Both last year's finalists were knocked out in the first round of the World Snooker Championship this time. Has this ever happened before? asked Will Stoneman
This year's championship at the Crucible got off to a stunning start when Stuart Bingham, the defending champion, lost to Ali Carter -- and then Shaun Murphy, last year's runner-up, went down to Anthony McGill.
Three more former champions -- Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon and Neil Robertson -- also lost in the first round.
It was only the second time since the championship moved to the Crucible in 1977 that both finalists from the previous year went out in their opening matches, although there was a slight difference when it happened before.
In 1980 Terry Griffiths, the defending champion, lost his first match to a promising youngster called Steve Davis, while Dennis Taylor -- defeated 24-16 by Griffiths in the 1979 final -- went down to the Canadian Jim Wych.
But those were second-round matches, as the top eight seeds received first-round byes that year.