WORLD SNOOKER PLAYER PROFILES

Davis - six-times champion. (Getty Images) (13) Steve Davis World Ranking: 13 Provisional Ranking: 19 Date Of Birth: 22/08/57 World Championship best: Winner - 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989. Even at the age of 47, the six-times champion is still proving more than a match for players half his age. Twice a quarter-finalist in ranking tournaments already this year, the 'Nugget' - so named after his friends won money backing him in his days as an amateur - has nevertheless had an inconsistent season. Those two last-eight appearances, in Malta and at the Masters, were the highlight while the low point came in China where a collision with an iron door forced a concussed Davis to pull out. The Crucible holds many happy memories for the six-times champion and he will be keen to go further than last year, when Anthony Hamilton disposed of him in the first round. Finding some sort of consistency will be the key, or Davis could find himself spending the majority of the tournament on the BBC sofas.