With five Irish players in the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, from April 21st-May 7th, interest back home should be kept alive for the first week at least. If Ken Doherty is to win his third ranking title this season, he must first navigate his way past England's Nick Dyson in the opening round.

Joe Swail, Fergal O'Brien, Patrick Wallace and Michael Judge complete the Irish line-up. Judge, who ensured Jimmy White would miss his first Crucible tournament in two decades as a professional, faces John Parrott in the first round.