Richard Mann looks ahead to the 2023 Masters and discusses a few of the key talking points that could dominate the action at Alexandra Palace.
Robertson primed for Masters repeat?
Neil Robertson was a brilliant winner of last year’s Masters, beating Anthony McGill, Ronnie O’Sullivan and then Mark Williams in one of the matches of the season, before trouncing Barry Hawkins in a one-sided final.
That Masters win was one of four for Robertson in a fine campaign, along with a runner-up finish at the World Grand Prix, but he hasn’t enjoyed quite the same level of success so far this term.
He’s been close, having reached the last four in all three of the Home Nations events played, though one suspects the serial winner that Robertson is will have been left frustrated to have missed out on more silverware.
Most frustrating will be that for all Robertson has been knocking hard on the door, he has been coming up short despite being in terrific form and scoring better than anyone else in the game.
Robertson knocked in a host of big breaks at the English Open, just as he had at the Scottish Open previously, and the likes of Mark Williams and Mark Selby have both argued that the Australian is the best player in world at present.
There might be others who disagree with that, but few can argue with Robertson’s Masters credentials, two wins and two more finals confirming his liking for this tournament and marquee events in particular.
Despite having yet to win so far this season, there are parallels to his preparation for this year’s Masters with last year.
Robertson’s deep run in the final event before Christmas, the English Open, almost mirrors his run to the final of the World Grand Prix in December 2021 and the opportunity to refresh and recharge since could see him cherry ripe next week.
Can Gilbert cash in on Masters chance?
When David Gilbert reached the last four of the World Championship in 2019, snooker’s Angry Farmer looked to have well and truly arrived on the big stage. A future regularly dining at the top table appeared assured.
After all, Gilbert was only a frame away from a Crucible final with Judd Trump. Careers are made on such achievements.
As such, Gilbert’s fans might have expected more since. A runner-up finish in the English Open the following season promised plenty, but victory in the 2021 Championship League apart, one could argue that there have been too many near-misses since 2019.
It’s hard not to downplay that Championship League win, the first ranking title of Gilbert’s career. The Championship League is a tournament way down the list of significance on the snooker calendar, and the four quarter-finals he lost that season will have surely hurt.
But perhaps more painful for Gilbert will have been the 2021 UK Championship where the draw opened up beautifully in York following a tremendous victory over Mark Allen, only for a below-par performance against Andy Hicks to end his tournament in a whimper.
Gilbert played really well to reach the last eight of the Northern Ireland Open in October and lost no caste in defeat when beaten by eventual runner-up Zhou Yuelong, though he hasn’t pulled up any trees since.
When in full flow and at the top of his game, it feels like Gilbert belongs near the top of the sport and has all the tools to be contending for major prizes on a regular basis.
For whatever reason, we don’t see the best version of David Gilbert enough.
Perhaps a free pass at this week’s Masters – Gilbert earned a late call-up following Yan Bingtao’s suspension amid the ongoing match-fixing investigation – might just loosen his arm a little, allowing him to play in the fearless manner that seems to suit him so well.
Gilbert made back-to-back Masters semi-finals in 2020 and 2021, so he clearly enjoys Alexandra Palace.
What a story it would be if he could go one, or even two, steps further in 2023 and finally deliver the world-beating performance he has always seemed capable of.
Bright lights set liven up O’Sullivan
If you’d just tuned into the ranking events this season, you might be left wondering whether time had finally caught up with Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The current world champion has barely raised a gallop in any of them since those Crucible heroics in the spring, and a sole quarter-final appearance at the UK Championship ended in a drubbing at the hands of Ding Junhui.
But don’t be fooled. O’Sullivan is still doing the business.
In fact, he’s been doing the business in the most valuable events. The Rocket took home a first prize of £315,00 when winning the Hong Kong Masters in front of a record crowd at the beginning of the new season, before beating Judd Trump in the final of the Champion of Champions.
O’Sullivan was outstanding in both of those finals, but particularly when dominating Trump with all the brawn and brilliance of old, and those to have watched that day will be in little doubt that O’Sullivan remains one of the sport’s biggest hitters.
The key thing to understand when evaluating O’Sullivan’s season is that when the big days have come around, he has generally risen to the occasion and produced the goods.
Home Nations best-of-seven frames matches on a Tuesday night? Not so much.
But back in London, at the Masters, for one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar, it seems safe to expect a tuned-up O’Sullivan to be raring to go in front of passionate local support that produced a thrilling atmosphere last year.
Add that to the fact that O’Sullivan has won the Masters seven times already, and there really should be a lot to like with both Neil Robertson and Judd Trump safely locked up in the opposite side of the draw.
Nevertheless, any punters thinking of wading into the 4/1 currently on offer in the outright market might be put off when noting that O’Sullivan has only won two matches here in the last two years, having also pulled out of the of the 2020 edition.
O’Sullivan was once 'King of the Masters', but not so much recently. The last of those seven Masters wins came back in 2017.
So, what can we expect this week?
When it comes to O’Sullivan, expect the unexpected has often been the best advice. Not so much in the last few years when consistency and a more mature O'Sullivan has shone through, but his approach has certainly differed from tournament to tournament so far this term.
The bright lights of Ally Pally and a supportive crowd really ought to make his mind up for him, but his more recent Masters record adds that nagging doubt and makes it hard to know exactly what to expect.
But that’s the beauty of box office Ronnie O’Sullivan.
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