Tournaments
888.COM WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP
19th April - 5th May
The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Defending Champion – John Higgins
Field – Top 16 plus 16 qualifiers
OK - so here we go for another year! The one that snooker players all around the world dream of competing in and only the select few ever get their hands on the famous trophy.
By the time the event 'breaks-off', there will only be 32 contenders left to fight it out for the title - 888.com world snooker champion 2008.
This one is more of a marathon than a sprint and it takes something special to still be there at the end of the 17-day event.
Defending champion, John Higgins, has failed to deliver all season, but will the Crucible atmosphere bring out his best again and turn his season around?
Runner-up last time around, Mark Selby, has on the other hand stepped up a gear or two and already claimed the Masters and Welsh Open titles in 2008. No doubt he will fancy the job in Sheffield.
It's four years since Ronnie won the last of his two titles and he has looked far more content throughout the season. Since October, he has reached the final of the Grand Prix, won the Premier League and UK Championship and lost in the final in Wales. His only slip, coming in the opening round of the Masters, losing out to Stephen Maguire.
There are obviously serious contenders among the 32-players, and Johnson and Dott prove that shocks can happen but we say "Beware of the Rocket", and predict a hat-tric of titles for O'Sullivan.
