03-08-2007, 14:54
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Analogue Smoker
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Join Date: May 2005
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Re: Snooker - Shanghai Masters
as you know i like to share what Bettingzone are thinking as they seem to have the same interests as most of us if not selections. Be a shame to not let them be heard by all.
Quote:
This preview was written before Ronnie O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament through injury
It's hard to believe it has been almost three months since John Higgins saw off the challenge of Mark Selby to claim his second World Championship title after a thrilling two weeks of action at the Crucible.
Thankfully, the snooker season returns this week with the first of two ranking events to be held in China, the Shanghai Masters.
Much of the rise in popularity in the game in the Far East is down to young Ding Junhui and many bookmakers have him as favourite to win in his homeland.
Although the home crowd will certainly give him an advantage, Junhui comes into the current campaign on the back of a poor second half of last season, losing in the first round of the China Open and at the World Championship against Ronnie O'Sullivan.
However, given that this is the first time the season kicks off in China, Junhui will certainly have an advantage.
Should the 20 year-old build up a head of steam he will be a major threat, but with potential clashes with Graeme Dott and Stephen Hendry in rounds two and three, and at best odds of 11/2, we are happy to leave Junhui alone this time.
The same applies to O'Sullivan, available at best odds of 5/1.
As is always said of 'The Rocket', if he plays to his best he will win.
However, he has not won a ranking event since the Irish Masters in January 2005 and it is anyone's guess what sort of form he will show in Shanghai.
O'Sullivan could face Higgins in the quarter-finals and you would have to fancy the Scot to repeat his last-eight victory at The Crucible.
As it is the opening tournament of the season, it is difficult to pick a potential winner, given that we have no current form to go on.
However, Higgins has already picked up silverware this season, beating James Wattana 5-4 to take the 110sport.com Euro-Asia Masters Challenge in Hong Kong, having been 4-2 down and has won in China before, albeit in 1998.
The 'Wizard of Wishaw' was knocked out in the quarter-finals by fellow countryman Dott last season, but made the final in 2006, losing in the deciding frame to Mark Williams.
Players will undoubtedly raise their game against the world champion, but HIggins has experienced that in the past and is more than capable of coping.
He has a fairly kind draw and should be good enough to see off Jamie Cope and either Selby or Scott MacKenzie before the potential meeting with O'Sullivan in the last eight.
At odds of 10/1, Higgins is a solid bet to start the new season where he left off the last term.
The sport is heading into a new era with the likes of Stephen Hendry, Peter Ebdon and Ken Doherty, all former world champions, no longer at the peak of their powers and young guns such as Neil Robertson, Junhui and Selby emerging as top performers.
It would not be a surprise to see more first-time winners this season and Ali Carter could be one of them.
The Essex cueman has reached the semi-finals of two ranking events in his career and was unlucky not to make it three when he lost 13-12 to Selby in the quarter-finals of the World Championship.
Consistency has been the main reason Carter has not quite made it at the top level yet but he is a match for anyone over the shorter format and he will feel he has an excellent chance to advance to the last eight by beating Adrian Gunnell then Doherty or Dominic Dale.
He has already shown he can perform on foreign soil, reaching the semi-finals of the Malta Cup last season and if he can find the form he showed at the Crucible three months ago, 33/1 looks excellent each-way value.
Most of the home attention will be geared towards Junhui, but former Crucible semi-finalist Marco Fu could be a surprise challenger here.
The man from Happy Valley reached the quarter-finals of the China Open last year and in 2005 and despite slumping down the world rankings, Fu tends to perform well in the Far East.
Indeed, part of the reason for his ranking slump can be put down to missing last year's UK Championship as a result of his participation in the Asian Games where he won two silver medals.
Fu defeated Hendry in the first round last year and he will be confident of seeing off the Scot again should they, as expected, meet in the second round.
At 50/1, Fu is worth a small each-way punt.
Each-way 1/2 1-2
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WIZARD CAN BE MASTER IN SHANGHAI: Sports Betting - Sports Betting News, Form and Tips
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Snooker - Shanghai Masters
