Qualifiers who reached the World Snooker Championship Final at the Crucible

1977: Cliff Thorburn (Runner-Up) 

In 1977, Canada’s Cliff Thorburn became the first North American to reach a World Snooker Championship final. 

‘The Grinder’ was outside the world’s top eight rankings and had to qualify for the main stages at the Crucible, which was hosting the event for the first time.

The world number 13 whitewashed Chris Ross 11-0 to book his Sheffield berth where he defeated Rex Williams 13-6, ousted Eddie Charlton 13-12 and then made two centuries in eliminating Dennis Taylor 18-16 in the semi-finals. 

Facing John Spencer in the final, Thorburn led 15-11 at one point before the Englishman charged back and ran out a 25-21 winner to secure his third world title. 

Just three years later, though, Thorburn got his hands on the trophy. 

1978: Perrie Mans (Runner-Up) 

South Africa’s Perrie Mans added to the international flavour of the event in 1978. 

The world number 10 won his qualifying match 9-6 and was the first player in history to inflict the ‘Crucible Curse’ as he dispatched defending champion John Spencer 13-8 in the first round. 

Further victories over Graham Miles 13-7 and Fred Davis 18-16 put Mans into his maiden world final where he met five-time champion Ray Reardon. 

Mans twice led by a single frame during the middle passage of the encounter and stayed close to his opponent, but Reardon was too strong in the closing stages as he claimed seven of the final eight frames for a 25-18 win and his sixth world championship crown. 

1979: Terry Griffiths (Champion) 

Terry Griffiths made history in 1979 when he became the first qualifier to lift the trophy at the Crucible Theatre. 

Competing in his rookie season as a professional, the Welshman navigated two rounds of qualifying to reach Sheffield. In the main draw, Griffiths defeated Perrie Mans 13-8 in round one and then came back from 6-2 down to deny Alex Higgins 13-12 in an epic quarter-final duel where he made a break of 107 in the deciding frame.  

The 31-year-old had to endure another close finish in the last four as he squeezed past Eddie Charlton 19-17. 

In the six-session final, Griffiths played number eight seed Dennis Taylor, who had seen off defending champion Ray Reardon in the last eight. The newcomer led after the first session, but Taylor turned things around and went 14-12 up. 

Griffiths, though, soon got back to all square, and despite starting the final day locked at 15-15, he motored to a comfortable 24-16 victory. The new champion of the world had been selling insurance just several months earlier. 

2005: Shaun Murphy (Champion) 

Following in Griffiths’ footsteps 26 years later was Shaun Murphy, the second qualifier crowned at the Crucible. 

The pre-tournament 150/1 shot with the bookmakers, world number 48 Murphy – who showed significant signs of promise at a young age - had previously only appeared in one ranking event semi-final. 

The 22-year-old secured his third Crucible bow after coming through two qualifying rounds in Prestatyn. He then recorded his first win on the hallowed carpet by defeating Chris Small 10-5, before eliminating a trio of former world champions in consecutive rounds; John Higgins (13-8), Steve Davis (13-4) and Peter Ebdon (17-12). Against Ebdon in the semis, Murphy recovered from 6-2 down and struck four centuries. 

A new name on the trophy was guaranteed as he encountered Matthew Stevens in the final. Featuring in his second world title contest, it looked like Stevens’ experience was going to be a factor as he led 10-6 overnight. 

However, Murphy stayed true to his attacking approach, caught his opponent, passed him, and eventually won in style, 18-16, to bank the £250,000 first prize. 

2007: Mark Selby (Runner-Up) 

Crucible specialist Mark Selby reached his first final at the Sheffield venue in 2007 as the world number 28. 

Selby saw off Ricky Walden in qualifying to reach the Crucible for the third time. In round one he came back from 5-0 down to defeat Stephen Lee 10-7 before dealing with Peter Ebdon (13-8) and Ali Carter (13-12) in the following two rounds. 

His first taste of the one-table set-up there, 23-year-old Selby produced four century breaks as he recovered from 16-14 down to pip Shaun Murphy 17-16 and make his maiden world final - only the second ranking final of his career. 

Former champion John Higgins was Selby’s final assignment; it was the third successive year the two had met at the Crucible, although both those matches came in the first round with Higgins winning the first, and Selby the second. 

In snooker’s most prestigious fixture, it looked like being a rout as the experienced Scot established a commanding 12-4 lead, but Selby staged a mammoth comeback - which included a six-frame third session whitewash - and got to within one behind at 14-13. Ultimately, though, it was in vain, as Higgins completed a grueling 18-13 victory at nearly 1am. 

A decade later, Selby would overhaul Higgins from 10-4 down in the final to claim his third world title in four years.

2010: Graeme Dott (Runner-Up) 

Graeme Dott remains the only former champion who reached a subsequent final as a qualifier. 

Following his greatest day in the sport in 2006, Dott suffered personal issues away from the table. Understandably, his form dipped, and so did his ranking. Having slipped down to number 28 in the world, Dott had to qualify for the Crucible for the first time in nine years. 

He embraced the challenge, winning his qualifying match and then seeing off Peter Ebdon 10-5 in the first round in a repeat of their world final from four years earlier. 32-year-old Dott got the better of Stephen Maguire (13-6) in the last 16, won the final three frames to pip Mark Allen (13-12) in the quarters, and resisted a Mark Selby (17-14) comeback in the semis to reach his third world final. 

Maiden finalist Neil Robertson was a step too far, as the Australian realised his dream with a 18-13 win, but Dott’s run helped him get back into the top 16 the following season.

2011: Judd Trump (Runner-Up) 

Judd Trump found himself in the bizarre position of being one of the most talked about players before a ball was struck at the Crucible, despite being a qualifier and having never won a match there. 

A precocious talent, Trump began unlocking his potential in the professional ranks just a few weeks earlier when he won his maiden ranking title at the 2011 China Open. 

Only his second Crucible appearance, Trump dethroned reigning champion Neil Robertson 10-8 in a blockbuster round one tie before unleashing more ‘naughty snooker’ as he ended the hopes of Martin Gould (13-6) and Graeme Dott (13-5). The 21-year-old negotiated Ding Junhui 17-15 in a classic semi-final to become the youngest player to reach a world final since 1990. 

The new kid on the block looked like completing a fairytale few weeks as he led John Higgins 10-7 overnight in the final, but the mighty Scot was too powerful on the final day as he turned proceedings around for an 18-15 win and his fourth world crown. 

Eight years later on the same stage, Trump defeated Higgins to claim his first world title. 

2016: Ding Junhui (Runner-Up) 

Despite an impressive collection of titles elsewhere on the pro circuit, Ding Junhui had appeared in just one semi-final from his 12 world championship campaigns. 

In the 2013/14 season, Ding won a record-equaling five ranking titles and briefly became the first Asian world number one in late 2014 and early 2015. But soon after those highs, Ding’s form dropped. Without reaching a ranking event final in two years, he slipped outside the top 16 and needed to qualify for the 2016 World Championship. 

One of the hot favourites for the title just two years earlier, perhaps the lack of expectation and attention in 2016 suited Ding, as he cruised through three qualifying rounds with a frame aggregate of 30-7. 

An x-factor at the main venue, Ding defeated Martin Gould 10-8, Judd Trump 13-10 and smashed Mark Williams 13-3 – with a session to spare - to reach only his second world semi-final. Facing fellow qualifier Alan McManus in the last four, the duo served up a record-breaking treat, with Ding hitting seven centuries – five of those in the first nine frames – in a 17-11 win. 

Nerves, and or fatigue may have played a part in Ding falling 6-0 behind to former champion Mark Selby in the final. Ding – the first Asian world finalist in history – battled back and drew to within one of his opponent several times, although he was unable to get level and Selby chalked up his second world title win with an 18-14 result.