Provisional world ranking: 5

Age: 25

World Championship best: Semi-Final 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Best ranking event performance: Winner of 7 tournaments: UK Championship 1993, 1997; British Open 1994; Asian Classic 1996; German Open 1996; Scottish Open 1998; China International 1999 (December).

1999/2000 ranking form: British - SF, Grand Prix - QF, UK - QF, China - W, Welsh - R3, Malta - QF, Thailand - R1, Irish - SF, Scottish - W.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is regarded by many as the most naturally talented player the game has ever produced. His speed of thought and ability to make frame-winning breaks from virtually nothing is second to none.

The Rocket shot to fame when he became the youngest player ever to win a ranking event when he won the UK Championship in 1993 at just 17 years and 11 months of age.

As far as this season goes, his recent, emphatic 9-1 triumph over Mark Williams in the Regal Scottish Open and victory at the China International have yet again established him as one of the in-form players.

He reached the semi-final at the Crucible last season when he lost 17-13 to Stephen Hendry in one of the all-time great matches. Only a jawed pink on a break of 134 denied him making another World Championship maximum to add to his 5 minutes 20 seconds record-breaking 147 effort in the 1997 finals.

His ability to play both right and left handed is unique.