At the 2010 World Championship, Dott produced an unlikely run to his third World final in six years. He had not had much success in the 2009–10 season going into the World Championship, with only one ranking last 16 finish in the 2010 Welsh Open. However, a newly inspired Dott convincingly knocked out Peter Ebdon in the first round 10–5. He then thrashed fellow Scot Stephen Maguire 13–6 in the second round, and for the first time since winning the title in 2006, advanced to the quarter-finals where he recovered from 10–12 behind to see off Mark Allen 13–12. In his 17–14 defeat of Mark Selby in the semi-final, he scored the second 146 clearance in the 83-year history of the World Championship (the first had been scored by Mark Allen just days earlier in his second round match). Dott was eventually defeated in the final 13–18 by Neil Robertson, who had never beaten Dott previously, an ironic twist after Dott had defeated previous champion Ebdon for the first time in winning his own title in 2006. Despite having to settle for runner-up spot, Dott's efforts were ultimately rewarded with a return to the top 16 for 2010/2011.