The end of 2005 was not a particularly pleasant one for the double World Champion. He lost to Fergal O’Brien in the first round of The Grand Prix and followed that with a 9-3 thumping by Stephen Hendry at The UK Championship.

Thankfully for the Welshman, 2006 has been rather more fruitful. In four events, he has not failed to reach the quarter-final stage and most recently, he went on to triumph in The China Open.

It looked as though a cruel kick in the 16th frame was going to deny Williams his first title since the 2003 LG Cup but after being pegged back to 8-8, he finally crawled over the line.

Dennis Taylor has been quoted as saying that the win will be just the fillip that the 31-year-old needs to be a major factor at Sheffield.

While his confidence will almost certainly be restored after his victory in China, Williams' game is still far from where it was in 2003. It is likely that the inconsistency that has plagued him for the last two years will once again cut short his progress this year.

Buoyed by his recent upturn in form and past glories at The Crucible, including the tournament's sole 147 last year, the former world number one will fancy his chances to go a long way but his opponent, Anthony Hamilton, will have other ideas. Playing well himself and with a terrific record against Williams, Hamilton may just spoil the party.

Prediction: First-round checkout