Crucible Warms Up
This year’s World Snooker Championship begins at the Crucible on Saturday with last year’s surprise winner, Shaun Murphy, taking on Thai star James Wattana in the first round.
Former champion Ronnie O’Sullivan faces 39-year-old Dave Harold while seven-times winner Stephen Hendry opens up his bid against Nigel Bond.
The 1998 champion John Higgins faces world number 34 Mark Selby, with two-times winner and China Open champion Mark Williams in a tricky opener against Nottingham’s world number 15 Anthony Hamilton.
Three veterans of the game - Steve Davis, John Parrott and Jimmy White - will be hoping to prove that experience is worth more in the sport than youthful exuberance.
Parrott, 41, who failed to qualify for the championship last season for the first time in 21 years, has been drawn against 2004 runner-up Graeme Dott.
Parrott’s BBC co-pundit Steve Davis, 48, will be looking for a repeat of his efforts last year, when he reached the quarter-finals.
The ‘Nugget’ is up against Andy Hicks, who is danger of dropping out of the world’s top 32.
Meanwhile, ‘people’s champion’ Jimmy White, 43, who has been a Crucible runner-up on six occasions, will face 2003 Regal Scottish champion David Gray.
