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It’s all eyes on Sheffield as the UK goes snooker loopy once again. That’s right, it’s Crucible time as the world’s greatest players slug it out on the table.
The World Snooker Championship is the final ranking event of the 2020/21 season so the biggest stars in the game are set to do battle for the last remaining prize pot of the campaign.
Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan is the defending champion after a comfortable 18-8 defeat of Kyren Wilson in last year’s final. We’ll also have fans back in attendance in 2021 with the return of punters staggered throughout the event culminating in a capacity crowd for the final.
Paddy Power News has everything you need to know about this year’s tournament including our latest odds and top tips.
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 DATES
The first round of the World Snooker Championship 2021 gets underway at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday April 17. The second round swings into action on Thursday April 22 before the quarter-finals on Tuesday April 23. The semi-finals start on Thursday April 29 before the two-day final concludes on Monday May 3.
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 PRIZE MONEY
Whoever comes out on top at the Crucible will walk away with a cool £500,000 cheque – not bad for a couple weeks of work. Here’s a breakdown of the prize money for this year’s tournament.
Winner – £500,000
Runner-up – £200,000
Semi-finalists – £100,000
Quarter-finalists – £50,000
Last 16 – £30,000
Last 32 – £20,000
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 DRAW
ROUND ONE – BEST OF 19 FRAMES
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Joyce
Yan Bingtao v Martin Gould
Stephen Maguire v Jamie Jones
Neil Robertson v Liang Wenbo
David B Gilbert v Chris Wakelin
Anthony McGill v Ricky Walden
John Higgins v Tian Pengfei
Ding Junhui v Stuart Bingham
Kyren Wilson v Gary Wilson
Jack Lisowski v Allister Carter
Mark Allen v Lü Haotian
Judd Trump v Liam Highfield
Barry Hawkins v Matthew Selt
Mark J Williams v Sam Craigie
Shaun Murphy v Mark Davis
Mark Selby v Kurt Maflin
ROUND TWO – BEST OF 25 FRAMES
R O’Sullivan / Joyce v McGill / Walden
N Robertson / Liang Wenbo v Lisowski / A Carter
Hawkins / Selt v K Wilson / G Wilson
J Higgins / Tian Pengfei v M J Williams / S Craigie
M Allen / Lü Haotian v Selby / K Maflin
S Murphy / Mark Davis v Y Bingtao / Gould
D Junhui / Bingham v Maguire / J Jones
D B Gilbert / C Wakelin v J Trump / Highfield
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 BETTING
2019 champion Judd Trump is the favourite with Paddy Power to triumph at the Crucible for the second time his career.
Can Ronnie O’Sullivan keep his crown for another year? The Rocket is second in the betting to make it back-to-back victories.
Perhaps Neil Robertson takes your fancy? The Aussie came out on top in 2010 and is prominent in our outright market after winning two world ranking tournaments this season.
WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 TIPS
PPTV’s snooker sage Graham Temple has gone all Mystic Meg ahead of the Crucible action…
Ronnie O’Sullivan continues to defy his advancing years and remains on top of his game and looking at the draw he seems to have a straightforward run to the semi-finals where he could bump into another golden oldie in JOHN HIGGINS.
You’d have to put a lot on to win little if backing O’Sullivan to win Quarter 1, and the better bet in the top half of the draw for me is Higgins to win his quarter.
On his game JACK LISOWSKI can beat anyone. I think he’s worth a bet in that third quarter and is also one of my outright plays for the title (each-way).
In the fourth quarter, Judd Trump looks the obvious play to make the semi-finals after a sparkling season winning five tournaments. However, he has looked beatable on occasion and I’ll give him a swerve and instead chance MARTIN GOULD at a big price.
FULL PREVIEW: 5 BIG-VALUE BEST BETS FOR THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP 2021
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