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
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