Ron Atkins will chalk up for another shot at the Tasmanian snooker championship title tomorrow evening at the Ulverstone RSL.

Atkins, of Longford, will be looking to pocket his 16th snooker title and the only obstacle in his way will be explosive Hobart player Brendon Milburn.

Milburn makes his way into his first State senior title after a string of victories in under-age events several years ago.

Atkins, runner- up in the world amateur snooker championship against Jimmy White in 1980, and a three-time Australian champion, is the dour methodical table tactician who will be heavily favoured to down Milburn, whose forte is an aggressive attacking style of game.

The contest should be a classic encounter between the experience and guile of Atkins up against the youthful exuberance of Milburn.

Both players emerged from the preliminary rounds, which initially featured 16 of Tasmania's top cueists, playing in four round robin groups of four players.

There were no real surprises from those rounds, with the only minor upset being the defeat of defending champion Les Higgins, of Hobart, at the hands of Milburn in group A. Higgins qualified in the last eight.

Atkins beat Higgins in a superb contest four frames to three after he had trailed the defending champion 3-1 in the quarter- final.

Atkins was staring at a 4-1 defeat but somehow conjured up an unlikely victory after Higgins had uncharacteristically missed several golden opportunities to close out a tense and absorbing match.

In the other quarter final matches, early tournament favourite Gregg Watt, of Hobart, downed another exciting young cueist in Matthew Lynch, of Hobart, four frames to two, that match being punctuated by some classic aggressive potting and break building.

Local hero Danny Keygan, of Burnie, had too much firepower for first time entrant Wayne Stubbs, of Devonport, who was far from disgraced, downing him 4-1, while Milburn defeated perennial finalist Kerry Keygan, also from Burnie, 4-1 in another good contest.

The semi-finals of the 1999 State championship lived up to all expectations, with Atkins defeating Watt 5-2, after Watt had started in a blaze, the first frame producing a fine 84 break to the young Hobart cueist.

From that point, however, Atkins had levelled at two frames all. After Watt failed to close out the third and fourth frames to a 4-0 lead, the sting seemed to go right out of his game and although all the remaining frames went to the pink or the black, many in the crowd sensed that Atkins had Watt's measure.

Milburn looked ultra impressive against Danny Keygan in the other semi-final, defeating him five frames to two.

That match featured some awesome aggressive potting by both players, with Milburn finding the answers every time Keygan mounted a serious challenge.

The best- of-13 frames State final starts at 7.30pm tomorrow at the Ulverstone RSL in two sessions. The first session will be played over six frames but will be terminated if either player leads 5-0. The balance of the final starts on Saturday at noon.

Both players will be vying for the Ted Pickett Trophy, which will be presented by State president John Williams, of Devonport.