After an excellent week of snooker in the English Open at the Metrodome in Barnsley we are left with what should be a high class final which will be played over two sessions and the best of 17 frames on Sunday when Ronnie O’Sullivan meets Kyren Wilson.
The two men are not only playing for the English Open crown and the Steve Davis trophy but also to remain the only man left in the hunt for the £1m Home Nations bonus for this season so there is plenty at stake here.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Whenever these sort of tournaments begin you question the motivation of O’Sullivan. Is he in them just to turn up and play a few matches and then do his Eurosport work or is he in them to win them. Well this week has definitely been the latter and there is no doubt that so far he has played the best snooker in the tournament.
That doesn’t mean anything in this final of course other than it will give O’Sullivan confidence. He has won matches in his amazingly good to watch style and he has been given some battles by the likes of John Higgins and Anthony McGill. The crucial thing is when his opponents have taken the game to him he has produced his very best.
Kyren Wilson
I guess those who want to criticise Kyren Wilson would suggest that his path to this stage has been quite easy. O’Sullivan is the first top 16 player he will have faced in the tournament but that is not his fault. It is not easy to come through the early rounds of these events but he has done it in style to make his second final of the season.
Wilson didn’t really turn up in the World Open final which may well act as further motivation to do well here, not that he should need any more. There has been no weakness in Wilson’s game this week. His safety has been consummate, his scoring wonderful and when he has been under pressure he has shown a superb temperament. It is no surprise he is seen as a big star of the future.
Head to Head
These two players have met just once and it came in the Northern Ireland Trophy last season when O’Sullivan slammed in three centuries to come back from 3-0 down to 3-3 before Wilson won the deciding frame. He is sure to be reminded of that before this match but O’Sullivan is too experienced to let things like that worry him.
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Betting
I think we should get a really good quality final here. Both men look to be in decent form. Wilson has a great temperament and plays the table so I don’t think he’ll be put off by playing O’Sullivan but it has to be said the Rocket does look very good.
I don’t fancy anything in the match market. I think O’Sullivan will ultimately get it done but he’s short and the handicap doesn’t really offer too much especially as I was torched on it on Saturday so I’ll go to another market for by final bet of the week.
Both men made centuries in their semi-finals and have made them regularly throughout the tournament and I think we’ll see more in this final. They are both capable of getting in from distance and clearing the lot up and in truth a 2.5 centuries line is fairly respectable. Ronnie covered it in a best of seven the last time these two met but over 17 frames they should have enough in them to get it covered between them.
Tips
WON – Back Over 2.5 centuries for a 4/10 stake at 2.25 with Paddy Power
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