2006 World Snooker Championship

The 2006 888.com World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament was held at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, and was scheduled for 15 April through 1 May 2006, but continued into the early hours of 2 May 2006. Ending at 12:52 a.m. BST, this final broke the record at the time for the latest (though not longest) finish in a World Snooker Championship final, at over half an hour later than the 1985, which finished at 12:20 a.m.

Shaun Murphy was the defending champion, but he lost in the quarter-finals against eventual runner-up Peter Ebdon.

The final was contested between Ebdon and Graeme Dott, and the victor was Dott by 18 frames to 14, earning him his first professional title in his 12-year career, and a £200,000 cheque.

Notable moments

Sponsorship

Following new EU and UK legislation banning tobacco advertising, the 2006 World Snooker Championship could not be sponsored by Embassy as had been the case for the previous three decades. In January 2006 World Snooker – the sport's governing body – announced that the online casino 888.com would be the new sponsors.

However this decision has led to conflict with some players who will lose income from their own personal sponsors (seen on their waistcoats) who are rival firms of 888.com.^[1]

There have also been concerns expressed among the sport's elite at the decrease in prize money and also in the number of ranking events (down to six for the 2005/06 season) since the loss of tobacco sponsorship.^[2] For the 2006 World Championship the winner's cheque is down 20% on what it was in 2005.

Pre-final

• Paul Hunter's first round defeat to Neil Robertson would turn out to be his last match as a professional. He was playing in pain from chemotherapy treatment for a rare form of stomach cancer. He eventually died of the disease on 9 October 2006.
• Previously on-form John Higgins, the number 7 seed, was knocked out 4–10 in the first round by Mark Selby.
• The Crucible Theatre was evacuated after smoke detectors in the basement triggered the fire alarms. This occurred at the end of a frame in the match between Steve Davis and Shaun Murphy. Meanwhile, on the other table Mark Selby, playing Mark Williams, was at the table and on a break of 26 when required to leave.
• In the last frame of the first round match between Stephen Hendry and Nigel Bond, the score in frames was 9–9. Bond potted the black for what would have been a win, but the cue ball dropped in a middle pocket for a temporary tie. Bond still won, after a re-spotted black.
• Ronnie O'Sullivan compiled the highest break of the tournament with a 140 in his 13–10 win over Ryan Day
• In the quarter-final Graeme Dott was 12–8 up with only 1 more frame required to reach the semi-final of the tournament. First time quarter-finalist Neil Robertson then won the next 4 frames on the trot to make it 12–12 and take the match to the deciding frame, which Graeme won after Neil was left needing a <dfn style="border-bottom:1px dotted #0645AD; font-style:inherit;">snooker</dfn> with only the pink and black left and ended up accidentally potting the pink instead of setting up a snooker.
• Marco Fu became the first player from Asia since 1997 reach the semi-finals by beating Ken Doherty 13–10. Fu had battled his way through the qualifiers to reach the Crucible and became the only non-seeded player to reach the semi-finals (Neil Robertson was the only other one to reach the quarter-finals).
• Defending world champion Shaun Murphy lost to Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals. No first-time world champion has ever successfully defended his title at the Crucible. This was the second year in a row that Peter Ebdon defeated the defending world champion in the quarter-finals.
• In the semi-final, Peter Ebdon was 15–9 up, just needing 2 frames to go through to the final. Marco Fu won the next 6 frames to level at 15–15. Eventually Ebdon won 17–16, playing the final balls (after the frame was decided) with tears in his eyes.
• Ronnie O'Sullivan removed the tip of his cue during the 14th frame of his semi-final match with Graeme Dott. There was a break for emergency repairs, after which O'Sullivan made a 124 break. Dott won all 8 frames of the third session of the semi-final, going from 8–8 to 16–8. He eventually won 17–11 to enter his second World Championship final.
• Only Barry Hawkins made his Crucible debut this year, the first time only one player has done so.

Final

• With intense tactical play from both players, the first session saw only 6 frames played; on the first day, play continued until 12:45 a.m. The third session, on the second day, also finished after only 6 frames.
• In the 24th frame, as Peter Ebdon was attempting to pot the green ball, when clearing up the colours, he got a <dfn style="border-bottom:1px dotted #0645AD; font-style:inherit;">skid</dfn>. The green, however, potted after hitting the jaws of the pocket. Ebdon reacted by doing a little pirouette movement and said jokingly to the Crucible crowd, "now you know why I get them wiped so often!"
• The 27th frame was the longest in Crucible history and the longest televised frame on record at that time, lasting 74 minutes. It was won by Peter Ebdon (66–59), reducing his arrears to 12–15. The following frame was won by Ebdon (84–0) in 11 minutes, the quickest of this final.
• Dott won his 1st frame of the evening session, in the 29th when Ebdon went in-off and conceded the frame, over 5 hours since his last frame; the score was 16–13.
• Ebdon won frame 30 as the tournament entered its eighteenth day, with the record for the latest finish looking set to be broken (the 1985 final between Steve Davis and victor Dennis Taylor at 12:20 a.m.).
• Dott made a textbook clearance under tremendous pressure to win frame 31 with the last ball, which he celebrated with a loud "Come on!". The score became 17–14 at 12:22 a.m., then the latest final in Crucible history.
• Graeme Dott took the closely contested 32nd frame at 12:53 a.m. to win his first professional tournament. Before potting his last ball, Dott went over to kiss his awaiting trophy. Peter Ebdon joined the minute-long standing ovation for the new champion, later paying personal tribute.

Prize fund

^[3]

Main draw

Shown below are the results for each round, the numbers in brackets beside some of the players are their seeding ranks (each championship has 16 seeds and 16 qualifiers).^[3][4]

Preliminary qualifying

The preliminary qualifying rounds for the tournament took place in Pontin's Prestatyn, Wales.^[3][36]

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Qualifying

Qualification for the 2006 World Snooker Championship was held between 6 to 13 January 2006 and 14 and 15 March 2006 at Pontin's, Prestatyn, Wales.^[3][36]

Century breaks

Qualifying stages centuries

^[36]

TV stages centuries

^[3][37]

References