He then beat Barry Hawkins 9–8 in the last 16, before losing to eventual champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals. Cope made his World Championship debut in 2008, losing 10–9 to Peter Ebdon in the first round.
In the last 16 of the tournament, he defeated Barry Hawkins with a score of 9-8. However, he was eliminated by Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals. Cope made his World Championship debut in 2008 and lost to Peter Ebdon in the first round.