2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy is set to face un-ranked opposition

The first edition of World Snooker's new Players Tour Championship has pitted a host of unknown players against some of the games top stars.

The event, at Sheffield's World Snooker Academy, sees a total of 128 players compete for a £50,000 top prize.

Birmingham amateur Mitchell Mann, who won Junior Pot Black in 2007, is facing former World Champion Shaun Murphy in Friday's opening round.

"It's a good privilege to play someone like that," 18-year-old Mann said.

"It's rare, you don't get this opportunity every day so it's going to be good," he added.

A total of 73 professional players are in the first round draw, including the likes of Mark Williams, Jimmy White and Mark Selby, although only nine of the world's top sixteen will be playing due to holidays and other commitments.

"We're delighted with the strength of the field for the first PTC event," said World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn.

"Bearing in mind that a lot of players might miss it because of previously-arranged commitments, to get 73 of the 96 professionals there is a very good strike rate.

"There are ranking points and a lot of money up for grabs at these events, so players who miss the first one might see themselves slipping down the rankings and quickly get their names down for the second one. Ideally I'd like to see all of them competing and striving for a place in the final stages," Hearn added.

You just have to take it as an ordinary match - not play the player, but play what's in front of you Mitchell Mann

The championship will be the first major snooker event since Hearn took control of World Snooker earlier this month.

There will be 12 Players Tour Championships throughout the season, with six being played in the UK and six in Europe as players from countries such as Brazil, Malta and Germany compete.

The event will culminate with the top 24 players from the 12 events competing in the championship's finals from 17-20 March.

And for players like Mann, who missed out on a place on the professional tour by a single frame two season ago, it's an opportunity to prove they deserve to be up there with the best.

"A lot of it is in your head," Mann says. "You've got to be mentally strong. With all experience they've got you can't really afford any mistakes.

"You just have to take it as an ordinary match - not play the player, but play what's in front of you."

Some of the other unranked players getting a chance to face the world's best include 15-year-old Belgian Luca Brecel, who faces world number 14 Marco Fu, and un-ranked Welshman Andrew Pagett, who meets former World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

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