There have been a number of particular rivalries which have led to frequent World Snooker Championship matches between the identical two names through the years.
Let’s recall a number of the commonest head-to-head encounters for the reason that sport’s blue-riband occasion moved to the Crucible Theatre in 1977.
Seven Matches
Stephen Hendry vs Jimmy White (5-2)
Arguably essentially the most well-known Crucible rivalry of all of them was the one between Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White.
The pair traded blows in Sheffield on seven events between 1988 and 1998, with Hendry usually having fun with the higher hand.
White truly received their first duel – a 13-12 second spherical thriller – and their final when he shocked the Scot with a 10-4 first-round victory as a qualifier.
However their World Snooker Championship matches in between will is in the end remembered essentially the most.
In a span of 5 Crucible editions between 1990 and 1994, Hendry overcame White in 4 title-deciding contests, edging the Whirlwind 18-17 in an particularly dramatic 1994 ultimate.
In 1995, Hendry then compiled solely the third most 147 break within the Crucible’s historical past throughout his semi-final success over the identical foe.
Whereas not on the Crucible, the pair did renew the rivalry within the qualifying event for the 2021 World Championship, with Hendry once more rising because the winner.
Steve Davis vs Terry Griffiths (7-0)
Steve Davis and Terry Griffiths had been the primary gamers to compete towards one another in seven World Snooker Championship matches.
Maybe separating this fixture from the others on this listing is the entire domination that was loved by one participant.
Davis proved to be a thorn in many individuals’s facet, significantly all through the Eighties, however arguably none extra so than for Griffiths.
The Nugget first inflicted ache in 1980 when the Welshman was the defending champion, and issues solely obtained worse thereafter.
Defeats for Griffiths adopted in 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988 – the latter of which coming within the ultimate when Davis received 18-11.
Their final conflict got here eight years later within the second spherical, when a ultimate loss for Griffiths successfully prompted his retirement, though he did return to the Crucible for one ultimate look the next season.
Six Matches
John Higgins vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (3-3)
Probably the most frequent head-to-head match within the historical past of the sport general, John Higgins and Ronnie O’Sullivan have crossed paths an unbelievable 79 instances in all competitions as professionals.
Six of these have come on the Crucible, with the primary taking place in 1996 when O’Sullivan received the final three frames to disclaim Higgins in a 13-12 traditional.
The end result of the opposite 5 matches in the end decided who would go on to win the event itself.
In 1998, Higgins hammered the Rocket 17-9 within the semi-finals earlier than beating Ken Doherty to elevate the world trophy for the primary time.
The Wizard of Wishaw additionally triumphed in 2007 and 2011 as he proceeded to land his second and fourth Crucible titles respectively.
The duo’s solely encounter in a ultimate transpired in 2001, when O’Sullivan emerged as an 18-14 winner to land his maiden World Championship crown.
Their most up-to-date assembly was within the 2022 semi-finals, when the Rocket received at a canter en path to securing his record-equalling seventh Crucible crown.
John Higgins vs Mark Selby (3-3)
Two four-time world champions and two of one of the best all-rounders the sport has ever seen, John Higgins and Mark Selby have gone toe to toe six instances in Sheffield.
It’s not very shocking to be taught that they’ve shared the spoils from their massive Crucible conferences with each other.
Higgins and Selby crossed paths in three consecutive World Championships between 2005 and 2007.
They traded first-round victories initially earlier than issues heated up with a battle on the 2007 ultimate.
On the time, Higgins was in his pomp and duly wrapped up a second world success, however ten years later Selby returned the favour on the identical stage to seize his third title.
The duo additionally encountered one another twice within the quarter-finals the place, you’ve guessed it, they received one match apiece.
5 Matches
Stephen Hendry vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (3-2)
When Ronnie O’Sullivan burst onto the snooker scene close to the start of the Nineteen Nineties, it instantly threatened Stephen Hendry’s dominance within the recreation.
It didn’t take lengthy for the 2 magnificent cueists to face off towards each other in essential showpiece encounters.
On the age of simply 17, O’Sullivan brought about a sensation by beating Hendry within the 1993 UK Championship ultimate.
Their first Crucible conflict got here simply over a 12 months later on the 1995 World Championship, with then three-time defending champion Hendry triumphing 13-8 within the quarter-finals.
Hendry subsequently received in 1999 and 2002 in two explosive semi-final battles, notably within the latter after O’Sullivan infamously said that he wished to ship his opponent “again to his unhappy little snigger in Scotland.”
O’Sullivan did lastly handle to get the job executed on this head-to-head, thrashing Hendry 17-4 and 17-6 in 2004 and 2008 respectively en path to event glories every year.
Steve Davis vs Dennis Taylor (3-2)
Followers will all the time bear in mind the 1985 ultimate, however Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor truly encountered one another 4 extra instances in Sheffield.
Their first assembly was in 1979 when Taylor beat Crucible rookie Davis 13-11 and subsequently went on an excellent run that concluded with a maiden ultimate look.
Davis gained his revenge with the identical scoreline 4 years later and repeated the trick in 1984 with a extra complete 16-9 semi-final triumph.
Within the 1985 ultimate, it appeared as if one other runaway victory was on the playing cards when the reigning champion reeled off the primary eight frames in a row.
However Northern Eire’s Taylor dug deep and fought his means again to pressure a deciding-frame thriller that has gone down as essentially the most watched body of snooker within the recreation’s historical past – within the UK no less than.
By potting the ultimate black within the ultimate body, Taylor led the competition for the very first time and was duly topped the champion of the world.
The pair’s final fixture was within the 1991 quarter-finals when Davis got here out on high once more, however this head-to-head will all the time be about that 1985 showdown.
Mark Williams vs John Higgins (4-1)
The primary of three World Snooker Championship matches within the final 4 between Mark Williams and John Higgins occurred in 1999.
It’s honest to say it was much less dramatic than the opposite two, which boasted fairly spectacular comebacks that rattled the opposite.
A 12 months after shedding their first Crucible conflict, Higgins seemed set to get his revenge when he led their semi-final tie 14-10, just for Williams to battle again and win 17-15.
The roles had been reversed in 2011, with Williams surrendering a 9-5 lead and ultimately shedding out in a 17-14 reverse.
Their most memorable assembly, in fact, got here in 2018 after they unexpectedly contested a ultimate in Sheffield for the primary time.
In what has gone down as the most effective matches ever on the Crucible, Williams held on in a nail-biting 18-16 finale.
In 2021, the Welshman received for a fourth time with a 13-7 defeat of the Scot within the final 16.
Different frequent World Snooker Championship
head-to-heads
Steve Davis vs Jimmy White (4-1)
Jimmy White vs John Parrott (3-2)
Stephen Hendry vs Nigel Bond (4-1)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ali Carter (4-1)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Mark Williams (5-0)
This text was first printed in April, 2022 and up to date in April, 2024.
2024 World Snooker Championship Draw
Click on right here for stay scores and session instances.
Spherical 1 (bo19)
Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian
Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) 10-6 Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui
Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-1 Jackson Web page
Spherical 2 (bo25)
David Gilbert vs Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire vs Shaun Murphy (8)
Joe O’Connor vs Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (13) vs Mark Allen (4)
Judd Trump (3) vs Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones vs Si Jiahui
Jack Lisowski vs Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Quarter-Finals (bo25)
Gilbert/Milkins vs Maguire/Murphy
O’Connor/Ok. Wilson vs Higgins/Allen
Trump/Ford vs Jak Jones/Si
Lisowski/Bingham vs Day/O’Sullivan
Semi-Finals (bo33)
TBC vs TBC
TBC vs TBC
Remaining (bo35)
TBC vs TBC
