World Ranking: 1
Provisional Ranking: 1
Date Of Birth: 21/03/75
World Championship best: Winner - 2000, 2003

The defending champion and world number one will start among the favourites but has not enjoyed the best of seasons.

That's a far cry from last year when the Welshman won at the Crucible to complete a famous treble of UK Championship, The Masters and the world crown, fending off a great fightback from Ken Doherty in the final in Sheffield.

Williams attributed much of his success in 2003 to mentor Terry Griffiths, who put him back on the right track after two disappointing years which followed his first world title in 2000.

He added the LG Cup at the start of this campaign to make it a clean sweep of the BBC televised events, but since Williams has struggled to string wins together at the ranking events.

That has to be concern coming into the 'big one', but if anyone has the pedigree and mental strength to cme through, it is Williams.