Kyren Wilson is determined to banish the so-called 'Crucible curse' once and for all when he gets the defence of his World Snooker Championship title underway on Saturday morning.
Wilson will start against Chinese qualifier Lei Peifan fully aware of the quirk of history that says no first-time winner of the trophy has returned to successfully defend it since the tournament moved to its current venue in 1977.
But having marked his year as champion by cruising to four more ranking titles, as well as a place in the Masters final, Wilson looks ideally equipped to succeed where great names like Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan all fell short.
Wilson said: "I think it’s just coincidence really. At some point it will be broken and hopefully it’s this year, and I will never have to hear the word ‘curse’ again.
"Obviously people have come back and won it after the second year, and players like (Ken) Doherty and (Joe) Johnson got to the final and got close.
"I want to win multiple world titles, and this year I’ve got another shot at it. It just so happens it’s the year after I’ve won it for the first time.
"You’ve got to be confident because you’re already fighting against the odds. I know what it takes to win this tournament. I’ve got a good record here, I’ve always been pretty solid, and someone is going to have to play well to beat me."
THE ‘CRUCIBLE CURSE’: HOW FIVE OF SNOOKER’S BIGGEST NAMES FELL SHORT:
STEVE DAVIS
Davis began as the bookmakers’ favourite having swept aside Doug Mountjoy to win his maiden title the previous year. But he crashed to a 10-1 defeat against little-known qualifier Tony Knowles, who claimed to have spent most of his time in between their two sessions in a nightclub and only slept for five hours.
STEPHEN HENDRY
Having been crowned the sport’s youngest world champion the previous year, it seemed not even a so-called ‘curse’ could stop Hendry retaining his crown in 1991. But he reckoned without motorbike-loving Steve James, who won four frames in a row to sink the Scot 13-11 in the last eight. It was Hendry’s last Crucible defeat for six years.
JOHN HIGGINS
Higgins beat defending champion Doherty in the 1998 final – ensuring the Irishman would join the list of the accursed – but the Scot got a taste of his own medicine the following year. Having cruised through to the semi-finals, he was well beaten 17-10 by Welshman Mark Williams.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN
Even the best of all time could not defend his initial title. O’Sullivan coasted to his first world crown in 2001, but the following year saw him fall short in a semi-final grudge match with Hendry. O’Sullivan said before the match that he would relish "sending Hendry back home to Scotland" – but it was the Essex-based star who packed his bags after a 17-13 loss.
JUDD TRUMP
Even the ultra-dominant Trump could not build on his maiden world title win in 2019. Trump returned to the Crucible the following year looking to round off a remarkable campaign which yielded a record six ranking titles and over 100 century breaks. But even Trump found the ‘curse’ too tough to crack, and it was Wilson who got the better of their quarter-final meeting.
