Dunphy (IRL)w/d Richard Wheelhouse (ENG)5 Michael Duffy (NIR)5 David Taylor (ENG)10
 John Daniels (ENG)5 John Daniels (ENG)w/o John Daniels (ENG)4 Richard Wheelhouse (ENG)2 Michael Duffy (NIR)7
 Shaun Berry (ENG)0 Terrance Burke (ENG)w/d Tom Finstad (CAN)4 Nick Pearce (ENG)5 Surinder Gill (ENG)10
 Munraj Pal (ENG)5 Munraj Pal (ENG)w/o Munraj Pal (ENG)5 Munraj Pal (ENG)2 Nick Pearce (ENG)9
Note: w/o = walkover; w/d = withdrawn

Rounds 7–10

[edit]

Results for rounds 7 to 10 are shown below.[23]

Round 7
Best of 19 frames		Round 8
Best of 19 frames		Round 9
Best of 19 frames		Round 10
Best of 19 frames
 Mark Rowing (ENG)7 Joe Johnson (ENG)7
 Dominic Dale (WAL)10 Dominic Dale (WAL)10 Dominic Dale (WAL)9 Jason Ferguson (ENG)10
 Robert Foxall (ENG)5 Doug Mountjoy (WAL)4 Gerard Greene (NIR)10 Gerard Greene (NIR)8
 Gerard Greene (NIR)10 Gerard Greene (NIR)10
 John Bayliss (ENG)2 Terry Murphy (NIR)10
 Graeme Dott (SCO)10 Graeme Dott (SCO)8 Terry Murphy (NIR)10 Gary Wilkinson (ENG)10
 Troy Shaw (ENG)3 Anthony Davies (WAL)10 Anthony Davies (WAL)6 Terry Murphy (NIR)4
 Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)10 Martin Dziewialtowski (SCO)7
 Adrian Rosa (ENG)7 Nick Terry (ENG)10
 Steve Judd (ENG)10 Steve Judd (ENG)9 Nick Terry (ENG)10 Dean Reynolds (ENG)7
 Bjorn L'Orange (NOR)5 Stephen Murphy (IRL)10 Stephen Murphy (IRL)1 Nick Terry (ENG)10
 David McLellan (SCO)10 David McLellan (SCO)8
 Steve Archer (ENG)0 Drew Henry (SCO)10
 Noppadon Noppachorn (THA)10 Noppadon Noppachorn (THA)6 Drew Henry (SCO)10 Tony Knowles (ENG)8
 Joe Grech (MLT)9 Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG)4 Nick Dyson (ENG)9 Drew Henry (SCO)10
 Nick Dyson (ENG)10 Nick Dyson (ENG)10
 Barry Pinches (ENG)7 David Finbow (ENG)10
 Karl Payne (NIR)10 Karl Payne (NIR)9 David Finbow (ENG)5 Andy Hicks (ENG)6
 Yasin Merchant (IND)7 Tony Jones (ENG)4 Jimmy Michie (ENG)10 Jimmy Michie (ENG)10
 Jimmy Michie (ENG)10 Jimmy Michie (ENG)10
 Stephen O'Connor (IRL)10 Tony Chappel (WAL)10
 Tony Meo (ENG)8 Stephen O'Connor (IRL)8 Tony Chappel (WAL)8 Anthony Hamilton (ENG)10
 Nick Walker (ENG)10 Billy Snaddon (SCO)9 Nick Walker (ENG)10 Nick Walker (ENG)3
 Paul Hunter (ENG)4 Nick Walker (ENG)10
 Martin O'Neill (NIR)10 Stephen Lee (ENG)10
 Oliver King (ENG)8 Martin O'Neill (NIR)7 Stephen Lee (ENG)8 Neal Foulds (ENG)10
 Peter Lines (ENG)10 Chris Small (SCO)10 Chris Small (SCO)10 Chris Small (SCO)9
 Paul Davison (ENG)4 Peter Lines (ENG)7
 Wayne Brown (ENG)10 Steve Newbury (WAL)9
 David Wilson (ENG)3 Wayne Brown (ENG)10 Wayne Brown (ENG)6 Dennis Taylor (NIR)5
 Colin Morton (ENG)6 Rod Lawler (ENG)10 Rod Lawler (ENG)10 Rod Lawler (ENG)10
 Darren Clarke (ENG)10 Darren Clarke (ENG)8
 Ian Brumby (ENG)10 Mike Hallett (ENG)10
 John Giles (ENG)5 Ian Brumby (ENG)5 Mike Hallett (ENG)10 Alain Robidoux (CAN)10
 Chris Shade (SCO)10 Jonathan Birch (ENG)10 Jonathan Birch (ENG)8 Mike Hallett (ENG)8
 Stuart Pettman (ENG)6 Chris Shade (SCO)9
 Shokat Ali (PAK)9 Mark Flowerdew (ENG)10
 Garry Baldrey (ENG)10 Garry Baldrey (ENG)4 Mark Flowerdew (ENG)5 Steve James (ENG)10
 Karl Burrows (ENG)10 Mark Davis (ENG)10 Mark Davis (ENG)10 Mark Davis (ENG)7
 Robert Milkins (ENG)7 Karl Burrows (ENG)7
 John Read (ENG)10 Mark King (ENG)10
 Jim Chambers (ENG)2 John Read (ENG)9 Mark King (ENG)10 Martin Clark (ENG)10
 Andrew Cairns (ENG)10 Wayne Jones (WAL)10 Wayne Jones (WAL)5 Mark King (ENG)5
 Lee Richardson (ENG)9 Andrew Cairns (ENG)7
 Matt Wilson (ENG)5 Fergal O'Brien (IRL)10
 Jamie Woodman (ENG)10 Jamie Woodman (ENG)7 Fergal O'Brien (IRL)6 Mick Price (ENG)10
 Ian McCulloch (ENG)10 Nigel Gilbert (ENG)8 Ian McCulloch (ENG)10 Ian McCulloch (ENG)6
 Richy McDonald (SCO)5 Ian McCulloch (ENG)10
 Jason Wallace (ENG)9 Les Dodd (ENG)6
 Antony Bolsover (ENG)10 Antony Bolsover (ENG)10 Antony Bolsover (ENG)6 Joe Swail (NIR)9
 Sean Storey (ENG)8 Paul McPhillips (SCO)5 Euan Henderson (SCO)10 Euan Henderson (SCO)10
 Euan Henderson (SCO)10 Euan Henderson (SCO)10
 Paul Davies (WAL)10 Cliff Thorburn (CAN)3
 Marcus Campbell (SCO)8 Paul Davies (WAL)10 Paul Davies (WAL)10 Dene O'Kane (NZL)10
 Chris Scanlon (ENG)10 Jason Prince (NIR)10 Jason Prince (NIR)9 Paul Davies (WAL)7
 Stefan Mazrocis (ENG)8 Chris Scanlon (ENG)4
 Ian Hurdman (ENG)3 Mark Bennett (WAL)9
 Craig MacGillivray (SCO)10 Craig MacGillivray (SCO)10 Craig MacGillivray (SCO)1 Brian Morgan (ENG)7
 Jamie Burnett (SCO)10 Mark Williams (WAL)8 Jamie Burnett (SCO)10 Jamie Burnett (SCO)10
 Geoff Dunn (SCO)1 Jamie Burnett (SCO)10
 Michael Judge (IRL)10 Danny Fowler (ENG)10
 Gary Ponting (ENG)9 Michael Judge (IRL)7 Danny Fowler (ENG)10 Willie Thorne (ENG)10
 David Taylor (ENG)6 Alex Higgins (NIR)7 Surinder Gill (ENG)7 Danny Fowler (ENG)4
 Surinder Gill (ENG)10 Surinder Gill (ENG)10

Century breaks

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A total of 48 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament, setting a record that lasted until the 1998 edition.[61] The highest was a 144, made by both Tony Drago and Peter Ebdon.[62] Stephen Hendry compiled 11 century breaks in the tournament, one short of his record of 12 set the previous year.[63][64]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-85225-013-3.
  2. 1 2 Turner, Chris (2008). "World Professional Championship". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Joe Davis, a snooker champion who retired unbeaten, Was 77". The New York Times. 11 July 1978. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Nunns, Hector; Hendon, David. "Full history". WPBSA. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Wright, Joe (30 April 2023). "Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Halo World Championship". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 "World Snooker Championship in Sheffield". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Sutcliffe, Steve (3 May 2022). "World Snooker Championship 2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan plays down record-equalling seventh title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "1989: Davis makes it six". BBC Sport. 12 April 2002. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Betfred World Championship". World Snooker. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  11. ↑ Millington, Sarah (2 February 2024). "Looking back to 1990: when Stephen Hendry became a snooker champion". News and Star. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Snooker World Records". snooker.org. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Embassy World Championship (1996)". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "History of the World Snooker Championship". World Snooker Tour. 2 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Anstead, Mike (19 January 2006). "Snooker finds sponsor with deep pockets". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  17. ↑ "The 1995/96 Season". snooker.org. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Embassy World Championship 1995". snooker.org. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "World Championship Qualifiers (1996)". snooker.org. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Downer 2026, pp. 42–43.
  21. ↑ Downer 2026, p. 172.
  22. ↑ "Where the £1,200,000 went". Snooker Scene. June 1996. p. 26.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Downer 2026, pp. 252–253.
  24. 1 2 "Snooker: where it's at". Snooker Scene. January 1996. p. 28.
  25. 1 2 3 4 "McDonald shocks Stevens". Snooker Scene. February 1996. pp. 24–25.
  26. 1 2 3 "Seven Scots qualify for eighth round". Snooker Scene. February 1996. pp. 25–26.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Thorburn, Johnson and Mountjoy lose to youg opponents". Snooker Scene. March 1996. p. 27.
  28. 1 2 "Undignified exit for Higgins". Snooker Scene. March 1996. p. 28.
  29. ↑ Hodgson, Guy (24 January 1996). "'Hurricane' Higgins looks to have blown himself out". The Independent. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. 1 2 "McCulloch, ranked 193, is one match from the Crucible". Snooker Scene. March 1996. pp. 28–29.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Five new faces for the Crucible". Snooker Scene. April 1996. pp. 22–23.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Downer 2026, p. 42.
  33. ↑ Hey, Stan (21 April 1996). "Hendry given the fright of his life". The Independent. London. p. 32. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Downer 2026, p. 43.
  35. 1 2 3 Dee, John (22 April 1996). "'Disrespectful' O'Sullivan in war of words". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 39. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Dee, John (23 April 1996). "O'Sullivan could face charge of disrepute". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 34. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. 1 2 "Bond has another win at the last". The Independent. London. 24 April 1996. p. 32. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. 1 2 3 Dee, John (24 April 1996). "Edgy Doherty puts the boot in". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 37. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. 1 2 3 Dee, John (25 April 1996). "Griffiths in marathon fightback". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 39. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "White edges through to retain élite status". The Independent. London. 26 April 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. 1 2 Dee, John (26 April 1996). "Nail-bitting night sees White beat relegation". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 41. Retrieved 25 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. 1 2 3 Dee, John (27 April 1996). "O'Sullivan cuts Drago down in rapid fashion". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 26. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Various Snooker Records". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  44. ↑ "Bad Boys: Ronnie O'Sullivan". BBC Sport. 7 May 2003. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  45. 1 2 3 Dee, John (29 April 1996). "O'Sullivan faces probe following alleged assault". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 43. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. 1 2 3 4 Dee, John (30 April 1996). "Ebdon clears up to edge White aside". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 33. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. 1 2 3 Dee, John (1 May 1996). "Hearn tells O'Sullivan to 'keep his nose clean'". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 33. Retrieved 29 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. 1 2 Dee, John (2 May 1996). "O'Sullivan victory leaves Hendry top". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 29. Retrieved 29 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. 1 2 Dee, John (3 May 1996). "Hendry finds form to edge ahead". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 41. Retrieved 29 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ↑ Dee, John (4 May 1996). "Ebdon shaken by O'Sullivan rally". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 27. Retrieved 29 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. 1 2 Downer 2026, p. 189.
  52. ↑ Dee, John (7 May 1996). "Hendry puts aside poor start to take lead". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 31. Retrieved 30 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. 1 2 Dee, John (6 May 1996). "Hendry marches to sixth world crown". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 29. Retrieved 30 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. 1 2 Everton, Clive (7 May 1996). "Hendry still without equal". The Guardian. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. 1 2 3 4 5 Hendry 2019, p. 180.
  56. ↑ Everton 2012, p. 302.
  57. ↑ Hendon 2025, p. 140.
  58. 1 2 Day, Michael (16 April 2024). "Stephen Hendry's World Championship Winning Record". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  59. 1 2 Hendry 2019, p. 181.
  60. 1 2 "Official end of season world rankings: Hendry first, Higgins second, Ebdon third". Snooker Scene. June 1996. pp. 27–29.
  61. ↑ Downer 2026, pp. 196–212.
  62. ↑ Downer 2026, p. 198.
  63. ↑ "Embassy World Championship". snooker.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  64. ↑ Downer 2026, p. 221.

Books

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