World ranking: 14
Last five seasons: 19-25-30-33-58
Date of birth: 12-05-77
Lives: Larkhall, Glasgow
Turned professional: 1994
Best ranking event performances: Runner-up Regal Scottish 1999, Semi-final of Grand Prix 2000
Last season's prize money: £51,500
Career prize money (up to start of 2001-2002 season): £244,965
Highest tournament break: 147 - British Open 1999

Graeme Dott has maintained his steady progress up the world ranking list and did enough during the 2000-2001 season to break into the game's elite top 16 for the first time.

His best performance came in the Grand Prix at Telford, where he reached the semi-finals before going out to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Dott received a walk-over against John Higgins in the quarter-finals. Ironically, it was Higgins who ended his hopes in the Embassy World Championship at Sheffield as he beat him 10-4 in the first round.

The Glaswegian came of age as a snooker professional during the 1998-99 season when he reached his first major final and then compiled his first maximum break in front of the television cameras.

Victories over Jimmy Michie (5-4), Quinten Hann (5-2), John Parrott (5-4), Paul Hunter (5-4) and Ken Doherty (6-5) took him all the way to the final of the Regal Scottish in Aberdeen but he had nothing left to give against Stephen Hendry as he went down 9-1.

"Having to survive so many close games definitely took a toll. Now I realise, if I didn't before, what a high degree of consistency is needed to win the world championship when there are so many more frames played over a 17-day haul," he said after collecting a cheque for £32,000 - the biggest pay-day of his career.

Dott's 147 came during his first round match against David Roe in the 1999 British Open at Plymouth and earned him a Vauxhall Vectra car worth £20,000.

The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre has proved a lucky venue for the Scot. He again reached the semi-finals of the 2000 Regal Scottish before going out 6-5 to O'Sullivan after leading 4-0.