Born: 14 October 1978 Nationality: English Seeded: 9 World ranking: 9 Career earnings: �918,500 Ranking points: 31,225 Crucible best: 2nd round (2001)

The Leeds player has only ever won one match at the world championships, a 2001 first round victory over David Roe.

Last year he fell at the first hurdle in a thrilling final frame climax against Australia's Quinten Hann.

It is a far cry from his form in one of the sport's other major tests, the Benson and Hedges Masters.

Hunter became only the third player, after Cliff Thorburn and Stephen Hendry, to win back-to-back B&H titles at Wembley.

In 2001 he came from 7-3 down to beat Fergal O'Brien, and 12 months later he overturned a 5-0 56-0 deficit against Mark Williams.

He has also won the Regal Welsh on two occasions, in 1998 and 2002.

This year he has added the British Open to his haul of honours, but his run of B&H success came to halt against Williams in the last four.