: This was the last ever tournament sponsored by Embassy , ending a relationship with the sport that had lasted since 1976 due to new tobacco advertising laws.
The "Magician’s" Masterpiece: Remembering the 2005 World Snooker Championship
: Murphy became the first qualifier to win the title since Terry Griffiths in 1979.
Shaun Murphy’s 2005 run proved that in the hallowed halls of the Crucible, rankings mean nothing once the balls are scattered. It was a tournament defined by pure, unadulterated talent and the birth of a new superstar in the world of snooker.
Before April 2005, Shaun Murphy was a 22-year-old qualifier who had never even won a match at the Crucible. Ranked 48th in the world, he entered the tournament as a massive outsider.
The final against world number six Matthew Stevens was a rollercoaster of momentum. Stevens, a two-time finalist, looked set to finally claim the crown when he took a commanding after the first day.
