2018 World Snooker Championship The win came 15 years after Williams' second world title in 2003 and he became, at the age of 43, the second oldest winner at the Crucible. Three-time world champion Mark Selby had won the title for the previous two years but lost in the first round 4–10 to Joe Perry. The 2018 World Snooker Championship was held on 21 April to 7 May 2018 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. This was the 42nd consecutive year that the tournament was held at the Crucible, and the 50th consecutive year the championship was contested through the modern knockout format.
Mark Selby of the bookmakers' favourites for the title, Selby was defeated 10–8 in the first round by Mark King. The following year in the Welsh Open quarter-final, he was handed a writ by a member of the audience, supposedly his former manager George Barmby. Selby reached the final of the Masters again where he was runner-up to Ronnie O'Sullivan, and also reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 World Championship, losing 12–13 to Higgins, who again went on to win the title. He opened the 2009/10 season with two first round defeats, before coming from 4–8 down to beat Jamie Cope 9–8