// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the 1998 World Snooker Championship say to the ball? "You're pocket-sized.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 April – 4 May 1998 |
| Venue | Crucible Theatre |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | WPBSA |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | £1,323,000 |
| Winner's share | £220,000 |
| Highest break |  John Higgins (SCO) (143) Jimmy White (ENG) (143) |
| Final | |
| Champion | John Higgins (SCO) |
| Runner-up |  Ken Doherty (IRL) |
| Score | 18–12 |
← 1997 1999 → | |
The 1998 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 1998 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 18 April and 4 May 1998 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.
John Higgins won his first World title by defeating defending champion Ken Doherty 18–12 in the final. Doherty became another World Champion who fell to the Crucible curse and could not defend his first World title. However, Doherty has come closer than any other first-time champion bar Joe Johnson to retaining his championship. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy.
Prize fund
[edit source]The winner of the event received £220,000 from a total prize fund of £1,323,000. The breakdown of prize money is shown below:[1][2][3]
- Winner: £220,000
- Runner-up: £132,000
- Semi-final: £66,000
- Quarter-final: £33,000
- Last 16: £17,750
- Last 32: £12,000
- Highest break £19,000
- Maximum break £147,000
- Total £1,323,000
Summary
[edit source]First round
[edit source]The first round took place from 18 to 22 April, each match played as the best of 19 frames over two sessions.[4] Eight players made their Crucible debut this year:[5] Simon Bedford,[6] David Gray,[7] Quinten Hann,[8] Matthew Stevens,[9] Terry Murphy,[10] Alfie Burden,[11] Peter Lines,[12] and Jason Prince.[13]
The defending champion Ken Doherty, who had won the 1997 Malta Grand Prix earlier that season, led Lee Walker 6–3.[14]
Dave Harold took a 2–0 lead against Anthony Hamilton, who levelled the match with breaks of 53 and 108 and went on to lead 5–3 with three consecutive breaks of 72, 102 and 100.[14] Leading 9–8, Hamilton required two snookers in frame 18. He got one and Harold made a foul that gave Hamilton a free ball. After a miss on the green, Hamilton cleared the remaining five colours and won the match 10–8. "I've been in a few pressure situations this season and that stood me in good stead at the end," Hamilton commented.[15]
John Higgins, recently a winner of the 1998 British Open, built a 6–3 lead against Jason Ferguson.[14] Having trailed by five frames at 1–6, Ferguson tied the match at 8–8, but Higgins took the last two for victory.[16]
James Wattana needed a win in the first round to secure a position in the top 16 going into the next season. He led Fergal O'Brien 6–3 at the end of the first day of play.[14] Wattana was 8–4 and 9–6 in front. At 9–7, needing just one more frame to claim victory, he attempted a maximum break which ended on 57 points. O'Brien stole the frame on a re-spotted black and went on to win the match in the deciding frame. "I just blew it. I had so many chances and so I didn't really deserve to win. I shouldn't really have gone for that maximum but I wasn't really thinking straight," Wattana said. Having lost five deciders during the season, he wished he could give up snooker for a couple of years.[15]
Debutant Gray recovered from 3–6 behind to level the match against Alan McManus. McManus produced breaks of 111, 60 and 56 to go 9–7 in front. Gray, who made a 140 break during the match, won frame seventeen, but McManus sealed victory with a 30-point clearance in the eighteenth.[17]
Facing debutant Hann, Mark Williams won five consecutive frames to go from 4–4 to 9–4, one away from victory. Hann forced a decider and built a 55-point lead before losing position. Williams took frame and match.[17]
Qualifier and debutant Lines made a 141 clearance, but he trailed John Parrott, winner of the 1991 edition, 3–6.[17] Parrott went on to win 10–4.[18]
Ronnie O'Sullivan led Joe Swail 6–3[18] and won 10–5. "My cousin [Maria Catalano] has more chance of winning the women's tournament than I do of winning the men's title," O'Sullivan said. "I've certainly got to improve if I want to get any further. If I play well, I'll beat anyone. If I play badly, I'll lose to the world No. 201. It's as simple as that."[19] Guy Hodgson, writing for The Independent, claimed that the fact that O'Sullivan found snooker "simple at times" was "both his strength and his Achilles heel". "When things are dumped in your lap they can be taken for granted and when Rocker Ronnie temporarily becomes detached from his talent he does not always have the gritty determination to reconstruct the link. Exasperation can be easier to grasp than perspiration," he added.[20]
Darren Morgan trailed qualifier and debutant Prince 4–5.[18]
The 1997 Scottish Masters winner Nigel Bond took a 4–2 lead against Mark King, but then lost eight of the next nine frames for a 5–10 defeat. "There was just nothing there. As the season has gone on my confidence has drained away," Bond said.[18]
Peter Ebdon, runner-up in 1996, produced two centuries and further breaks of 82, 99 and 76 to eliminate debutant Murphy 10–3.[18]
Jimmy White, who had lost fourteen consecutive matches against the six-time World Champion Stephen Hendry, won the first seven frames of his first-round match against him and finished the first session 8–1 in front.[19] At the beginning of the second session, Hendry stole the first frame with a 72 clearance and also won the following two to edge closer at 4–8. White took the next two for victory. "With Stephen [Hendry] you've never beaten him until you've shaken his hand. I tried to finish it too quickly but I thought 'chill out, you're going to get an opening' and I did," White said. Hendry commented: "If Jimmy [White] had played like that in any of the finals he'd be world champion by now. That's the best he's ever played against me."[21] It was the first time since his debut in 1986 that Hendry lost in the first round and it was also the first quarter-final stage not to feature him since 1988.[22] Hendry's eight-year run as the world number one ended and he was replaced by Higgins.[23]
Second round
[edit source]The second round took place from 23 to 27 April, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[4]
Hamilton built a 6–2 lead in the first session of his match against the world number two Higgins. At the following day, Higgins produced a break of 131 in the first frame and went on to win the session by the same scoreline to level at 8–8. The next two frames were shared, and Higgins then produced breaks of 114, 71, 111, and 109 to take four in a row and win the match 13–9. "In past years I'd have gone to bed, sulked and probably lost 13–4. This time I made myself get up early and put in some practice," Higgins said. [24][16]
Facing Davis, Williams won the first session 5–3 and produced breaks of 63, 43, 102, and 71 in the second to widen his lead. Davis was in first in the next two frames, but he made mistakes that allowed Williams to further extend his advantage to eight frames at 11–3. Davis produced breaks of 75 and 52 to secure the last two frames of the second session and narrow the deficit.[24] Williams sealed victory with a 13–8 result.[1] "I thought Mark [Williams] was amazing. He's casual and devastating at the same time. He makes a difficult game look easy. I made it look even more difficult than it is," Davis said.[16]
Doherty led Lee 10–3, before Lee won five frames in a row to narrow the deficit to only two frames at 8–10. A missed pot on a red allowed Doherty back in frame 19 and he also took the next two for a 13–8 victory.[16]
White produced breaks of 83, 87, and 78 in the first three frames of his match against Morgan, who had reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship on two occasions. White made a total clearance of 143 as he extended his lead at 6–1, before Morgan won the last frame with a century break of 112.[16] White won the first frame of the following day with a clearance of 138 and made further breaks of 67, 89, 54, and 118 as he won the match 13–3. "I've played Hendry, Davis and a lot of good players and those are the best two sessions of snooker that I've ever faced," Morgan stated.[20]
Parrott led Drago 5–3 and produced a century break as he took five consecutive frames for a 10–3 lead. He advanced to the next round with a 13–7 result.[16]
Going into the last session, Ebdon held a 12–4 lead against O'Brien. O'Brien took the first frame of the third session with a 67 break, but Ebdon produced a 124 clearance to win the match.[25]
O'Sullivan led McManus 7–1. McManus took three of the eight frames of the afternoon session to avoid losing the match with a session to spare. At the resumption, O'Sullivan produced a century break of 134 to seal victory with a 13–4 scoreline in under ten minutes.[25]
Stevens and King shared the first two sessions. Resuming at 8–8, Steven made breaks of 52, 100, and 61 as he took five of the following six frames for victory.[25]
Quarter-finals
[edit source]The quarter-finals took place on 28 and 29 April, each match played as the best of 25 frames over three sessions.[4]
Having led Stevens 9–8 and 10–9, Doherty compiled breaks of 53 and 70 to win back-to-back frames and move one away from victory at 12–9. Stevens took the next frame, but Doherty progressed to the semi-finals with a break of 73. "I've got to the semi-finals without too much notice and it suits me. I'm doing my own thing like I did last year and, at the end of the day, the tournament is more important that the media attention," Doherty said.[26]
Williams built an 8–5 lead, but Ebdon recovered and tied the scores at 9–9. The next four frames were shared, but Williams then won back-to-back frames for a 13–11 victory. "I'm fed up of these close matches," said Williams, whose highest break of the match was a 67.[26][27]
Facing Parrott, Higgins made his 100th career century break, a 102 in the last frame of the second session, which ended with the scores level at 8–8. At the resumption the next morning, Higgins compiled back-to-back centuries of 143 and 139. They meant that the tournament had produced a record-breaking total of 49 century breaks. Parrott took three frames in a row to lead 11–10, but Higgins also won three consecutive frames to progress with a 13–11 result. "He'll take a fair bit of stopping. Ken Doherty's going along quietly, minding his own business, but I tipped John [Higgins] before the start of the tournament and I've seen nothing to change that," Parrott said.[26][27]
O'Sullivan won seven of the eight frames played in the first session. White halved the deficit at 9–6. "O'Sullivan spent much of the day smiling ironically at the hopelessness of his play," Guy Hodgson wrote, reporting for The Independent. O'Sullivan produced a 55 break to win the last frame of the session, which ended 10–6. He made further breaks of 64 and 118 to win 13–7.[26][27]
Semi-finals
[edit source]The semi-finals took place from 30 April to 2 May, played as the best of 33 frames over four sessions.[4]
Final
[edit source]The best-of-35-frame final took place over four sessions on 3 and 4 May between Doherty and Higgins.[4] Referee Lawrie Annandale officiated the final.[28]
Qualifying results
[edit source]Fifteen qualifying rounds were played.[29]
Rounds 9-11
[edit source]Results for rounds 9 to 11 are shown below.[29]
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Evan Munro (SCO) | 3 | |||||||||
| Leo Fernandez (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Leo Fernandez (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Robert Milkins (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Michael O'Sullivan (ENG) | 2 | |||||||||
| Robert Milkins (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Leo Fernandez (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
 Philip Williams (WAL) | 6 | |||||||||
| John Burns (ENG) | 2 | |||||||||
| Philip Williams (WAL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Philip Williams (WAL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Steve Meakin (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Steve Meakin (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Neal Tomkins (ENG) | 7 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Brian Rowswell (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Sean Lanigan (ENG) | 7 | |||||||||
| Brian Rowswell (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Joe Jogia (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Hugh Abernethy (SCO) | 8 | |||||||||
| Joe Jogia (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Brian Rowswell (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Jeff Cundy (ENG) | 9 | |||||||||
| Chris Shade (SCO) | 10 | |||||||||
| Nick Manning (ENG) | 3 | |||||||||
| Chris Shade (SCO) | 9 | |||||||||
| Jeff Cundy (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Jeff Cundy (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
 Dylan Leary (NIR) | 7 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Stuart Reardon (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Jason Weston (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Stuart Reardon (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Surinder Gill (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Surinder Gill (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Stuart Parnell (ENG) | 5 | |||||||||
| Surinder Gill (ENG) | 5 | |||||||||
 Bjorn Haneveer (BEL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Ali Carter (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Scott Cooney (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Ali Carter (ENG) | 5 | |||||||||
| Bjorn Haneveer (BEL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Bjorn Haneveer (BEL) | 10 | |||||||||
| James McGouran (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Leigh Robinson (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Nick Terry (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Nick Terry (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Garry Baldrey (ENG) | 1 | |||||||||
| Garry Baldrey (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Graham Horne (SCO) | 8 | |||||||||
| Nick Terry (ENG) | 2 | |||||||||
| Barry Pinches (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Mario Geudens (BEL) | 7 | |||||||||
| Barry Pinches (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Barry Pinches (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Nic Barrow (ENG) | 3 | |||||||||
| Nic Barrow (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
 Mario Wehrmann (NED) | 4 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Joe O'Boye (IRL) | 5 | |||||||||
| Mark Johnston-Allen (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Simon Bedford (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Justin Buckingham (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Simon Bedford (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Simon Bedford (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Jason Wallace (ENG) | 2 | |||||||||
| Jason Wallace (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Andrew Cairns (ENG) | 9 | |||||||||
| Jason Wallace (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Oliver King (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Oliver King (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
 Robin Hull (FIN) | 7 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Munraj Pal (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Les Dodd (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Munraj Pal (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Christopher McGee (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Christopher McGee (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Lee Mallin (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Munraj Pal (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Joe Delaney (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Gary Lees (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Paul McPhillips (SCO) | 6 | |||||||||
| Gary Lees (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Joe Delaney (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Joe Delaney (IRL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Ryan Mitchell (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Stuart Bingham (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Ian Hurdman (ENG) | 1 | |||||||||
| Stuart Bingham (ENG) | 7 | |||||||||
| Adrian Rosa (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Darryn Walker (ENG) | 9 | |||||||||
| Adrian Rosa (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Adrian Rosa (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
 Marco Fu (HKG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Mike Hallett (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Garoid O'Connor (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Mike Hallett (ENG) | 2 | |||||||||
| Marco Fu (HKG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Marco Fu (HKG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Paul Sweeny (ENG) | 5 | |||||||||
| Round 9 Best of 19 frames | Round 10 Best of 19 frames | Round 11 Best of 19 frames | ||||||||
| Andrew Higginson (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| David McDonnell (IRL) | 6 | |||||||||
| Andrew Higginson (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Simon Parker (ENG) | 6 | |||||||||
| Simon Parker (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Stephen Murphy (ENG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Andrew Higginson (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Ian Sargeant (WAL) | 7 | |||||||||
| Ian Sargeant (WAL) | 10 | |||||||||
| Steve Day (ENG) | 8 | |||||||||
| Ian Sargeant (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
| Andy Neck (ENG) | 0 | |||||||||
| David Coles (ENG) | 5 | |||||||||
| Andy Neck (ENG) | 10 | |||||||||
Rounds 12-15
[edit source]Results for rounds 12 to 15 are shown below.[29] Round 15 was held at Telford international Centre on 20 and 21 March.[30]
Main draw
[edit source]The draw for the main tournament is shown below. The numbers in parentheses after the players' names denote the seedings. The match winners are shown in bold.[1][2][31][4]
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 & 25 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lee Walker (WAL)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen Lee (ENG) (16)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen Lee (ENG) (16)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 & 29 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Andy Hicks (ENG)
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 & 23 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Stevens (WAL)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Alain Robidoux (CAN) (9)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 & 27 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Stevens (WAL)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Stevens (WAL)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 & 21 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark King (ENG)
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nigel Bond (ENG) (8)
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April, 1 & 2 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark King (ENG)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1)
| 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Williams (WAL) (4)
| 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Ebdon (ENG) (5)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25, 26 & 27 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Terry Murphy (NIR)
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Ebdon (ENG) (5)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 & 19 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fergal O'Brien (IRL)
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 James Wattana (THA) (12)
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 & 29 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fergal O'Brien (IRL)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Ebdon (ENG) (5)
| 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 & 20 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Williams (WAL) (4)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steve Davis (ENG) (13)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23, 24 & 25 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simon Bedford (ENG)
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steve Davis (ENG) (13)
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 & 20 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Williams (WAL) (4)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Williams (WAL) (4)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 & 4 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Quinten Hann (AUS)
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1)
| 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 & 19 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Higgins (SCO) (3)
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Higgins (SCO) (3)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 & 24 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jason Ferguson (ENG)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Higgins (SCO) (3)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 & 19 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (14)
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anthony Hamilton (ENG) (14)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 & 29 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dave Harold (ENG)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Higgins (SCO) (3)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 & 19 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Parrott (ENG) (6)
| 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 Tony Drago (MLT) (11)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 & 25 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alfie Burden (ENG)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tony Drago (MLT) (11)
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 & 21 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Parrott (ENG) (6)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Parrott (ENG) (6)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 April, 1 & 2 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Lines (ENG)
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Higgins (SCO) (3)
| 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 & 22 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (7)
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (7)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 & 27 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joe Swail (NIR)
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (7)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alan McManus (SCO) (10)
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alan McManus (SCO) (10)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 & 29 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Gray (ENG)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG) (7)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 & 22 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jimmy White (ENG)
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Darren Morgan (WAL) (15)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 & 26 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jason Prince (NIR)
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Darren Morgan (WAL) (15)
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 & 23 April | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jimmy White (ENG)
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen Hendry (SCO) (2)
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jimmy White (ENG)
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Final: frame scores
[edit source]| Final: (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 3 & 4 May 1998 Referee: Lawrie Annandale[28] | ||||||||||
| Ken Doherty (IRL) (1) |
12–18 | John Higgins (SCO) (3) | ||||||||
| Session 1: 2–6 | ||||||||||
| Frame | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doherty | 73† (59) | 20 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 52 (52) | 0 | 89† (89) | N/A | N/A |
| Higgins | 34 | 80† | 86† | 71† (71) | 113† (66) | 73† (55) | 130† (130) | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| Session 2: 4–4 (6–10) | ||||||||||
| Frame | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Doherty | 112† (112) | 66† | 97† (58) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 82† | N/A | N/A |
| Higgins | 0 | 7 | 18 | 66† (51) | 103† (103) | 86† | 138† (64, 74) | 70 | N/A | N/A |
| Session 3: 5–3 (11–13) | ||||||||||
| Frame | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Doherty | 90† (69) | 0 | 61† (55) | 0 | 90† (86) | 99† (59) | 48 | 82† | N/A | N/A |
| Higgins | 39 | 89† (89) | 6 | 130† (130) | 0 | 1 | 58† | 44 | N/A | N/A |
| Session 4: 1–5 (12–18) | ||||||||||
| Frame | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Doherty | 14 | 0 | 58 | 78† | 19 | 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Higgins | 60† | 128† (128) | 71† | 41 | 66† | 119† (118) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 112 | Highest break | 130 | ||||||||
| 1 | Century breaks | 5 | ||||||||
| 9 | 50+ breaks | 12 | ||||||||
| John Higgins wins the 1998 Embassy World Snooker Championship Breaks over 50 are shown in parentheses. † = Winner of frame | ||||||||||
Century breaks
[edit source]A total of 59 century breaks were made during the main stage of the tournament,[32] a new record which lasted until 2002.[33][34] John Higgins' 14 centuries in the tournament was a new record, beating the 12 made by Stephen Hendry in 1995.[35]
- 143, 139, 131, 130, 130, 128, 119, 118, 114, 111, 109, 104, 103, 102 – John Higgins
- 143, 138, 118, 106 – Jimmy White
- 141, 134, 118, 104, 100 – Ronnie O'Sullivan
- 141 – Peter Lines
- 140, 107 – David Gray
- 137, 134, 131, 112 – Ken Doherty
- 137 – Dave Harold
- 137 – James Wattana
- 133, 109 – Stephen Lee
- 127, 100 – Matthew Stevens
- 124, 117, 109, 108, 108, 104 – Peter Ebdon
- 120, 108, 104, 102 – John Parrott
- 115, 108, 102, 100 – Anthony Hamilton
- 115, 105 – Alfie Burden
- 112 – Darren Morgan
- 111 – Alan McManus
- 105, 100 – Fergal O'Brien
- 103, 100 – Mark King
- 102 – Mark Williams
References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 "Embassy World Championship 1998". Snooker.org. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- 1 2 "World Championship 1998". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ Downer 2026, p. 172.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Downer 2026, pp. 46–47.
- ↑ Downer 2026, p. 158.
- ↑ "Simon Bedford at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- ↑ "David Gray at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ↑ "Quinten Hann at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ↑ "Matthew Stevens at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ↑ "Terry Murphy at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ↑ "Alfie Burden at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ↑ "Peter Lines at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ↑ "Jason Prince at the World Championship". Snooker Database. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 Everton, Clive (19 April 1998). "Hamilton's ton of confidence". The Independent. London. p. 43. Retrieved 1 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "O'Brien makes most of Wattana's error". The Independent. London. 20 April 1998. p. 61. Retrieved 1 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Everton, Clive (26 April 1998). "White rides the tide of emotion". The Independent. London. p. 50. Retrieved 7 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 "Tough test for McManus". The Independent. London. 21 April 1998. p. 28. Retrieved 2 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Bond makes an early exit". The Independent. London. 22 April 1998. p. 27. Retrieved 2 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "White ready to humble Hendry". The Independent. London. 23 April 1998. p. 27. Retrieved 2 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Hodgson, Guy (27 April 1998). "White's hot streak shatters Morgan". The Independent. London. p. 62. Retrieved 7 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Hodgson, Guy (24 April 1998). "White lightning strikes Hendry". The Independent. London. p. 30. Retrieved 3 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Stephen Hendry profile". Betfred. Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ↑ "Ranking History". snooker.org. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- 1 2 Hodgson, Guy (25 April 1998). "Higgins turns the tables on Hamilton". The Independent. London. p. 45. Retrieved 7 April 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 Hodgson, Guy (28 April 1998). "Ebdon stays focused to reach the quarter-finals". The Independent. London. p. 29. Retrieved 13 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Hodgson, Guy (30 April 1998). "Doherty advances quietly as White departs". The Independent. London. p. 30. Retrieved 13 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 Downer 2026, p. 47.
- 1 2 Downer 2026, p. 189.
- 1 2 3 Downer 2026, pp. 256–257.
- ↑ Yates, Phil (February 1998). "Embassy World Championship: qualifying: rounds 1-14". Snooker Scene. pp. 10–17.
- ↑ "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ↑ Downer 2026, p. 199.
- ↑ "Crucible Centuries". Snooker.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ↑ Downer 2026, pp. 196–212.
- ↑ Eric, Hayton (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History. London: Rose Villa Publications. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.
Books
[edit source]- Downer, Chris (2026). Crucible Almanac. 2025 edition. Bournemouth: self-published.
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