IAN McCulloch has been handed one of the toughest possible baptisms at the Embassy Snooker World Championships.
The Accrington-based cueman, who qualifed for his first ever finals at the Crucible with a nail-biting 10-9 win over Gary Wilkinson on Friday night, has been drawn against Welshman Mark Williams in the first round.
Along with world number one John Higgins, Williams has been the top performer on the circuit this season, winning back-to-back ranking titles earlier this year.
McCulloch will be one of eight players making their Crucible debuts when Higgins begins the defence of his world crown later this month.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article