Joe Swail will tonight bid to prevent a much-hyped quarter-final meeting between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White when he plays O’Sullivan in the Benson and Hedges Masters.
And in doing so, the Northern Ireland number one would gain a small measure of revenge over O’Sullivan who defeated Swail in last year’s World Championships.
An O’Sullivan-White contest would guarantee a virtually full house at the Wembley Conference Centre on Friday afternoon but Swail will be hoping to upset the London fans and make a quarter-final appearance himself.
Belfast’s Swail will take heart from O'Sullivan’s erratic form of late after the world champion’s surprise early defeat in last month's Regal Welsh Open.
O’Sullivan, who won the UK Championship in December, was eliminated in the last 16 at Cardiff by eventual champion Paul Hunter.
The loss meant O'Sullivan had two weeks to kick his heels, although his increased portfolio of promotional appearances since becoming world champion means he can easily fill his time.
"I've got so much going on in my life that it's sometimes a blessing in disguise to have a week or two off before a tournament like this," O'Sullivan said.
"Having said that, you want to remain in every tournament for as long as you can."
O'Sullivan was beaten by Swail in last year's Welsh Open but went on to defeat the Irishman at last season's Embassy World Championship.
The pair crossed cues in the semi-finals and O'Sullivan claimed a 17-11 victory before going on to beat John Higgins in the final.
And O'Sullivan recognises some of his own inconsistency in the experienced world number 10.
"Joe is a bit like myself," he said. "When he's on form he is very good but when he's not he can be poor."
Swail comes to Wembley on the back of a run to the quarter-finals in Wales, where he was beaten 5-0 by Graeme Dott.