The Curse
The following first-time champions did not retain their title the following year. Of the fifteen players to have won their first championship at the Crucible Theatre, five lost in their first match as defending champion (Terry Griffiths in 1980, Steve Davis in 1982, Dennis Taylor in 1986 Graeme Dott in 2007, and Neil Robertson in 2011) and only two went on to reach the final: Joe Johnson in 1987 and Ken Doherty in 1998.
| Year | Defending Champion | Progress | Result | Opponent | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Terry Griffiths | Second round | 10–13 | Steve Davis | |
| 1981 | Cliff Thorburn | Semi-finals | 10–16 | Steve Davis | |
| 1982 | Steve Davis | First round | 1–10 | Tony Knowles | |
| 1986 | Dennis Taylor | First round | 6–10 | Mike Hallett | |
| 1987 | Joe Johnson | Final | 14–18 | Steve Davis | |
| 1991 | Stephen Hendry | Quarter-finals | 11–13 | Steve James | |
| 1992 | John Parrott | Quarter-finals | 12–13 | Alan McManus | |
| 1998 | Ken Doherty | Final | 12–18 | John Higgins | |
| 1999 | John Higgins | Semi-finals | 10–17 | Mark Williams | |
| 2001 | Mark Williams | Second round | 12–13 | Joe Swail | |
| 2002 | Ronnie O'Sullivan | Semi-finals | 13–17 | Stephen Hendry | |
| 2003 | Peter Ebdon | Quarter-finals | 12–13 | Paul Hunter | |
| 2006 | Shaun Murphy | Quarter-finals | 7–13 | Peter Ebdon | |
| 2007 | Graeme Dott | First round | 7–10 | Ian McCulloch | |
| 2011 | Neil Robertson | First round | 8–10 | Judd Trump |
In the meantimes, the titles were won by players who had already been world champions (so the "curse" did not apply). Three players have even won consecutive titles: Ray Reardon (1973–76), Steve Davis (1983–84 and 87–89) and Stephen Hendry (1992–96), but only after they experienced the "curse".
Read more about this topic: Crucible Curse
Famous quotes containing the word curse:
“The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“I lay my eternal curse on whomsoever shall now or at any time hereafter make schoolbooks of my works and make me hated as Shakespeare is hated. My plays were not designed as instruments of torture. All the schools that lust after them get this answer, and will never get any other.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)