Tweet
Ssb - it's here...almost
The Crucible is quiet tonight save for last minute preparations for the Betfred.com World Championship.
This is merely the calm before a 17-day storm of snooker.
There will be shocks and surprises, great shots and amazing misses, pressure and tension, tears of joy and of despair, controversy and drama before the 2010 world champion is crowned on May 3.
This is the ultimate test of a snooker player and the sport's annual shop window. Let us hope the game puts on a show worthy of this great tournament's status.
John Higgins starts the defence of his title against Barry Hawkins at 10am. He will be nervous, especially if he is aware of a quote from Steve Davis, who once said: "The opening day is always difficult. The first shock hasn't happened yet and it could be you."
Stephen Hendry, an inspiration to a generation of snooker players and fans through his remarkable record of achievement in Sheffield, will face Zhang Anda, just 18, at 2.30pm.
Hopefully all the players have made it. I'm told referees Jan Verhaas and Terry Camilleri are struggling to get to Britain due to the volcanic ash situation that has closed most UK airspace.
They are part of a team of officials who work hard - often unseen - to make sure the snooker marathon runs as smoothly as possible. Led by Mike Ganley and Martin Clark, World Snooker's tournament directors, the officials are first in line if anything goes wrong...and rarely get any thanks when things go right.
People will watch this tournament in far off places. They will cheer their favourites from living rooms in Beijing and Moscow, Berlin and Bucharest.
They will travel to this provincial theatre - an unlikely sporting Mecca - having booked annual holiday.
Don't be fooled by people sniping at the game in newspapers. The World Championship still means a great deal to a great many people.
The Crucible, where all roads lead, is the venue where memories have been made that are hardwired into the DNA of snooker itself.
More memories will be made this year. The build-up, the talk and the predictions are about to end.
In the words of someone else preparing for the highlight of the snooker year, let's get the boys on the baize.
More...
This is merely the calm before a 17-day storm of snooker.
There will be shocks and surprises, great shots and amazing misses, pressure and tension, tears of joy and of despair, controversy and drama before the 2010 world champion is crowned on May 3.
This is the ultimate test of a snooker player and the sport's annual shop window. Let us hope the game puts on a show worthy of this great tournament's status.
John Higgins starts the defence of his title against Barry Hawkins at 10am. He will be nervous, especially if he is aware of a quote from Steve Davis, who once said: "The opening day is always difficult. The first shock hasn't happened yet and it could be you."
Stephen Hendry, an inspiration to a generation of snooker players and fans through his remarkable record of achievement in Sheffield, will face Zhang Anda, just 18, at 2.30pm.
Hopefully all the players have made it. I'm told referees Jan Verhaas and Terry Camilleri are struggling to get to Britain due to the volcanic ash situation that has closed most UK airspace.
They are part of a team of officials who work hard - often unseen - to make sure the snooker marathon runs as smoothly as possible. Led by Mike Ganley and Martin Clark, World Snooker's tournament directors, the officials are first in line if anything goes wrong...and rarely get any thanks when things go right.
People will watch this tournament in far off places. They will cheer their favourites from living rooms in Beijing and Moscow, Berlin and Bucharest.
They will travel to this provincial theatre - an unlikely sporting Mecca - having booked annual holiday.
Don't be fooled by people sniping at the game in newspapers. The World Championship still means a great deal to a great many people.
The Crucible, where all roads lead, is the venue where memories have been made that are hardwired into the DNA of snooker itself.
More memories will be made this year. The build-up, the talk and the predictions are about to end.
In the words of someone else preparing for the highlight of the snooker year, let's get the boys on the baize.
More...