Belfast's Joe Swail cannot wait to get back on the baize at the Northern Ireland Trophy and banish the pain of the last season's conclusion.

Swail finished last season with an agonizing 13-12 defeat to China's Liang Wenbo at the World Snooker Championship, having missed the final brown in the deciding frame with victory at his mercy.

That result ended Swail's hopes of getting into the top 16 of the rankings, and denied him a dream Crucible quarter-final clash with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

"It's taken me quite a while to get over that match, and the new season can't come quickly enough for me so I can forget about it," said world number 20 Swail.

"I didn't play well last season but things were coming together at Sheffield, and if I had won that game, who knows what could have happened. That's why I was so disappointed.

"I was proud of the way I came back from 12-8 to 12-12, I gave it my best shot but it was such a sickener to lose. In a way I wish I had lost 13-8, that would have been easier to take.

"I was so close to getting into the top 16 so if I play well this year I could definitely achieve that. I'm starting the season with a clean slate, a new attitude and a new cue, and I'm really looking forward to it.

"There's no better way to start than with my home tournament," added 38-year-old Swail.

"All of the players love the venue and we get great support there, especially last year when Mark Allen got to the semi-finals. It's a great chance for the people of Belfast to see some top class snooker."

All of snooker's top 32 players, as well as 16 qualifiers, are set to compete at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Other than Swail, leading contenders for the title are set to include world champion and world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan, defending champion Stephen Maguire, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Dublin's Ken Doherty and Antrim's Mark Allen.

Eurosport