Ken Doherty: Crucible must ignore pressure to change format

Twenty-five years after he lifted his first and only world snooker crown, Ken Doherty is adamant the Crucible's weighty traditions must not be allowed to wither amid unprecedented pressure to change.

The 17-day tournament stands increasingly isolated amid a non-stop calendar of short-form events, and another former winner, Neil Robertson, is among those who have questioned its continuing format, deriding it as "dated and stale".

But for Doherty, whose quest to reach the famous venue for the 20th time at the age of 52 was quashed by last week's qualifying defeat to Rory McLeod, it is precisely those gruelling conditions that set the eventual world champion apart.

"It's a very tough tournament to win. You need strong resolve as well as talent, you need composure and confidence, and it is not surprising that a lot of players seem to wilt.

"It's about having strength of mind. It's the adrenaline and excitement that keeps you going, because it is a marathon of 17 days of more or less constant pressure, even away from the table.

"I love the format and I love the tradition. When a place is on top of you like that, it creates so much pressure. You get a feel for the history and nostalgia for the place that you don't get anywhere else."

A stellar season of three ranking titles plus the Masters makes Robertson the obvious favourite heading into the tournament, but he is just one of a number of leading players this year who arrive burdened with question marks.

For all his talent, Robertson has not returned to the world final since his solitary win in 2010, and Doherty cautioned: "I think Neil is favourite with the way he is playing, but he also came with big expectations last year.

"You have got to question him because he has admitted he