World Snooker Championship 1996
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Embassy
World Snooker Championship
snooker
tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre
, Sheffield
between 20 April–6 May 1996.
Stephen Hendry
won in the final 18–12 against Peter Ebdon
.
Embassy (cigarette)
Embassy is a brand of cigarettes from Imperial Tobacco. First sold in 1914 and relaunched as a coupon brand in 1962, in 1976 they were invited to sponsor the World Snooker Championships, which they did from then until 2005 at which time they had to pull out due to the UK government's ban on tobacco...
World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
between 20 April–6 May 1996.
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
won in the final 18–12 against Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
.
Notable moments
- The first round match between Ronnie O'SullivanRonnie O'SullivanRonald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
and Alain RobidouxAlain RobidouxAlain Robidoux is a Canadian snooker player; he played on the World Snooker tour from 1988 to 2005 and continues to play in events in Canada.-Career:...
is remembered more for controversy than for play. Robidoux accused O'Sullivan of not showing him due respect by playing left-handed towards the end of the 12th frame, and refused to shake hands with him when the match (which Robidoux lost 3–10) ended. This prompted an outburst from O'Sullivan in which he called Robidoux a baby and claimed that he was better left-handed than Robidoux was right-handed. O'Sullivan later nearly got thrown out of the World Championship before his quarter-final match with John Higgins when a WPBSA disciplinary hearing, convened to investigate a charge of throwing a punch at an official, gave him a two-year tournament ban, suspended for two years, plus a £20,000 fine and another £10,000 to be given to charity.
- Jimmy WhiteJimmy WhiteJames Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
beat Euan HendersonEuan HendersonEuan Henderson is a retired Scottish professional snooker player. In his twelve year professional career he reached only one ranking final, in the 1996 Grand Prix albeit without beating any of the game's established leading players, although his 6-3 semi-final win over Welsh veteran Mark Bennett...
10–9 in the first round. If he had lost, he would have dropped out of the top 16 for the first time in his career. He did lose his place the following year when he lost 9–10 to Anthony HamiltonAnthony Hamilton (snooker player)Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...
.
- Terry GriffithsTerry GriffithsTerrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
won his first round match for the 14th time in a row since 1983, despite trailing 0–5 and 5–9 to Jamie BurnettJamie BurnettJamie Burnett is a professional snooker player from Hamilton, Scotland.-Career:During the qualifying stages of the 2004 UK Championship, he achieved the impressive feat of becoming the first ever player to compile a break over 147 in a professional match, in which he made a break of 148 against...
. This run of successive first round victories is still a record. In 1997 Griffiths lost his first round to Mark WilliamsMark Williams (snooker player)Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
, who was playing in the Crucible for the first time, and won his first 10 first-round matches before losing against Joe SwailJoe Swail-External links:*...
in 2007. Jimmy White won his first-round match 13 appearances in a row; John Parrott 12 and Stephen Hendry 11 are next.
- The highest breaks by Peter EbdonPeter EbdonPeter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
and Tony DragoTony DragoTony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
when they each made a 144 was only the second time since 1980 that two players had the joint highest break of the championship. Kirk StevensKirk StevensKirk Stevens is a Canadian professional snooker player.Stevens started playing young, achieving his first aged just 12. He turned professional aged 20, and reached the semi-finals of the World Championship aged 21...
and Steve DavisSteve DavisSteve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
both made a 136 in 1980.
- There were 48 century breaks in the 1996 World Snooker Championship, a new record which would last until 1998. The highest break of the tournament was 144, which was achieved by both Peter EbdonPeter EbdonPeter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
and Tony DragoTony DragoTony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
. Stephen Hendry made 11 century breaks in the tournament, one short of his record of 12 set the previous year.
Prize fund
- Winner: £200,000
- Runner-up: £120,000
- Semi-final: £60,000
- Quarter-final: £30,500
- Last 16: £16,000
- Last 32: £9,000
- Highest TV Break: £17,000
- Maximum TV Break: £147,000
- Total: £1,200,000
Main draw
Century breaks
- 144, 138, 137, 123, 109, 100, 100 Peter EbdonPeter EbdonPeter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
- 144, 115 Tony DragoTony DragoTony Drago is a professional snooker and pool player from Malta. He won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament beating Hsia Hui-kai 8–6 and also reached the quarter finals of the World Snooker Championship...
- 139, 126, 120, 106, 103, 102, 102, 100 Ronnie O'SullivanRonnie O'SullivanRonald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
- 137, 130, 104, 101 John Higgins
- 135, 125, 121, 118, 113, 110, 108, 106, 105, 104, 104 Hendry
- 129 Jason FergusonJason Ferguson (snooker player)Jason Ferguson is a former professional snooker player. He reached the World Snooker Championship on three occasions, and was for four seasons ranked in the world's top 32 players, reaching a peak position of #28....
- 125 Alan McManusAlan McManusAlan McManus is a Scottish professional snooker player, known for his tactical play and safety shots, giving rise to his nickname "Angles" McManus.-Career:...
- 123, 120, 101 Dave HaroldDave HaroldDavid 'Dave' Harold is an English professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter"...
- 116, 105, 104, 103 Steve DavisSteve DavisSteve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
- 115 Anthony HamiltonAnthony Hamilton (snooker player)Anthony Hamilton is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance. He has spent five seasons ranked among the game's top 16, and fifteen in the top 32, reaching a career-high at number #10 in the world in the 1999/2000 season...
- 110 Darren MorganDarren MorganDarren Morgan is a Welsh snooker player, who won the World Amateur Championship in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never...
- 109 Ken DohertyKen DohertyKen Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
- 103 Euan HendersonEuan HendersonEuan Henderson is a retired Scottish professional snooker player. In his twelve year professional career he reached only one ranking final, in the 1996 Grand Prix albeit without beating any of the game's established leading players, although his 6-3 semi-final win over Welsh veteran Mark Bennett...
- 100 Jimmy WhiteJimmy WhiteJames Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...