The World Championship starts on Saturday and while last year’s winner Luca Brecel tops the seeding list, it’s second seed Ronnie O’Sullivan who looks set to take the Crucible by storm after a scintillating season.
- Ronnie O’Sullivan to win
- Mark Selby to reach final
- Ricky Walden to win quarter
O’Sullivan Ready To Make History
O’Sullivan has enjoyed a superb campaign, winning the UK Championship and Masters as well as the Shanghai Masters, World Grand Prix and inaugural Riyadh World Masters.
And he looks ready to win an eighth world crown, which would take him one clear of joint-leader Stephen Hendry, as well as land his third major title of the season following his wins in the UK Championship and Masters.
Only Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry (twice) and Mark Williams have won the three big tournaments in the same season, but such is O’Sullivan’s positive mindset right now that he looks to have every chance of joining that select group.
He’s the favourite to take the title, but he has triumphed at the Crucible in two of the last four years and there has been hardly anyone to touch him this season. When he’s in the mood to prosper, as was the case in the recent World Masters in Riyadh, the Rocket is difficult to stop.
His long-term physical fitness regime has given him a chance to stay successful with age and O’Sullivan looks set to carry on achieving his ambitions for a good few seasons to come.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN TO WIN TITLE
Jester To Make Mockery Of Retirement Threat
Mark Selby loves snooker as much as anyone and the Jester from Leicester has been a model professional who is made for the game physically.
A recent below-par effort on the baize led Selby to say that retirement wasn’t out of the question, but if anyone can adjust his game in a short space of time, it’s the four-time champion.
Selby made the final last year, when he seemed happy for Luca Brecel to cross the winning line first, but it could be business as usual for the former world number one when he opens against fellow Leicester native and friend Joe O’Connor.
O’Sullivan is Selby’s only real problem player these days, but with the Rocket in the opposite half of the draw, punters can definitely consider a bet on the Liecester cueman to either reach the final or to win the second quarter of the draw.
Mark Allen, John Higgins and Kyren Wilson are the other seeds in his quarter, but Wilson has been below his best this season, while Allen is no certainty to get past Higgins, let alone Selby.
Qualifier looks Near To His Best
Ricky Walden made the semi-finals of the World Championship in 2013 and after years of back troubles, the tall Cheshire cueman looks to be back somewhere approaching his best in the lead-up to the Crucible this year.
Walden is a former top-16 player who has considered giving up the game he loves on many occasions. He had chances to defeat Barry Hawkins in their 2013 Sheffield semi-final, but 11 years on Walden looks happy again on the baize and his performances in qualifying were encouraging.
He defeated experienced duo Ian Burns 10-7 and Mark Davis 10-9 and did especially well to deny the latter, who had been in fine touch in the qualifiers. Walden opens against Tom Ford, who isn’t the most consistent performer in the top 16. And with third seed Judd Trump and Tour Championship winner Mark Williams not certain to set up a quarter-final clash, the chance to back Walden to make the semis for the second time can be taken.
RICKY WALDEN TO WIN THIRD QUARTER OF DRAW
