World champion Sean Murphy is not short of confidence as he prepares to return to the scene of his greatest triumph in Sheffield's Crucible Theatre tomorrow to face Thailand's James Wattana in the first round.

A year after causing one of the biggest surprises in the sport's history when he defeated Matthew Stevens 18-16 after earlier victories over Steve Davis and Peter Ebdon, Murphy now faces up to something no one else has ever achieved.

And that's to win the title the year after a debut victory at the Crucible, something Davis and Stephen Hendry failed to do after winning their first world championships in 1981 and 1990 respectively.

The Crucible curse has so far struck 14 times, the last when the 2002 champion, Peter Ebdon failed in the 2003 quarter-finals to hold on to his crown.

"As a Christian I don't believe in curses but I realise the odds are stacked against me repeating my win of 12 months ago. The top three on the rankings, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and John Higgins are the main dangers but none are in my half of the draw.

"Higgins on form, has to be among the favourites, Ronnie is a danger because of who he is and Hendry cannot be ruled out having won the title seven times."

As for his own chances, Murphy said, "I think I have a good chance of retaining my title, it's a good draw for me and I'm in a much better position than I was last year. Someone will have to play well to stop me and I'm determined that won't happen.

"It's a good record I have to try and break with so many first time Crucible champions failing to retain the trophy the following year and I'm over the moon that it's now my chance to create history.

"But I'm still among a good club of players who have won the championship and I believe I have a really good chance of retaining it as well. I will give it my best and it won't be for the lack of trying if I fail. In my own mind, I believe I have proved to myself and others that I have realised the potential many people had talked about.

"I am no longer that young player who can play a bit, something I grew up with. That cannot be taken away from me and the world trophy with my name on it will always provide a lasting memory.

"That means more to me than I can ever say and only goes to show all the hard work and effort I put in at my practise base has not been in vain. Now I have the chance to do something no first time champion has ever done at Sheffield and that's to win back-to-back titles."

Murphy reflected, "The past year has been everything I thought it would be, perhaps sometimes more and occasionally sometimes less. I'm a year older as well but there has also been the ups and downs though I have enjoyed my reign as world champion as it has meant so much to me.

"The obvious high point of the past 12 months was getting to the final of the Welsh Open last month which proved I can get to the later stages of a world ranking event and removed that monkey from my back. The past year though has been the hardest season I have had in my life.

"I had never even qualified before for the final stages of the UK championship, Welsh and China Opens so whatever my fate in Sheffield, it's been a great year and I'm up to number five on the world rankings.

"Of course I also got married not long after winning the world championship and later moved house twice so there were three more very stressful aspects of life to contend with.

"It seems the past 12 months have passed by in the blink of an eye. It only seems like yesterday that I was lifting the world championship trophy aloft in the Crucible theatre. And now I'm preparing to go back there to defend my title.

"Fourteen first time winners have returned to the Crucible and failed to retain the title. Now it's my turn and while the record book is against me I can fly in the face of that. As a Christian I don't talk about the Crucible curse. We don't believe in things like that.

"You have to find your own way as a world champion and Claire and myself have tried to find ours. Looking back I don't think there is anything we would have done differently. After all, hindsight is a wonderful sense to have.

"I said 12 months ago someone will walk away as world champion and there was no reason why it couldn't be me and lo and behold it was.

"Apart from the top three on the rankings everyone else has had a similar season and the Crucible brings different standards out of different players.

"Ill be using my Tom Newman cue which is between 80 and 90 years old. I bought it when my original cue was having some work done to it. That was when I was 15 and I've used it ever since making a break of 143 in the first frame I used it."

Murphy and Wattana play their first round match tomorrow with the Thai going into action in the knowledge that his top 32 ranking is safe for at least another season when in previous seasons he wasn't sure of this. Wattana has had warm up games against Ronnie O'Sullivan who led 7-0 before taking time out to put a new tip on his cue. He went on to win 10-3 but Wattana later defeated Ebdon 8-4 with six breaks of over 80.

John Dee

The Nation