As it begins its 43rd edition, we are taking a look at some UK Championships history.
The most successful players since the tournament started in 1977 include some of the greatest to play the game – the best UK Championship finals rank among the best matches ever.
It hasn’t always been the sports betting favourite that has held the trophy aloft, however.
While the top three of this list are all in the discussion for the greatest snooker player of all-time, less high profile names have enjoyed success at the UK Championship too.
Ronnie O'Sullivan - 7 Titles
The two-time reigning champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan has dominated the UK Championships in recent years.
Three of O’Sullivan’s seven titles have come in the last five events as he’s set the record for most Triple Crown wins with 19 (winning five World Championships and seven Masters to go with his seven UK wins).
No other player has got close to 1,000 career century breaks. O’Sullivan is the most gifted player ever, a phenomenal potter and thrilling break builder.
At his best, he sweeps any opponent aside and we’ve some of O’Sullivan’s finest form at the UK Championships over the years.
O’Sullivan has made the UK Championship final on eight occasions – his only loss came to Mark Selby in 2016, and he was involved in one of the most dramatic finals against Judd Trump in 2014.
Steve Davis - 6 Titles
Although he’s been pipped by O’Sullivan to top spot, Steve Davis still holds the record for the most finals appearances at the UK Championship.
Davis made it to the final on 10 separate occasions, his most recent coming in 2005 and first being in 1980. That fact alone is a great testament to Davis’ longevity.
Only Stephen Hendry and O’Sullivan won more Triple Crown events than Davis. Across his 38 professional seasons in snooker, he accumulated records that have secured his place in the sport’s history books.
The UK Championships played a major part in Davis becoming the unstoppable force he was during the 1980s – his victory over Alex Higgins in the 1980 final was a breakthrough on the biggest stage.
Stephen Hendry - 5 Titles
The youngest ever World Champion and record holder for most seasons at number one, Stephen Hendry’s five UK Championships are no more than a footnote on his extraordinary CV.
O’Sullivan is the only player ever to accumulate more Triple Crown titles than Hendry, but the Scot is the only player ever to win all three Triple Crown events in a season on two separate occasions.
Hendry called it a day after his 27th straight World Championship in 2012, 16 years after his fifth and final UK title. He appeared in three further finals, however, losing to O’Sullivan in 1997, Matthew Stevens in 2003 and Peter Ebdon in 2006.
John Higgins - 3 Titles
Ranked third all-time with over 750 century breaks in professional play, John Higgins – like the three above him here – is one of the most successful players ever.
Before winning his first UK title in 2000, Higgins suffered a painful deciding frame loss to Stephen Hendry in 1996. He’s gone on to appear in a further four finals since that disappointment to Hendry, winning three of them.
Higgins featured in another of the classics in 2010, again heading into a deciding frame.
Mark Williams was his opponent this time round, however, and Higgins came out on top to notch his second UK title a decade after defeating Williams for his first and a year after losing to Ding Junhui in the final.
Doug Mountjoy - 2 Titles
Welshman Doug Mountjoy won the second UK Championship back in 1978, defeating David Taylor 15-9 in Preston.
Arguably the greatest achievement of Mountjoy’s career came in the UK Championship in 1988, 10 years after his first victory. He defeated Hendry in a 16-12 epic to record his first ranking win.
Ding Junhui - 2 Titles
A snooker sensation as a teenager, Ding Junhui became the first player from outside Great Britain and Ireland to win the UK Championship when he defeated six-time champion Davis in 2005.
Also the first Asian player to be ranked world number one, Ding won his second UK title in 2009, beating Higgins in Telford.
Neil Robertson - 2 Titles
It’s two finals and two titles for Neil Robertson, who was UK champion in 2013 and 2015, defeating Mark Selby and Liang Wenbo respectively.
Robertson joins Ding as one of the best players from outside the United Kingdom in the history of the sport and is the only Australian to have won a ranking event (Robertson has won 16).
Mark Selby - 2 Titles
Most recently champion in 2016, Mark Selby has been the most successful player in snooker in the 2010s. A fixture at number one for much of the decade, the Jester from Leicester has compiled 16 ranking wins including three World Championships.
The final loss to Robertson in 2013 came just months after defeat to the same opponent at the China Open.
Mark Williams - 2 Titles
Mark Williams appeared in back-to-back UK Championship finals in 1999 and 2000, getting the better of Matthew Stevens in ’99 and losing to Higgins in 2000. An epic against Ken Doherty followed in 2002, with Williams arguably the best player in the sport.
He defeated the Irishman in a deciding frame, and had to wait until 2010 to return to the final. Another all-time classic followed, but this time Williams wasn’t celebrating as Higgins snatched victory 10-9.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Elizabeth Dalziel / AP Photo*
