Now ranked at number 20, the former provisional world number one is threatening to break back into the top 16, where he spent a decade as an ever present between 1999 and 2008.
It would be jumping the gun to say that Lee is back to the best form of his career, which saw him collect more ranking points than any other player in the 2001/02 season - but he's definitely enjoying his snooker again. This in itself marks a stark contrast to the player who threatened to the quit the game in 2008.The former Crucible semi-finalist seems to be playing with a smile on his face again, and it's probably no coincidence that he's now coming desperately close to a return to the elite of the sport.
He's one of a clutch of players with a decent chance of breaking in, but the difference is he's been there before. While some of the other hopefuls including Martin Gould, Ricky Walden, Mark Davis and Stuart Bingham are arguably playing the best snooker of their career, they also have the psychological barrier to cross in making the top 16.
For Lee, he's been there before and uncharted territory doesn't lay before him.
For those who are bidding to become top 16 players for the first time in their careers, they still have the question to answer as to whether they're good enough to make the leap. But Lee has proved it all before, and even though he's in good form right now, we know he' still got plenty left in the tank, which could come to the fore following his capture of a rankling title.
He's proved over the years he's got the pedigree , and is renowned for having one of the smoothest cue actions in the game. If he can keep progressing like his 4-2 final win over Stephen Maguire shows he has, then he'll have as big a shout as anyone of climbing to the promised land.
His next test will come in the UK Championship qualifiers, which kick off later this month.
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