The Masters is back a Alexandra Palace and we have some high quality snooker to look forward to.
The top 16 players in the world rankings, after the UK Championship, have been invited to the event. However, the cut-off came prior to the Scottish Open and World Grand Prix, meaning that Luca Brecel hasn’t qualified, even though the in-form Belgian is currently in the world’s top 16.
It’s a one-table set-up at Ally Pally and the first-round gives us eight cracking best-of-11-frames matches.
No Juice in Trump Price
Judd Trump is the market leader, but he doesn’t have a great record in this event. Trump has suffered four first-round exits in his nine visits to this competition. The Ace was forced to pull out of the event last year while he was beaten by Shaun Murphy in his opening contest prior to that.
When considering those factors along with the draw that Trump has been handed, there doesn’t seem too much juice in the 3/1 on offer.
Looking at the draw, Trump is housed in the same half as Mark Selby, Mark Allen, Barry Hawkins, Murphy and Kyren Wilson.
With all those top potters in the same section it seems worth concentrating on the top-half of the draw and it’s hard to look past the chances of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Favourable Draw for the Rocket
The Rocket failed to win a ranking title last season and there was plenty of talk suggesting that the Chigwell cueman may be past his best. However, those assertions have been quelled this term, with O’Sullivan winning the World Grand Prix as well as making the semis of both the England and Scottish Open.
Alexandra Palace is O’Sullivan’s home turf, and the fact that this competition and many others were played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes last term, won’t have played to the Rocket’s strengths.
There will be a lively crowd roaring for O’Sullivan back at Alexandra Palace and it’s worth remembering that the Rocket has won this title a staggering seven times.
Jackpot no Obstacle for O’Sullivan
A first-round match against Jack Lisowski sets up well for the Chigwell man and he does look to have landed in the weaker section of the draw. Jackpot has never beaten O’Sullivan in three previous meetings and the Gloucester potter has won just four of the 21 frames they have contested.
Neil Robertson and John Higgins may have something to say about O’Sullivan’s progress, but they have struggled in this event in the past and title contenders are pretty thin on the ground once you move beyond those two cuemen.
Defending champion Yan Bingtao, Mark Williams, Zhao Xintong and Anthony McGill make up what doesn’t look like an insurmountable section.
Clearly, facing the likes of Trump or Selby in the final would be a tough task, but the Rocket is available at 9/2 on the outright market and he looks a value each-way play.
*All odds correct at time of writing