The 2003 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 2003 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 19 April to 5 May 2003 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the final ranking event of the 2002–03 snooker season. This was the 26th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible, marking the 25th anniversary of the first staging of the event at this venue. The championships were sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy. Mark Williams won his second World Championship title by defeating Ken Doherty 18–16 in the final. Having won the UK Championship and the Masters earlier in the season, Williams held all three Triple Crown titles simultaneously. The defending champion, Peter Ebdon, lost 12–13 to Paul Hunter in the quarter-finals and became another first-time champion to fall to the Crucible curse by failing to defend his first world title. A total prize fund of £1,682,900 was awarded at the event, with the winner receiving £270,000. Overview The World Snooker Championship is a professional tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker. Founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India, the sport was popular in the British Isles. However, in the modern era it has become increasingly popular worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand. The championship featured 32 professional players competing in one-on-one snooker matches in a single elimination format, each played over several . The 32 competitors in the main tournament were selected using a combination of the top players in the world snooker rankings and a pre-tournament qualification stage. Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927, the final match being held in Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, England. Since 1977, the event has been held in the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Format The championship was held from 19 April and 5 May 2003 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 26th consecutive time that the tournament was held at the venue. It was the ninth and last ranking event of the 2001–02 snooker season on the World Snooker Tour. There were a total of 120 entrants from the tour, and the competition's main draw had 32 participants. The top 16 players in the latest world rankings automatically qualified for