The World Championships are just a few days away and no-one looks to be a runaway favourite.
It's so open there are possibly up to eight players who have a chance of lifting the famous trophy.
Here's my opinion of the top eight favourites, according to odds from William Hill, and how far I predict they will go.
Judd Trump 5-1
Last year's runner-up has been a breath of fresh air for the sport, but he's had a patchy season.
He won the second biggest title, the UK Championship, last December but since then hasn't reached a semi-final.
He's been knocked out in the quarters of the German Masters, Welsh Open and the recent China Open and couldn't get past the second round at the Haikou Open and PTC Finals.
So it's fair to say he hasn't been firing on all cylinders in the run-up to the Crucible, but his draw isn't too bad.
I expect him to dispatch whichever qualifier he's drawn against, and think he'll have an easy game against Ali Carter should he proceed to the second round.
A tough quarter final awaits against potentially either an in-form Stephen Lee or Shaun Murphy, but I suspect he'll have enough to overcome that hurdle.
However I fear his attacking game could be his undoing when it gets to the latter stages, and maybe Stephen Maguire or John Higgins might just raise their games.
Prediction: semi-final
Ronnie O'Sullivan 8-1
It's been said countless times before but if The Rocket turns up with his A game, he has to be a contender.
But with his well-documented struggles with illness - he suffers from severe bouts of tiredness due to glandular fever - it has to be a black mark against any chance of winning a fourth World title.
He's like a Denman or Kauto Star - a thoroughbred who the paying public adore, but potentially may not be able to win the big prize.
Having said that the win at the German Masters, semi-final spot at the Welsh Open and quarter final of the China Open will give Ronnie's fan some hope.
Prediction: Quarter final
Mark Selby 8-1
The world number pulled out of the China Open with a neck injury so there are doubts about his fitness ahead of the worlds.
Selby is a funny character (and not in the Jester from Leicester meaning).
He performs consistently well and regularly reaches the latter stages of tournaments, hence his top spot ranking.
While winning the Shanghai Masters and Wuxi Classic, he has a seemingly mental block when it comes to clinching major ranking event wins (which is why he wasn't in the Premier League this year despite being number one).
I fully expect him to reach the quarters but believe his Crucible run will come to end against Mark Allen or Ding Junhui (who he lost to at the same stage last year).
Prediction: quarter final
John Higgins 8-1
The Scot played phenomenally well to win the tournament last year, with Steve Davis describing Higgins as the best player ever. So you'd be a fool to right him off completely, but for me he is a player struggling for form. He's had a nightmare season and I cannot see him getting past Stephen Maguire if they meet in the quarters.
Prediction: Quarter final
Neil Robertson 8-1
Like Judd Trump, the Aussie has had an indifferent season. He won the Masters in January, but since then has faded away at tournaments, losing games he shouldn't.
But he's gritty, loves the longer format and I think he can make it to the semi-finals at least.
Prediction: Semi-final
Ding Junhui 9-1
It might just be the Chinese player's year. He's in the same half as Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Ronnie O'Sullivan, but he's in fine form this season, having won the Welsh Open in convincing style over Selby.
Prediction: Final
Mark Allen 14-1
His performances this year have been far better and more consistent. He reached the final of the UK Championship and played fantastically well, eventually losing to Judd Trump who simply potted more balls.
He slaughtered Stephen Lee 10-1 in the Haikou Open and so comes to Sheffield high in confidence. And if he can overcome Ding Junhui in the second round he's got every chance. But Ding will probably have that bit more quality to see him through. However, expect a close game if they do meet.
Prediction: second round
Stephen Maguire 16-1
The Scot has lived up to his nickname - 'on fire Maguire' - with some thrilling performances this year. He's reached the final of the German Masters (losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan) and the China Open (losing to Peter Ebdon). So at 16-1 he's definitely worth a bet and the draw looks promising. But if he does reach the final, his ability to finish off matches could come back to haunt him.
Prediction: Final
No comments:
Post a Comment