After a marathon season the World Snooker Championship 2012 is finally here (well tomorrow anyway.) The best 32 players will battle it out over the next 17 days to lift the most prestigious crown in the game.
'The most open championship for years'
For me this is the standard way to 'big' up the event and I am all for anything that does that. But do they have have a good point this time around. As I look down the list of past winners there are only a couple of exceptions, most notably Shaun Murphy and Joe Johnson, it has always been a player with a winners pedigree that lifts the trophy at the end of 17 long and gruelling days and I don't seen any reason why that will not be the case again this season.
The expansion of the tour and the number of events that players are playing in over the last 12 months, there is an ever-expanding group of players with such a pedigree. Mark Allen is the latest and most notable addition to this list - he finally ended his wait for a ranking title a few weeks ago after knocking on the door for what seemed like an age and he is a big player in the championship now. Stuart Bingham is another player who also broke into the winners club when he won the Australian Open at the beginning of the season.
More noticeably there are a group of competitors who have broken there way back into the winners circle after a lengthy period of time away. The obvious two being Stephen Lee and Peter Ebdon. Ronnie O'Sullivan also returned to winning ways, all the more important as his top 16 ranking was hanging in the balance, with a long overdue win in the German Masters. This was his first main ranking tournament win for three seasons. All three now come into calculations for the World Championship title.
We then have the usual solid group that are there or thereabouts every year. Ding Junhui, Neil Roberton, World Numer One Mark Selby and to some extent now, Judd Trump. These are the new group of players who are constantly winning events.
On the fringes of this group are the sleeping giants with big tournaments under their belts but haven't found the right formula to win a main event this season. Surprisingly John Higgins is in this group, but being the current holder and the most suited player to longer framed matches he will be in the final 4 at the very least. Joining him in this group are the well-tuned Stephen Maguire, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens, Ali Carter and Graeme Dott. Three of them have already won the world title.
Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty are sitting in the 'veterans' club this year hoping for one more tilt at a world title, and a fairytale ending to their illustrious careers.
We then move on to the players that are capable of beating anyone on their day and all have the experience to battle through the 17 days and finally lift the much coveted title of World Snooker Champion. In this group are Marco Fu, Ryan Day, Dominic Dale, Martin Gould, Joe Perry, Barry Hawkins and Mark Davis. There are also those with points to prove such as Andrew Higginson and Dave Gilbert who have both had narrow defeats against strong opponents on their only Crucible appearances to date.
Add to all the above the new kids on the block, whose leader this year is without doubt, Belgium's revelation Luca Brecel. He has able assistants with him including the ever-improving Welshman Jamie Jones and Chinese duo Liu Chuang and Cao Yupeng. Let us not forget Liang Wenbo who has finally found his form returning and you can see how hard it has become to predict a winner.
So all in all I have managed to name all 32 players that will be competing for the trophy over the next 17 days. In the past the same 5 or 6 names come up as potential winners, Graeme Dott and Shaun Murphy aside, it is usually from this group that the champion emerges. However this year could be different. I still expect John Higgins and Mark Williams to be there towards the end, O'Sullivan also if he turns up in the right frame of mind. But look out for Judd Trump again, Andrew Higginson, Ryan Day and also the youngsters.
To be honest, look out for all of them, on their day and with a bit of luck, anyone can win it!
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