2001: Ronnie rockets to world crown

Ronnie O'Sullivan - deemed as the most naturally gifted player since Alex Higgins - finally achieved his goal when he won the World Championship.

The Rocket beat Andy Hicks, Dave Harold, Peter Ebdon and Joe Swail to reach his first Crucible final.

There he met John Higgins, who had just a day earlier won what turned out to be an epic match against Welshman Matthew Stevens, 17-15.

The semi-final appeared to have taken a lot of the zest out of the Scotsman play.

And despite a brave effort from Higgins to pull himself back into the match, which O'Sullivan led from start to finish, he could not find that extra gear.

The Chigwell player recorded 10 breaks over 50 and two centuries, in what was more of a measured, rather than typically spectacular effort.

Earlier in the tournament, defending champion Mark Williams made a shock exit in the second round at the hands of Northern Ireland's Joe Swail.

Swail did well to reach the semi-final, but had to beat fellow countryman and friend Patrick Wallace in the last eight, to get there.