A maximum of 11 frames will be played tonight at
Sheffield's Crucible Theatre to decide the recipient of this year's world championship trophy and a cheque for £250,000.
Last year Ronnie O'Sullivan was celebrating his second world title after an emphatic 18-8 win over Graeme Dott. The precociously gifted Essex player needed just 20 minutes of the evening session to take the two frames needed for victory. This was all the more remarkable considering Dott's early 5-0 lead - at this stage, it seemed as if a major upset could be on the cards. However, the Scotsman was generous in defeat: "He's phenomenally good. You have to say he is getting to the point where he could be considered the greatest of all time."
This season the number one seed has bolstered this opinion by winning three world-ranking titles and the Masters - but could he be about to quit?
O'Sullivan is well known for his ambivalent attitude to the sport that has given him fame and fortune - during last season's Irish Masters he declared he was "fed up" with playing in tournaments, while this year he has alluded to a complete change of career. What's next for "The Rocket", and was he hungry enough to reach this year's final?
Presented by Hazel Irvine and Ray Stubbs , with expert analysis from John Parrott and - provided he's no longer in competition - Steve Davis.
Producer Alison Witkover : Executive producer Graham Fry www.bbc.co.uk/snooker There's radio coverage in Sport on 5 from 7pm on BBC Radio 5 Live
As snooker coverage is live, this evening's schedule is subject to change