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.
1983 World Snooker Championship 16 qualifiers). There were eighteen century breaks during the championship, a record which stood until 1986. The highest of the event was 147 by Cliff Thorburn. With this record he earned a £5,000 bonus. 1983 World Snooker Championship The 1983 World Snooker Championship (also known as the 1983 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 16 April and 2 May 1983 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Steve Davis won in the final 18–6 against Cliff Thorburn. The tournament was sponsored by Embassy. The breakdown of prize