GERARD GREENE faces snooker legend Steve Davis in the Embassy World Snooker Championships at the Crucible this weekend.

The Rainham cueman comes up against Davis in the first round and is hoping to progress past this stage for the first time in three visits to Sheffield.

And he has a notable win over the six-time world champion. Greene beat Davis 9-2 in the UK Championships in 1999 but that is his only victory in four attempts.

But after a disappointing season by his own standards, Greene is confident that he can make it through to the next round for the first time.

He said: "Loads of people say Steve Davis loves it there and why shouldn’t he - he’s won six world titles there - but he’s not the player he was.

"He’s still a good player so I’ll be under pressure in front of a packed house. In my other two visits I’ve played the defending champion on the first day of the championships and never really got settled. This time I play Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, which is a lot better for me."

Greene, after a great season in 2003/04 which saw him soar to world number 26, has struggled in this campaign after breaking his cue before the start of the season.

But he’s finding form at the right time and is confident he can make it through to the second round, where he would meet either Chris Small or Shaun Murphy.

He said: "It’s going to a tough game but if I can take my chances and keep him away from the table I’m more than capable of winning. He doesn’t score as heavily as he used to so I’m confident I can go through. I’ll be devastated if I don’t."