Former world champion Ken Doherty insists the days of first-round whitewashes at The Crucible are long gone.
The Dubliner faces Joe Swail in his opening tie as he seeks to go one better than last year's final defeat by Mark Williams.
But, with competition becoming ever more fierce in Sheffield, Doherty is convinced at least one big name is going to fall in the first round.
He said: "There are a lot of banana skins in the first round and I think there will be a few upsets.
"Hopefully, though, I won't be one of them. But there are no easy games at The Crucible.
"The days of the big wins are long gone and there will be a lot of close matches in the tournament.
"Joe Swail is going to be a tough first-round opponent. We have played half a dozen times but he has been in two semis in recent years, so it won't be easy for me."
Doherty is simply grateful to have returned to form after a dip in his performances in mid-season.
He added: "I lost in Glasgow in the semi-finals and won in the Irish Masters. "I'm playing a lot better than I was in the middle of the season.
"I was playing well at the start of the season but then ran into a brick wall for a couple of months.
"But I'm playing 100 per cent better than I was then and I'm thankful for that heading to Sheffield."
Now he is looking forward to another crack at becoming the world's best in front of a vast television audience when he opens up his campaign tomorrow.
Doherty said: "The Embassy World is up there with all the great sporting events like the FA Cup final and the British Open.
"It is a great televised event for fans at home. I used to watch it at home as a kid - Alex Higgins' win in 1982 did it for me.
"That's what inspired me to play snooker and become world champion. "Just to play there was fantastic but to win it 1997 was beyond my dreams."
The tournament takes place from Saturday April 17th to Monday May 3rd.