World ranking: 16
Last five seasons: 9-11-20-23-36
Date of birth: 08-03-72
Lives: Bayside, Dublin
Turned professional: 1991
Ranking tournament victories: 1 - British Open 1999
Last season's prize money: £155,580
Career prize money (up to start of 2001-2002 season): £580,725
Highest tournament break: 143 - Benson and Hedges Championship 1991

Fergal O'Brien had double cause for celebration during the 1998-99 season as he claimed his first major title and secured his place among the world's top 16 players for the first time.

The softly-spoken Dubliner showed all his battling qualities in the 1999 British Open, winning four of his six matches in the deciding frame - including a 6-5 semi-final victory over John Higgins - and then overcoming Anthony Hamilton 9-7 in the final.

An emotional O'Brien dedicated his triumph to his grandfather Danny Burke, who has passed away two months earlier.

"He used to come to the tournaments with me and I'm sure he was there with me in spirit for the final," said fearless Fergal after collecting a cheque for £60,000.

O'Brien made his Crucible debut in 1994 but then had to wait four years for his next visit to Sheffield - and his first victory there - as he came from 9-6 down to defeat Thailand's James Wattana 10-9. He lost 13-5 to Peter Ebdon in the second round.

There was no hiding his relief about finally clinching that elusive top 16 place. "When you're knocking on the door of the top 16 it puts extra pressure on you. The qualifying game was the hardest match I've ever had," he said after beating Joe Perry 10-7 to book his place in the final phase.

O'Brien must have been equally relieved at the end of last season when he managed to cling on to his top-16 place by his finger-nails. He lost his opening match in the Embassy World Championship 10-8 to Mark King but Marco Fu's defeat at the same stage enabled him to survive.

Although he failed to produce his best form in ranking events, he was only one frame away from winning the Benson and Hedges Masters at Wembley Conference Centre.

Victories over world No 1 Mark Williams (6-5), fellow Irishman Ken Doherty (6-2) and Dave Harold (6-4) took him through to the final and he then led Paul Hunter 7-3 before losing a superb match 10-9 some 30 minutes after midnight.

He said: "You enter every tournament to win the title but the £88,000 is a big cheque in anyone's language. That's a consolation and it's not been a bad week, has it? But I'm still disappointed, very disappointed. I was so close."