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According to TheStatman Selby had a chance of winning the WC while beating a previous holder in every round. Well, that was before Murphy was knocked out..... just thought I'd check! Makes for some interesting reading.
The table below shows the number of WC's of each opponent faced for each year's winner. Anyone in bold without a bracket next to their surname is a future winner as well (for example Dott in 2004). Stephen Hendry in 93 and Reardon in 78 are the only two that have won the title without facing a previous or future holder.
The table below shows the number of WC's of each opponent faced for each year's winner. Anyone in bold without a bracket next to their surname is a future winner as well (for example Dott in 2004). Stephen Hendry in 93 and Reardon in 78 are the only two that have won the title without facing a previous or future holder.
| Year | Winner | Round 1 | Round 2 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final | Total WC's |
| 1977 | Spencer | Virgo | . | Reardon ( x 5) | Pulman ( x 7) | Thorburn | 12 |
| 1978 | Reardon | Mountjoy | . | Werbeniuk | Charlton | Mans | 0 |
| 1979 | Griffiths | Mans | . | Higgins, A. ( x 1) | Charlton | Taylor, Dennis | 1 |
| 1980 | Thorburn | . | Mountjoy | Wych | Taylor, David | Higgins, A. ( x 1) | 1 |
| 1981 | Davis, S. | White | Higgins, A. ( x 1) | Griffiths ( x 1) | Thorburn ( x 1) | Mountjoy | 3 |
| 1982 | Higgins, A. | Meadowcroft | Mountjoy | Thorne | White | Reardon ( x 6) | 6 |
| 1983 | Davis, S. | Williams, R. | Taylor, Dennis | Charlton | Higgins, A. ( x 2) | Thorburn ( x 1) | 3 |
| 1984 | Davis, S. | King, W. | Spencer ( x 3) | Griffiths ( x 1) | Taylor, Dennis | White | 4 |
| 1985 | Taylor, Dennis | Francisco, S. | Charlton | Thorburn ( x 1) | Knowles | Davis, S. ( x 3) | 4 |
| 1986 | Johnson | Martin | Hallett | Griffiths ( x 1) | Knowles | Davis, S. ( x 3) | 4 |
| 1987 | Davis, S. | King, W. | Reardon ( x 6) | Griffiths ( x 1) | White | Johnson ( x 1) | 8 |
| 1988 | Davis, S. | Virgo | Hallett | Drago | Thorburn ( x 1) | Griffiths ( x 1) | 2 |
| 1989 | Davis, S. | Newbury | Duggan | Hallett | Hendry | Parrott | 0 |
| 1990 | Hendry | Robidoux | Meo | Morgan, D. | Parrott | White | 0 |
| 1991 | Parrott | Gilbert | Knowles | Griffiths ( x 1) | Davis, S. ( x 6) | White | 7 |
| 1992 | Hendry | Murphy, Stephen | Wattana | O’Kane | Griffiths ( x 1) | White | 1 |
| 1993 | Hendry | Fowler | Morgan, D. | Bond | McManus | White | 0 |
| 1994 | Hendry | Gill | Harold | Bond | Davis, S. ( x 6) | White | 6 |
| 1995 | Hendry | Mazrocis | Drago | O'Sullivan | White | Bond | 0 |
| 1996 | Hendry | Ferguson | Wilkinson | Morgan, D. | Bond | Ebdon | 0 |
| 1997 | Doherty | Davis, M. | Davis, S. ( x 6) | Higgins, J. | Robidoux | Hendry ( x 6) | 12 |
| 1998 | Higgins, J. | Ferguson | Hamilton | Parrott ( x 1) | O'Sullivan | Doherty ( x 1) | 2 |
| 1999 | Hendry | Hunter | Wattana | Stevens, M. | O'Sullivan | Williams, M. | 0 |
| 2000 | Williams, M. | Read | Henry | O’Brien | Higgins, J. ( x 1) | Stevens, M. | 1 |
| 2001 | O'Sullivan | Hicks | Harold | Ebdon | Swail | Higgins, J. ( x 1) | 1 |
| 2002 | Ebdon | Judge | Perry | Hamilton | Stevens, M. | Hendry ( x 7) | 7 |
| 2003 | Williams, M. | Pettman | Hann | Hendry ( x 7) | Lee | Doherty ( x 1) | 8 |
| 2004 | O'Sullivan | Maguire | Hicks | Hamilton | Hendry ( x 7) | Dott | 7 |
| 2005 | Murphy, Shaun | Small | Higgins, J. ( x 1) | Davis, S. ( x 6) | Ebdon ( x 1) | Stevens, M. | 8 |
| 2006 | Dott | Parrott ( x 1) | Bond | Robertson | O'Sullivan ( x 2) | Ebdon ( x 1) | 4 |
| 2007 | Higgins, J. | Holt | O'Brien | O'Sullivan ( x 2) | Maguire | Selby | 2 |
| 2008 | O'Sullivan | Liu | Williams, M. ( x 2) | Liang | Hendry ( x 7) | Carter | 9 |
| 2009 | Higgins, J. | Holt | Cope | Selby | Allen | Murphy, Shaun ( x 1) | 1 |
| 2010 | Robertson | O'Brien | Gould | Davis, S (x 6) | Carter | Dott ( x 1) | 7 |
| 2011 | Higgins, J. | Lee | McLeod | O'Sullivan (x 3) | Williams, M. ( x 2) | Trump | 5 |
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