World Snooker Championship successive title. There were 48 century breaks during the final stages, a new record. In the first round of 1997 championship Ronnie O'Sullivan made the fastest maximum break in snooker history, taking just 5 minutes and 20 seconds. The final was between Stephen Hendry and Irishman Ken Doherty. Doherty led 15–7 before Hendry won 5 frames in a row. Doherty then won the next three frames to win 18–12, ending Hendry's winning run of 29 consecutive matches. Stephen Hendry lost to Jimmy White in the first round of the 1998 championship. Doherty reached the final again meeting 22-year-old John Higgins.
2015 World Snooker Championship 2015 World Snooker Championship The 2015 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 2015 Betfred World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional snooker tournament, that took place from 18 April to 4 May 2015 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 39th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible and was the last ranking event of the 2014/2015 season. Betfred sponsored the event for the first time in three years, having previously sponsored the tournament from 2009 to 2012. The final was officiated by Olivier Marteel,