Richard Mann previews the first-round action at the UK Championship, which kicks off on Monday in Milton Keynes.
Recommended bets: UK Championship First Round
3pts Ken Doherty to beat Lu Ning at 11/10
1pt Gao Yang to beat Michael Holt at 5/1
2pts Louis Heathcote to beat Chris Wakelin at 13/10
1pt Zhao Jianbo to beat Graeme Dott at 5/1
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Lu Ning v Ken Doherty
Thursday November 26 - 14:00
Former world champion Ken Doherty has started the new season in good touch and enjoyed a fine run in the Championship League before losing out at the semi-finals stage.
He was mixing in elite company there and the Dubliner scored really well, something he continued when coming from 3-0 behind to take Kyren Wilson to a final-frame decider at the Northern Ireland Open last week.
His opponent on Thursday, Lu Ning, hasn't performed that badly so far this term, but nor has he beaten anyone of any real note, and his scoring has been a notch a below what Doherty has produced.
That will need to improve here and Doherty - a three-time runner-up in this event - looks very appealing at 11/10 given he has the tactical game to prevail even were his scoring not to fire like it has in recent weeks. He looks the best bet of the first round.
Graeme Dott v Zhao Jianbo
Monday November 23 - 14:00
Snooker fans have little chance to catch their collective breath after the final of the Northern Ireland Open on Sunday, but the opening day of the UK Championship on Monday presents a couple of interesting matches.
Mark Selby and John Higgins are both in action, but I think Greame Dott might prove vulnerable against promising Chinese youngster Zhao Jianbo.
Dott enjoyed a good season last term, most notably finishing runner-up at the World Grand Prix, but he has struggled badly for results this time around and didn't win a match at either the English or Northern Ireland Opens.
He was also out of sorts when crashing out of the European Masters at the last-64 stage while Jianbo confirmed he is another bright, young talent from the Far East when beating Masters champion Stuart Bingham on the way to reaching the last 32 of the aforementioned Northern Ireland Open last week.
A deciding frame defeat to Igor Figueiredo saw his promising run come to an end there, but he has also shown up well enough against the likes of Matthew Stevens and Anthony McGill in recent weeks to suggest the 5/1 on offer for him to pull off another surprise could be worth a small wager.
Michael Holt v Gao Yang
Tuesday November 24 - 14:00
Last season's Shoot Out hero Michael Holt has chipped away so far this term, but is entitled to be a little frustrated with his results having spurned a golden opportunity to beat Judd Trump at the English Open before letting slip a 3-0 advantage over David Grace in the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Open last week.
It won't be panic stations just yet for Holt, but he would have hoped for greater returns and will need to be on his mettle on Tuesday up against another exciting Chinese youngster in Gao Yang.
Yang doesn't have the results under his belt to suggest he will be winning this one but he played really well against the likes of Ben Woollaston and Si Jiahui at the Championship League earlier in the campaign while he competed well with Kyren Wilson at the English Open.
He won his first-round tie at the Northern Ireland Open last week before finding Judd Trump in irresistible form in his next match.
Yang is patently dangerous and with Holt proving vulnerable of late, a small play on the former at 5/1 looks to be the order of the day.
Chris Wakelin v Louis Heathcote
Tuesday November 24 - 19:00
While Louis Heathcote has yet to build on a really promising campaign last season, I'm very surprised he's not favourite to beat Chris Wakelin on Tuesday and make him a bet at 13/10.
Heathcote drew praise from no less than Ronnie O'Sullivan recently having very nearly qualified for the Crucible in the summer and he had Judd Trump in big trouble at the English Open earlier this season before qualifying for the German Masters recently.
He's still to find his very best form but he was only a frame from reaching the last 32 of this event last year and I'd expect him to have too many guns for Wakelin.
The latter has struggled for results and any sort of form in the last few weeks, and for my money bookmakers have got these two priced up the wrong way round.
Posted 1700 GMT on 22/11/2020
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