There have been 43 title deciders in the Crucible era, with the tournament having been staged each year in Sheffield since 1977.
But for the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 World Snooker Championship finals day celebrations would be getting under way on Sunday.
As it is, snooker has been shut down like many other sports as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The blue-riband tournament has been provisionally rescheduled and is instead due to start on the last day of July, with the final set for August 14th and 15th.
Of course, it can’t be completely guaranteed that it will go ahead on those dates either, but several fans and players alike wait patiently in the hope that it does.
Who might have contested the showdown this weekend if things had stayed as normal?
Just prior to the widespread lockdown, Judd Trump managed to create history by becoming the first player in the sport’s history to capture six ranking titles in a single season.
The runaway world number one would have undoubtedly started the World Championship as the heavy favourite, albeit with the infamous “Curse of the Crucible” to overcome too.
Given their form, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy were arguably the two other players who were best positioned to make a strong challenge on this occasion.
Should the event proceed during the summer, it’s hard to predict who will hit the ground running following several barren months of competitive action.
Many have already alluded to the increased chances of a certain Ronnie O’Sullivan, who has proven countless times in the past that he can produce the goods after a significant spell away from the game.
Whoever manages to emerge with the title will have achieved glory at an unusual time on the calendar.
In the four decades of the World Championship in Sheffield, the tournament has always been staged around now.
One player each year was able to enjoy the summer as the sport’s world champion.
In this quiz, your task is to select the correct score in all 43 World Snooker Championship finals since 1977.
The question is, how many can you get?
Click here if you can’t see the quiz.
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