Peter Ebdon won his first world title by beating Stephen Hendry 18–17 in the final.This was Hendry's ninth and last appearance in a World Championship final. There was a total of 65 century breaks made during the tournament. The highest was made by Stevens, who made a 145 in his quarter-final match. Hendry made a total of 16 centuries during the event, a record for any individual tournament. The championships were sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy. A total prize fund of £1,615,770 was awarded at the event, with the winner receiving £260,000.