WORLD SNOOKER PLAYER PROFILES

Hunter - playing despite serious illness. (Getty Images) (4) Paul Hunter World Ranking: 4 Provisional Ranking: 4 Date Of Birth: 14/10/78 World Championship Best: semi-final - 2003 Sadly for Paul Hunter snooker has been a secondary concern for the latter half of the season due to his ill health. With less than a fortnight until the tournament medical tests confirmed that the cysts found on his colon were cancerous but despite this the Yorkshireman will play in Sheffield. While awaiting the results of his tests Hunter reached the quarter-finals of the recent China Open but admitted, understandably, that he had struggled to concentrate while at the table. Hunter's hat-trick of Masters wins has established the Leeds-based player as one of the most respected players in the world. He has further enhanced his reputation with two victories in the Welsh Open and the 2002 British Open. His brilliant triumphs in Wembley have not been recreated yet in Sheffield but many feel the 26-year-old's time will come. His best performance in the Crucible was a place in the last four in 2003 but, with one foot in the final - he was 15-9 up - Ken Doherty battled back to edge him out 17-16. As a result of his illness Hunter has been short of practice and a first World Championship title, which he will surely win at some point, will obviously not be his main priority this season.