SCOT Graeme Dott fell victim to the Crucible curse at the 888.com World Championship in Sheffield last night.
The 29-year-old defending champion became the 14th player to lose his crown the year after his debut victory and it means no first time champion has returned to the Crucible the following year and successfully defended his title.
Not even 90's legend and seven-times champion Stephen Hendry or Steve Davis, winner six times in the 1980's, held on to the title the year after winning it for the first time at the Crucible but Dott's defeat earned him the tag of being only the third debut champion to lose in the first round 12 months later.
And Dott's hopes of moving to No.1 on the world rankings next season virtually vanished after a 10-7 defeat at the hands of Preston's Ian McCulloch, who was doubling up following his 10-9 victory over the Scot in the first round two years ago. Glasgow's "mighty atom" appeared to have his opponent on the ropes when he built up a 4 - 2 lead but the gutsy McCulloch, a semi-finalist in 2005, regained his composure to win three in a row and lead 5-4 at half way and later 6-4.
Dott won frame 11 to close to 6-5 but lady luck deserted him completely on the colours in frame 12.
First he knocked in the black playing a safety shot and on his next visit to the table he unluckily went in off the yellow and fell 7-5 behind as McCulloch finished off the frame.
Dott did win frames 14 with his highest break, an 85 only for McCulloch who has never won a ranking event to get to within one of victory with a 110.
Dott took a scrappy 16th frame but it was all over in the next when McCulloch potted the 14th red and fluked the 15th.
Peter Ebdon whose two ventures into the world of pop both failed, found himself out of tune as rival Nigel Bond took a surprise 5-4 overnight lead in their first round clash.
Ebdon lost five frames in a row as Bond, runner-up to Stephen Hendry in 1995 hit all the right notes to overturn a 4-0 deficit and lead 5-4 going into today's remaining batch of 10 frames.
The 2002 World Champion and father of four spent 99 minutes building up a 4-0 lead but his highest break of 41 suggested his best form was still some way away.
Bond who lives with his wife and two sons only a few miles from the Crucible had slipped 4-0 behind despite leading 62-0 in frame four.
But the gritty Ebdon went on to win that frame on the black to suggest he would hold a healthy lead in readiness for the battle to the finish this morning.
How wrong could you be as Bond came out of his shell.
Welshman Matthew Stevens, runner-up to Shaun Murphy in 2005 and to Mark Williams in 2000 took a 7-2 overnight lead against debutant Irishman Joe Delaney.
And Anthony Hamilton led 6-1 against Marco Fu while the battle between past masters Steve Davis and John Parrott saw the Scouser leading 6-1.
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JONATHAN PEARCE
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE