Snooker World Championships Betting Preview
It is estimated that over the two weeks of the World Snooker Championship the eventual winner will cover the equivalent of 10 miles pacing around the tables of Sheffield's famous Crucible venue.
Any professional would probably go a lot further to lift the most important trophy in the sport. The World Championships and the Crucible have a very special relationship, generating a unique atmosphere, but there is no room for sentiment in the serious business of snooker punting.
Defending champion, Graeme Dott, comes into the tournament in excellent form having succeeded at the most recent ranking event in China. However, the Scot not only has 31 other players to negotiate but also the 'Crucible Curse'. Since the event was first held in Sheffield in 1977, sixteen first-time winners have tried and failed to defend the title, so Dott is up against it. The win last year allowed him to shed his nearly-man tag, but Pinnacle Sports don't list Dott at the head of their market.
O'Sullivan's greatest test could come in the first round where he has been paired with Chinese prodigy Ding Jun-Jui. The 19 year-old 'Pot Noodle' has already bagged three ranking events but his seeding at the Crucible will not reflect this until next year. The draw led O'Sullivan to question whether the process was fixed, illustrating how tough a game he expects. Pinnacle Sports have the Rocket 1.526 to repeat his success over Jin-Hui in the Masters and progress to the second round, with Ding 2.800 to gain revenge for that Wembley defeat and knock-out the tournament favourite.
Other than O'Sullivan there are nine other world champions in the field, including veterans Steve Davis (six-time winner) and John Parrott (1991), who make an interesting first round pairing. Davis has enjoyed a resurgence of late, re-entering the top 16 and Pinnacle Sports make the Nugget favourite for his opener at 1.439, with Parrott 3.130 having had to battle through qualification.
Davis' record at the World Championship is only bettered by Stephen Hendry, with seven wins. However, the Ice Man's last victory was in 1999 and though he has risen to regain no.1 spot on the current official rankings, the particular demands of this event might now be beyond the 38 year-old. A more likely candidate is Neil Robertson, the Melbourne Machine. The Aussie has burst on the scene this season winning two ranking events, and he could easily have won the 2006 World Championship having looked a certainty to beat eventual winner Dott in the last eight. Robertson is a decent price with Pinnacle Sports 1.645 to negotiate Wales' Ryan Day in the first round.
One important point to bear in mind with the World Championship is that is has thrown up surprises in the last two seasons, with Shaun Murphy's victory in 2005 shocking everyone. Murphy was the first winner to come through tournament pre-qualification. On that basis 17 year old Judd Trump would probably be this year's biggest long-shot, as the tournament's youngest ever competitor. Ironically, he faces Murphy in the opening round priced 3.290 for an upset, with the 2005 winner 1.402.
One thing is for certain Jimmy White won't be shedding his tag as the best snooker player never to win the World title. The six-times runner-up failed to come through qualification, disappointing his legion of loyal fans.
