Peter Ebdon believes that Ronnie O'Sullivan and the rest of the world's top players will produce "fireworks" if they arrive at the Crucible in top form.
The 2002 world champion said: "You never know, do you?"
"Because if the real Ronnie O'Sullivan turns up against the real John Higgins, or the real Ding Junhui, or a number of other top players when they're really playing on top of their game, we really could have fireworks.
"I practised up at the (World Snooker) academy in Sheffield last year before the World Championship," he said.
"There was nobody in the world playing better than him last year going into the World Championship, in my opinion, and I was a bit surprised that he didn't win the World Championship last year. He's just got so much ability.
"Sometimes he can put his head down when things are not going right for him. It's because he's got so much ability and so much class.
Ebdon added: "If we see the real Ding Junhui turn up at the World Championship this year, I think he'll take all the beating."
The 2002 world champion said: "You never know, do you?"
"Because if the real Ronnie O'Sullivan turns up against the real John Higgins, or the real Ding Junhui, or a number of other top players when they're really playing on top of their game, we really could have fireworks.
"I practised up at the (World Snooker) academy in Sheffield last year before the World Championship," he said.
"There was nobody in the world playing better than him last year going into the World Championship, in my opinion, and I was a bit surprised that he didn't win the World Championship last year. He's just got so much ability.
"Sometimes he can put his head down when things are not going right for him. It's because he's got so much ability and so much class.
Ebdon added: "If we see the real Ding Junhui turn up at the World Championship this year, I think he'll take all the beating."
Cybernetic Steel: Can Ebdon generate his own fire to challenge for the World title?
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