We got former world champion John Parrott to mark our card for Sunday at the Crucible.
We didn’t see too many surprises on the opening day of the World Championship. I was especially impressed with the way Marco Fu dispatched of the former World Champion in Peter Ebdon. But we see one of the main contenders enter the fray on Sunday. My accumulator is for the ‘Rocket’ Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ricky Walden, Michael White and Mark Williams all to win.
Ricky Walden vs Robbie Williams – 10am – Bet now
I cannot see any other result other than a Walden win. He’s come into a bit of good form without getting a vcitory. He’s beaten lots of players on the way to a few finals where he’s mainly lost to Mark Allen or Judd Trump. There’s not shame in that! Robbie Williams does have the ability to produce a shock, but for me it’s a Ricky Walden win at odds of
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs David Gilbert – 14:30 – Bet now
It didn’t surprise me to see Ronnie O’Sullivan as heavy favourite for this match as he is in the outright market for the World Championship. David Gilbert has been improving recently, reaching the final of the International Championship a few weeks ago. He lost to John Higgins but knocked out Fu so his description as a ”potato farmer” yesterday is a little harsh, even if it was true. Ronnie’s in his own backyard though so back the Rocket to win at .
Michael White vs Sam Baird – 19:00 – Bet now
Michael White is one of those players that is incredibly awkward to play against but doesn’t seem to ever get anywhere. He took Mark Selby to a final frame a couple of years ago so is comfortable in the Crucible. It’ll be a difficult opening for Sam Baird, who came through the qualifiers. That means it’s a potential banana skin for White because you have to have real quality to win a qualifying event. But I’m expecting the experience of White to pay dividends at odds of
Mark Williams vs Graeme Dott – 19:00 – Bet now
These two are old-fashioned match players. It’s going to be a cracker. Dott has years of experience at the Crucible and a surprisingly good World Championship record. Williams is a former champion but hasn’t been in the greatest of form. Both are gritty and I’m expecting a very close game with Williams just having the edge at odds of .