WHERE WILL STEVE PETERS BE THIS WEEK?

Ronnie O’Sullivan put off calling upon Dr Steve Peters during his last-16 match against Joe Perry until the final morning because he recognised the importance of the work the sports psychiatrist was doing with Liverpool, attempting to win the Premier League for the first time.

So you can only wonder what is going to happen this week, with the demands on the mind management guru and his high-profile clientele reaching breaking point. Liverpool’s demoralising home defeat to Chelsea on Sunday tossed the title initiative away and would have been especially hard on captain Steven Gerrard who blundered badly for the Blues’ opening goal.

O’Sullivan will have a Crucible quarter-final on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Brendan Rodgers’ team will need picking off the floor with their destiny no longer in their own hands after 24 years chasing the dream.

Where will the renowned Peters be spending his week? Some shuttling between Sheffield and Merseyside seems the most likely.

MURPHY SUITED AND BOOTED

Whatever arrangement Shaun Murphy has with his new tailors Owen Scott, it seems to be delivering for all parties. The way these things work it is highly unlikely that the 2005 world champion paid much if anything for the bespoke suit worn in his first-round win over Jamie Cope, a Twenties-style number that drew references to the Great Gatsby. With shops in Huddersfield, Leeds and Savile Row the outfitter has a growing number of celebrity clients and with the help of coverage on the BBC and Murphy’s web site and Twitter page more are likely to follow, with reports they have been inundated with requests for fittings. The BBC’s Jason Mohammad is understood to be just one taken with the designs.

CLASSY KEN BACK IN THE BOX

Despite the raw disappointment of his 13-8 defeat at the hands of Alan McManus and seeing the rare chance of a Crucible quarter-final place disappear over the horizon, Ireland’s Ken Doherty remained in resolute good humour during his post-match press conference.

And before it had even started, the popular former world champion had a kind word for BBC Radio Five Live’s interviewer George Riley, who had filled in for him on his scheduled commentary stint alongside Dennis Taylor earlier in the day for the Barry Hawkins/Ricky Walden match.

“Well done George, very good job earlier,” said Doherty taking his seat before mischievously joking: “I reckon Willie Thorne might be getting a bit nervous, he’s coming under a bit of severe pressure there!

“But I will be taking your spot back now George. I think the other guys will be delighted because they have been doing double shifts since I got into the second round.”

PLAYING WITHIN THE RULES

Inside Snooker were kindly presented with the most recent set of the WPBSA rules of the game this week by leading official Jan Verhaas.

While most of us think we know most of the rules, there are from time to time situations that crop up in a match where reference to the laws and consultation with referees is extremely useful and helpful to better describe what has happened, and the rules do get updated from time to time.

You would be amazed how many football reporters don’t actually know some of the key laws of football – or maybe you wouldn’t.

Clearly the donation could not pass without some good-natured stick being aimed at the media fraternity. Verhaas signed the tome: “Have a good read, you might learn a thing or two!” while top referee Michaela Tabb inscribed: “You might have a chance of getting it right now, then!”

No chance of that. What’s the green worth, again?

BILLY IS SHARP WHEN IT COMES TO SNOOKER

Plenty of Yorkshire-based footballers have dropped in to the Crucible over the years, taking advantage of the proximity of the World Championship in Sheffield for a game used by so many to relax away from their own pressures.

This correspondent can certainly remember the likes of Mel Sterland and David Hirst, former Sheffield Wednesday greats, turning up to watch the action.

On Thursday night it was striker Billy Sharp at the venue, a genuine fan of the game who has been many times and had turned up to see defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan in the first session of his last-16 match against Joe Perry.

Sharp, out of favour at Premier League Southampton, is currently on loan at nearby Doncaster Rovers, battling to save their Championship status and with a huge match on Saturday against play-offs chasing Reading.

He said: “I love the snooker and probably like most people my favourite player is Ronnie O’Sullivan. I have been for I think the last five or six years now. We have a pool table at the training ground but I do have a nine-foot table at the house so I play quite a bit.”

TIME TO HAIL SNOOKER'S UNSUNG HEROES

The Daily Telegraph runs a worthwhile occasional column called ‘Unsung Hero’ featuring people working selflessly behind the scenes without whom the stars of a sport would have a lot more difficulty.

There are plenty of great candidates for such a feature in snooker in a number of roles, both at the Crucible and on tour generally keeping the show on the road and clearly the sport is extremely high-profile for the 17 days of the World Championship so very newsworthy.

However when approached and offered a piece that would have slotted in perfectly the Telegraph replied that is was “only for football”, ie some press officer who is probably being handsomely paid for what they do anyway at the club they support.

As someone who not only covers football also professionally and has watched it as a fan since being knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper, I do still find the slavish obsession ONLY with football to the detriment of other sports in some papers can be profoundly depressing at times.

We’ll do it on here instead, coming up soon.

A TOUCH OF THE GREAT CLOUGH FROM HOLT

Probably not too much doubt as to who won the Brian Clough award for laconic delivery and keeping a radio interviewer on their toes on Wednesday at the Crucible. And hopefully, given Michael Holt’s love for Nottingham Forest, it is at least recognition he would appreciate.

Facing the press after a desperately disappointing display and result against Mark Allen, Holt had to wait some time before the first question. When it arrived: “Tell us about the match”, his answer was short and sweet, “He got to 10 before I did. That’s it. It was there in front of you.” All it needed was a “young man” towards BBC Radio Five Live’s Jamie Broughton and it could have been the great man himself.

GILBERT STAR COULD SHINE BRIGHTER

DAVE Gilbert was well beaten by Barry Hawkins in the first round at the Crucible, and his run of eight losing frames had given him some extra cause for concern.

The 32-year-old Gilbert, arguably one of the tour’s underachievers and by his own admission guilty of poor attitude and discipline in the past, is one of a minority of top professionals not to practise on a Star table as used in tournaments everywhere.

At a rough estimate perhaps 80 per cent of players do have regular access to Star tables, either through using hubs such as the Romford, Gloucester or Sheffield Academies or in their own homes or clubs. A select few have been given them for various achievements or sponsorship deals, and others have the option to buy new or second-hand through advantageous rates set up by World Snooker or the WPBSA.

Gilbert still uses a Riley table in Tamworth, and suggested after his loss that extra difficulty adjusting to the table was beginning to cost him when it matters.

HAWK FOLLOWS ROCKET PATH

BARRY Hawkins took the decision to pull out of the China Open in Beijing after winning the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals in Preston, fearing that a return trip to the Far East would damage his preparations for the Crucible.

Last year’s finalist was of course able to advance the justification at the time of his withdrawal that the PTC Finals has originally been scheduled to be hosted in Thailand, which would have made a shorter flight.

That may not have been enough to avoid a fine, but the £100,000 pocketed at the Guildhall and £16,000 minimum for winning his first match easily in Sheffield will have covered that.

On the eve of the tournament Ronnie O’Sullivan branded some of his main rivals “insecure” for feeling they had to play in everything chasing the ranking-point dollar and arguably burning themselves out, while he was getting some hard practice yards done in relative comfort ahead of a bid for a sixth world title.

Although we have yet to see exactly what the full pay-off will be for the Kent left-hander Hawkins’ decision not to jeopardise his Crucible preparations was precisely the kind of thing O’Sullivan was talking about, and something we may see more of.

He certainly looked fresh enough in winning the last eight frames against Dave Gilbert for a 10-4 win to take him into the last 16.

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR DING SENIOR

There was plenty of disappointment for Ding Junhui over his first-round exit to Michael Wasley at the Dafabet World Championship…and disappointment also for father Ding Wenjun.

Ding senior had come over to Sheffield to watch his son for the very first time in action at the Crucible, and watched from the media centre with everything crossed that the man of the season could replicate that form on the biggest stage – but again Ding junior came up short.

Back home in Yixing his father produces and sells clay tea-pots as well as being involved with the powerful Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association on the coaching front. With CBSA officials present in Sheffield, there was business to be done returning to China.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS SNUBS WARBLING NAMESAKE

ROBBIE Williams must be sick of people making references to his more famous and warbling namesake – so if this year’s Indian Open semi-finalist is still reading it is probably time to look away now, as they say on the Saturday night news sports bulletin.

Almost inevitably the 27-year from Wallasey was asked about his choice of walk-on music for his Crucible debut against world No1 Neil Robertson, questions that could have not have been more leading if they been lit up in neon in letters spelling out ‘This is a question about the bloke who used to be in Take That’.

With patient good humour the world No68 explained: “It’s not going to be Robbie Williams. I have gone for a song ‘Feeling’ by the La’s, a Liverpool band, a local band for me. A lot of people have said I should use Robbie Williams, but it’s not for me. If there are people who think I should be coming out to ‘Let Me Entertain You’, I’m afraid he’s not really my cup of tea.”

WASLEY LEAVES WHITE SWEATING

The Michael Wasley win was a terrific story for just about everyone except Ding Junhui…and Jimmy White.

The Whirlwind’s place on tour looked all but safe just a fortnight ago before the qualifiers for the Dafabet World Championship. It required some extraordinary performances and an unlikely combination of results to deny him a place by right, even though there is controversial talk of a wild-card should he need one.

But Wasley and Kyren Wilson each won four times to reach the latter stages, and if either one of them were to reach the quarter-finals White would be the man to suffer.

Wilson, of course, trailed Ricky Walden 6-3 after Monday’s play but fellow debutant Wasley now faces a best-of-25 frame match against either Mark Davis or Dominic Dale to end White’s 34-year run on tour.

WASLEY AND DING HAULED OFF

BEING hauled off at a crucial stage of any match, let alone your Crucible debut, is tough to take and Michael Wasley appeared extremely reluctant to leave the arena at around 6.30pm trailing Ding Junhui 9-8 in their first-round Dafabet World Championship clash.

But there were no histrionics as referee Terry Camilleri explained the unfortunate situation to a qualifier who had quite simply not been in that position before on the biggest stage.

Wasley had of course done himself proud by hauling himself level at 8-8 from 6-3 down over night before losing the 17th frame and dropping one behind with two to play.

Ding had looked ill at ease for much of the match, not the relaxed figure of all season and lending weight to the view that the venue does get to him. There were frustrated gestures in the arena, and door-banging in the corridor during toilet breaks.

In such situations, though, it is not just the players who are inconvenienced. Bear in mind that some fans had bought tickets to see the conclusion of this match, with many Chinese supporters in the audience supporting Ding.

They were not entitled to see the finale late on Monday night, with that conclusion tagged on the end for those holding evening session tickets.

And it did not stop there, with even players’ guests concerned about getting back in to see the end of the match, but some understanding from the retinues of those playing from 7pm to swiftly vacate their seats and allow others back in solved that mini-crisis.

BELTING FIRST SESSION FROM MCMANUS

ALAN McManus is a proud Scot, having once emerged for a Crucible semi-final against compatriot Stephen Hendry to the sounds of a piper.

So it was perhaps not a complete surprise when he came out for his first-round match with close friend John Higgins resplendent in Mackenzie tartan trousers and matching bow tie.

What was more unexpected was to see a World Snooker official dashing in to the media centre after the first frame of the afternoon, won by Higgins, and asking if anyone could lend the world No35 a belt as his strides were too loose for comfort on their debut showing.

A potentially embarrassing incident on live television was avoided when scoreboard operator Geraint Phillips obliged, and armed with the lucky accessory McManus embarked on a winning streak of six frames to take control of the match before Higgins closed to 6-3.

The 43-year-old McManus said: “I am very patriotic, and to be honest it was a bit of a dare between me and Anthony McGill if either or both of us got to the Crucible.

“It is Mackenzie tartan – but they were a bit loose as I forgot to bring my belt with me. My shirt was coming out, and that can happen with new trousers you have never played in.

“I suppose they could have fallen down, I don’t think so but you never know what could have happened out there in the arena.”

ONE DIRECTION STAR LOUIS CAUSES A STIR

COVERING snooker for any length of time sees you asked to obtain quotes from a fairly eclectic mix of visiting celebrities – and on Saturday it was Louis Tomlinson, a singer with boy-band One Direction, that was even interesting the showbiz editors. The presence of the 22-year-old, spirited in covertly to watch Ronnie O’Sullivan to presumably avoid being mobbed by teenage girl fans outside, will have pleased World Snooker with one eye on trying to attract a younger audience and have the game seen as ‘cool’ by a wider cross-section of society. Tomlinson declined any set-piece interviews with the BBC or written press, managing to escape with a couple of autographs and photos for the events team, but spoke to various officials before and after the Rocket’s 10-4 win over Robin Hull having arrived with a director of Doncaster Rovers Football Club. Tomlinson made his debut for home town club Doncaster’s reserves in February, a match that attracted a record club crowd for that level of competition. The singer had never been to the Crucible, a professional snooker match or met O’Sullivan before but by all accounts hugely enjoyed the experience. O’Sullivan’s balcony guests that night included not only Tomlinson but artist Damien Hirst and sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters, as unlikely a trio of guests as you could find. The singer is reportedly worth £20million and is off to Colombia next on tour. It might be a while before we are saying that about a snooker player.

HEARN TEASES FORMAT CHANGE

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, as so often before, got everyone talking yesterday by announcing during a chat with Rob Walker on the governing body’s YouTube channel that he would, this coming Wednesday, be announcing proposed changes to the World Championship format from next year.

This was akin to lobbing a grenade into the Crucible before retreating to a safe distance. Inevitably, it was all greeted as if civilisation itself was about to end, with theories swirling and tweets flying back and forth.

What was missed by most was that Hearn stated the World Championship format would change, not the Crucible format.

Our prediction is a radical restructuring of the qualifying process, to include more players, including potential invites for former champions.

The way it could work – and this is just one of those wild theories I referred to earlier – is to keep the top 16 at the Crucible but have everyone else play a 128-player qualifying event consisting of three rounds. This would not be popular with players ranked 17 to 32, who currently play just one round to qualify, but would give scope to boost the field with wildcards, essentially making it a 144-player tournament.

Hearn knows the Crucible format, for all its eccentricities, basically works and has stood the test of time. If he is in fact to start meddling with this then he should be prepared for widespread opposition.

We shall find out the facts at the press conference on Wednesday, when Hearn is expected to announce other new developments, including a new ranking event on ITV.

WALKER BRACED FOR THE 'REAL' MARATHON

ROB Walker was the usual bundle of unbridled enthusiasm in the media centre at the Crucible counting down the minutes to calling out Ronnie O’Sullivan, Robin Hull, Stuart Bingham and Ken Doherty on Saturday morning at the World Championship. Walker does plenty of other TV and radio work during tournaments, but the main focus at the blue-riband tournament is the build-up both on and off camera to players walking down the famous stairs. Like many of those working at the tournament Walker sets himself a list for ticking-off purposes, and was relieved when someone pointed out he would not have to do the 51 high-energy intros he was braced for over the 17-day marathon, but ‘only’ 46 – with five mornings off in the three-session days, including the two-day final.

DOHERTY SEALS RETURN WITH A KISS

KEN Doherty was understandably delighted to be back at the Crucible after a 10-5 win over Thailand’s Dechawat Poomjaeng in the final qualifier, a stage where the Irishman has suffered bitter disappointment on a couple of occasions. Last year Doherty, at 44, the oldest competitor in this year’s event, lost 10-9 to Matt Selt just one win away and he also once lost 10-6 to Jimmy Robertson having led 6-3, losing the last seven frames. The Dubliner was in two minds about whether or not to kneel down and kiss the floor of the hallowed building once again – but egged on by MC Rob Walker on Saturday morning he was tipped over the edge and gleefully repeated the gesture before his match against Stuart Bingham.

Photographs by Monique Limbos

SNOOKER SHOE-DOWN

Xiao Guodong will today become the 189th player to compete at the Crucible since the World Championship moved there in 1977.

The Chinese, who finished runner-up to his compatriot Ding Junhui in the Shanghai Masters last September, takes on Ali Carter in what promises to be one of the best matches of the first round.

Xiao will be wearing his distinctive shiny silver shoes, which he says cost him £400. “I just like shopping. I like to buy nice things, they make me feel better,” he said.

He follows in the tradition of famous snooker shoe-wearers, led by Joe Johnson in 1986. We were hoping Xiao would draw Judd Trump, himself known for his fancy footwear, so that we could bill the match as a ‘shoe-down’. All is not lost – they could meet in the semi-finals.

THE COMPLAINTS

This is a special time of year for snooker fans but people can be strange and it’s amazing how some want to find things to complain about: when they haven’t actually happened.

The first ‘the World Championship is moving to China’ story was written in 2004 and they are still being written, despite a lack of actual evidence.

The World Championship isn’t moving to China any time soon, just as it wasn’t in 2004. Possibly a Ding Junhui victory at the Crucible would increase the financial pressure from China to scoop the game’s biggest event but the BBC will keep it in the UK as long as they broadcast it, and Barry Hearn wants it to stay at the Crucible.

Ignore everything else you have heard, these are the facts, although some are almost willing it to happen – so they can then complain about it.

The other thing people get upset about at this time of year is the format changing. For years we’ve heard matches will be shortened – except they haven’t been. And won’t be.

“It’s a bizarre format but it works” is how Hearn put it. He’s right. It’s not a format you would come up with today but it has stood the test of time. Every champion of the television age has had to pass more or less the same test.

(As an aside, it’s amusing how players who rail against format changes usually go on to suggest them themselves. Many feel the first two rounds are too long.)

If the World Championship were to leave the Crucible the format might change. But I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the same event and the same venue five years from now.

And doubtless we’d still be reading about how the World Championship was about to move to China.