Enigmatic O’Sullivan is one of eight players who are generally regarded as serious contenders for the £250,000 first prize and he displayed his well-being with a comfortable 10-2 first-round win over Andy Hicks.

And the 25-year-old from Essex then gave an honest appraisal of both himself and his main rivals, coming down firmly on the side of the new breed in discussing the most likely winner.

‘‘I definitely feel I can go on and win it,’’ said O’Sullivan, who suggested he may emulate Eric Cantona by quitting his sport because he thinks it might be more fun to try something new.

‘‘I’ve got everything needed to be a winner - all the ingredients are there and I wouldn’t swap anything of mine for anyone else’s. But there’s something lacking and I can’t put my finger on what it is.

‘‘A lot of people are saying the tournament is as open as it has been for years but I don’t believe that.

‘‘The odds are stacked against the defending champion Mark Williams because no first-time winner has ever retained it. But he’s a great player - better than people say he is.

‘‘He doesn’t score massively but has a very good tactical and safety game and he’s an outstanding potter.

‘‘I think it will be a fluent player who wins the world title. A lot of people are saying Peter Ebdon will win but I don’t think he can keep up that mental strain the way he plays the game.

‘‘I think the fluent players will have too much in their locker for someone like Peter or Ken Doherty. I don’t think they can sustain that sort of mental game it takes.

‘‘When the fluent players hit top form they can win five or six frames in an hour and that’s what you need to do in a tournament like this with the longer matches.

‘‘I think Paul Hunter is massively overpriced at 14-1. I think he’ll beat Stephen Hendry in the second round if Hendry gets through.

‘‘It could be either him or Matthew Stevens. On current form, Paul is probably the better player at the moment but Matthew has the experience, which counts for a lot.’’

O’Sullivan returns to the Crucible arena on Friday to face Dave Harold a match which, if he was to lose, could conceivably be his last if he is serious about quitting.

‘‘I honestly don’t know what to do I’ve no plans,’’ said O’Sullivan. ‘‘I’ve a few ideas but we’ll see what happens.

‘‘I’ve a good break of three or four months after the season so it’s a good time to see what’s about.

‘‘I just want to do what I want to do. I’ve not found the right answer and I don’t know if I ever will.’’