YORKSHIRE star Paul Hunter is sure of a hero's welcome from his home crowd tomorrow when he steps into the arena at York's Barbican Centre for his second round match in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship.

The 27-year-old favourite from Leeds is back in action after spending much of the summer having treatment to combat cancer following six cysts being found in his abdomen earlier this year.

The treatment has been successful but has left him at present with little or no feeling in his hands, so that much of the time in recent matches he has been playing instinctively without the advantage of proper sense of touch.

He lost in the first round of the Grand Prix in October and his only competitive success in the public gaze since his return was a one-frame win over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Pot Black televised tournament before he was beaten by his great friend and rival Matthew Stevens.

Hunter's opponent tomorrow in the best of 17 encounter is 30-year-old Scot Jamie Burnett, who last night knocked out world number 12 Ian McCulloch.

Burnett, the world 52, fought back from 6-3 down to win 9-7 despite not having practised much for the past three weeks for family reasons. After a poor morning session, Burnett said he played a lot better last night and was able to take advantage of bits of luck.

And he said he didn't intend to practise much today to prepare for his match against Hunter.

"I'm looking forward to playing Paul and I have a lot of respect for him as he's a great player," said Burnett, "but I feel I am hitting the ball well and don't feel as if I need to practise."

If Hunter wins tomorrow, his third round match on Sunday could be against Jimmy White, who plays his opening match on Thursday.

In the last fours years, since the UK Championship has been played in York, Hunter's best showing was getting to the quarter-finals in 2003 when he lost to Stevens, who went on to take the title.

Four former world champions - John Higgins, Ken Doherty, Peter Ebdon and Mark Williams - also join the UK fray tomorrow.

Higgins, who was in sensational form in his Grand Prix triumph, takes on Kent's Gerard Greene, who got a first round walkover yesterday when controversial Aussie Quinten Hann failed to turn up for the event.

Doherty, UK losing finalist two years in a row in 2001-02 in York, meets Marco Fu, who last night beat Michael Judge 9-6.

Ebdon, UK losing semi-finalist to eventual champion Mark Williams in 2002, plays Welshman Dominic Dale, who ousted Barry Pinches 9-3.

Higgins, Doherty and Ebdon start their matches tomorrow morning and play to a finish in the evening, while Williams starts his match against either Michael Holt or Ricky Walden tomorrow afternoon and finishes on Thursday afternoon.

Updated: 09:51 Tuesday, December 06, 2005