The 39-year-old, who beat Stephen Hendry 18-17 in an epic final at Sheffield in 2002, is renowned for his meticulous preparation for snooker's biggest tournament. He's had a patchy season so far but showed signs of form in reaching the quarter-finals of the recent Sanyuan Foods China Open.
"I felt I played pretty well in China, particularly in my second round match against Neil Robertson," said Ebdon, who is on the fringes of the provisional top 16 and is desperate to hang on to his place among the top bracket, which he has held for 16 consecutive seasons. "I lost to Ding Junhui in the quarters but I didn't do a lot wrong - he just played exceptionally well. I'm not far off being just right and I'm really looking forward to Sheffield. I always like to leave a little bit to work on, so hopefully I will be peaking just in time.
"Earlier in the season I had a problem with my back which stopped me from swimming for a couple of months, but I'm back into the swimming now so I will be in good physical shape to deal with the demands of the long matches."
Ebdon faces Graeme Dott in his first match, a repeat of the 2006 final which Dott won 18-14. That match takes place on Tuesday April 20 (7pm) and Wednesday April 21 (7pm).
"It's a tough match for both of us," added Ebdon, a winner of eight ranking events. "Graeme will also be very well prepared and determined to win."
Last week's tournament in Beijing saw Ebdon showing off his singing voice, with renditions of Robbie Williams and Neil Diamond songs during press conferences. But he has no intention of a repeat performance at the Crucible. "I've heard nothing from Simon Cowell so I think I'll give my voice a rest for now," he joked.
The Betfred.com World Snooker Championship runs from April 17 to May 3.
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