2018 World Snooker Championship They included Ronnie O'Sullivan (five titles: 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012–13), John Higgins (four titles: 1998, 2007, 2009, 2011), Mark Selby (three titles and two-time defending champion: 2014, 2016–17), Mark Williams (two titles: 2000 and 2003), Shaun Murphy (one title: 2005), Graeme Dott (one title: 2006), Neil Robertson (one title: 2010), and Stuart Bingham (one title: 2015). O'Sullivan was making his 26th consecutive appearance in the final stages of the World Championship since his debut in 1993. This is one short of Stephen Hendry's record of 27 consecutive appearances and four short of Steve Davis's record of 30 total appearances. Five
2017 World Snooker Championship pair were level at 12 frames apiece, moving to 16–13 ahead. Needing just one frame to win, Selby would lose two frames to a resiliant Ding, before picking up a break of 72 to win the match. In the championships' other semifinal John Higgins qualified for his sixth World Championship final over a span of 19 years and his first in six years. He did so with a 17–8 victory over Barry Hawkins, which World Snooker referred to as a "demolition". The final, contested by Mark Selby and John Higgins, was a repeat fixture of the 2007 final which Higgins