Richard Mann previews the pick of the action from the first round of the Players Championship, with John Higgins fancied to make short work of Hossein Vafaei.
Snooker betting tips: Players Championship round one
2pts John Higgins to beat Hossein Vafaei (-3.5) at 2/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
0.5pt Ronnie O'Sullivan to beat Judd Trump 6-4 at 7/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
0.5pt Ronnie O'Sullivan to beat Judd Trump 6-5 at 7/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
2pts three or more centuries in Neil Robertson v Kyren Wilson match at 15/8 (Sky Bet)
John Higgins v Hossein Vafaei
When: Wednesday February 9, 1900
TV: ITV4
Sky Bet odds: Higgins 2/7, Vafaei 5/2
Two men in the midst of successful campaigns meet on Wednesday afternoon, with Hossein Vafaei making his Players Championship debut courtesy of his maiden ranking-title win at the Shoot Out.
Whatever your thoughts are on the merits of that event and its ranking status, it's hard to knock Vafaei's performance which saw him beat Mark Williams in the final courtesy of a single, match-winning break.
Nevertheless, this represents a much different test, and a tougher one, too, taking on one of the sport's greatest and a man who has reached five finals already this term, winning once, as recently as last week.
Like the Shoot Out, the Championship League doesn't rank too highly on the snooker calendar, but after suffering four consecutive final defeats since marching to victory in this event 12 months ago, returning the winners' enclosure on Friday is sure to have given John Higgins a timely boost.
Of those four aforementioned finals, Higgins will probably feel he should have sealed the deal when leading in the both the Northern Ireland Open and English Open, so to lift another trophy ought to remind him that he remains a major contender for every tournament.
Higgins was magnificent in this very event last year, only dropping four frames all week as he blitzed all before him – even the mighty Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final.
While it would be unfair to expect something similar this week, I do think everything points to the veteran Scot producing more of the high-class snooker that has been a trademark of his season to far, and Vafaei looks up against it.
Vafaei has lost both of the previous two meetings between the pair and another comprehensive victory for the defending champion appeals. Take HIGGINS ON THE HANDICAP (-3.5 FRAMES), with the 2/1 on offer at Paddy Power and Betfair making plenty of appeal.
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Judd Trump
When: Tuesday February 8, 1900
TV: ITV4
Sky Bet odds: O'Sullivan 11/10, Trump 4/6
The tie of the first round sees Ronnie O’Sullivan take on arch rival Judd Trump on Tuesday evening for a place in the quarter-finals.
As expected, Trump will go off favourite despite enduring a mixed season so far, his brilliant victory at the Champion of Champions standing out among some inconsistent displays that have seen him lose in three quarter-finals and the last four of the Masters.
Many would view that run of results as success, but in winning five events last season and six the year before, Trump has set himself incredibly high standards that he has been unable to match so far this term.
More concerning would be Trump's general level of play which has contrasted from the sublime to the ridiculous at various stages, and losing some close matches that he was generally getting the better of 12 months ago will no doubt have O’Sullivan sensing his opportunity.
O’Sullivan has actually been the more consistent of the two this season – hence he lines up as the number three seed this week and Trump as the 14th seed – and in beating Neil Robertson in the final of the World Grand Prix before Christmas, he confirmed he remains capable of winning the biggest events on the calendar.
With Trump having a few questions to answer at present, O’Sullivan might be able to claim only his second win over Trump in their past seven meetings.
Trump is sure to take heart from that favourable recent head-to-head record, but the fact the pair haven’t actually played each other in over a year, and that Trump’s form in the last few months isn’t as strong as when he was enjoying his golden run, suggests this match will be very close.
As such, O’Sullivan might just be the value call at the prices, and getting the Rocket on-side in some way is my preference.
His recent drubbing at the hands of a red-hot Zhao Xintong at the German Masters apart, Trump has generally come unstuck in close matches this term, games he was winning not so long ago but has found a way to lose more recently.
Trump lost 6-5 to Barry Hawkins at the Masters, 4-3 to Tom Ford in the World Grand Prix, 4-3 to David Gilbert at the Scottish Open, and by a couple of frames to Mark King and Mark Allen earlier in the season.
That suggests Trump is vulnerable, but if O'Sullivan is to prevail, he will probably have to do it the hard way.
As such, Backing a narrow O'Sullivan victory appeals most – with O'SULLIVAN 6-5 CORRECT SCORE and 6-4 CORRECT SCORE advised to small stakes.
Neil Robertson v Kyren Wilson
When: Monday February 7, 1900
TV: ITV4
Sky Bet odds: Robertson 8/15, Wilson 11/8
Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson met four times in 2021, including in this very tournament 12 months ago, and big breaks was a running theme of those encounters.
When the pair faced off in the Champions of Champions in November, Wilson knocked in three centuries on his way to victory, while Robertson managed one in reply. A few days earlier, Robertson had got the better of Wilson at the English Open, winning 6-5 as the pair rattled off two tons each and plenty more big breaks.
Four more centuries were racked up in their World Championship quarter-final back in the spring, and their last-eight meeting at this event again saw Wilson come out on top, both in terms of the match result and century count. The final score was 6-2 to the Kettering potter, with his two centuries eclipsing Robertson’s one.
That Wilson won three of those four meetings, and incidentally, their Welsh Open match in 2020, will give him genuine hope he can get the better of the recent Masters champion, though the overall head-to-head record – 5-4 in favour of Wilson – suggests we are in another for another close battle.
Along with a close battle, a high-quality match full of big breaks seems highly likely, with Wilson proving generally consistent so far this season and already up to 46 centuries for the campaign, suggesting he will pass last season’s personal best of 74.
This is an area of Wilson’s game that has really improved, while Robertson is always such a heavy scorer that he is invariably worth a second look in the centuries markets. The Australian made two in each of his last three matches at Alexandra Palace and four in his first match of last year’s Players Championship when routing Lu Ning 6-1.
In these best-of-11-frames matches, close contests should bring about plenty of chances for big breaks, and backing two of heaviest scorers in the business ought to prove a wise investment.
Sky Bet offer 15/8 for THREE OR MORE MATCH CENTURIES and that looks the best play at this stage.
Related links
- Players Championship outright preview
- Neal Foulds' latest column
- Players Championship player profiles
- Players Championship draw and results page
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