Dominic on... the World Championship
 With the World Championship you need to prepare as much for the atmosphere as anything  |
It's obviously very exciting. Everyone in Sheffield is mad keen on the World Championship and the atmosphere at the Crucible is always electric - you can feel the tension as soon as you walk out there. I can't wait to get out there and feel that buzz again - it's brilliant.
Dominic on... playing Mark Williams(first-round opponent) Mark is suffering a little bit on confidence at the moment, he's lost a few matches that he won't be happy about and I did manage to beat him at the Regal Welsh Open in January, so I'll go into the match with a good attitude. I need to keep Mark under pressure and I'll have to play well to do that. Mark is the reigning champion so it's going to be tough but everybody likes an underdog and I feel I'm playing well enough to cause a few upsets.
Dominic on... playing at the Crucible It's important to go and play as you normally do, but with the World Championship you need to prepare as much for the atmosphere as anything.  | | There's no hiding place once you step out from behind the Crucible curtain |
You've got to be aware that when you go out there through the curtain it's going to be some atmosphere to savour and if you're not ready for that you're going to struggle. The intimacy of the place is what marks the Crucible out as different from other tournaments you play in. It's pretty small in there but the real atmosphere comes from the fact it's absolutely packed from day one and the spectators are really close to the action - you really feel watched. You're also sitting right next to your opponent, which is different to other tournaments, but probably the biggest thing to cope with is having another match going on next to you in the early rounds. You can be down on a shot and there can be a round of applause from the other table which can be very off-putting. It's very important when this happens to get up off the shot and recompose yourself because the applause can make you miss a shot - it's happened to me in the past and I've seen it happen to other players.
Dominic on... Sheffield If you win your first match there is a gap of a few days until your next match so you need to get out for a couple nights to relax and enjoy yourself. I like to go out for meals in Sheffield - I like a bit of Italian food and a bit of steak and a glass of wine. Nightclubs
they're always good! If I had a good three or four days off I could go clubbing one night - that wouldn't hurt! But if I had a match say, on the Friday, I wouldn't go out any later than a Tuesday night because it could affect your preparations. Dominic on... the joy of song
I like Roy Orbison - and I know most of Roy's songs back to front. It's through Roy that I got into opera and I trained as a singer for about 18 months. I always get asked to sing in tournaments and I sang at a tournament in Ireland recently which went down very well. If I were to win the World Championship I'll be singing anything I can tell you! Dominic on... superstitions
I don't have any superstitions - I think you've got a slight mental weakness in your game if you have superstitions. It doesn't make any difference what colour shoes you are wearing or if you've got a favourite shirt - but there have been a number of players over the years who have had superstitions. Dominic on... having a fantasy £10 bet on the winner of the Championship  | | Dominic thinks Ken Doherty could do well |
It's a tough one because a lot of players started the season in tremendous fashion but are now struggling. Stephen Hendry started well as did Matthew Stevens but both are struggling a bit. Someone like John Higgins could be dangerous as could Ken Doherty, who has had a terrible season but has improved recently. The big boys are always a threat when it comes to this tournament - they come into their own from the quarter-final stage onwards. In the World Championship you are always looking for one of the bigger names to come through and win it. Liked this feature? See also...
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