THE World Championship is snooker’s version of Test-match cricket.

It is a measure not only of break-building, shrewd safety and masterly cue-ball control, but also of how well a player can navigate long sessions of snooker and even longer matches, and handle the tension produced by the tournament’s unique and iconic Sheffield setting, the Crucible Theatre.

This year’s tournament is already down to the fabled one-table setup – the partition separating the two tables from the early rounds is lifted and the sport becomes real theatre.