First held in 1927, the World Snooker Championship the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker, with a current prize fund of £2,395,000, of which the winner receives a hefty £500,000.
In the early days of the competition Joe Davis was all-conquering, winning the first 15 tournaments before retiring undefeated.
English players Fred Davis (Joe’s brother) and Joh Pulman then dominated, with eight wins apiece.
The ‘modern’ era is considered to have begun in 1969 when the game became significantly more competitive.
Since then only 28 players have lifted the trophy, and only nine of those more than once.
Here are all the multiple world champions to date - could a tenth be crowned this year?
9. Alex Higgins - 2
Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins was one of the most flamboyant players to ever pick up a cue - and helped the sport reach a new, and bigger, audience. In a career of many highs and plenty of lows he picked up two world titles in 1972 and 1982. | Getty Images