The opening night of the World Grand Prix snooker tournament at the Guild Hall in Preston sees some of the very biggest names in the game on show across the four matches in the session.
John Higgins and Judd Trump are just two of the eight men on show across the two tables in the one session on Monday evening with both looking to make it through and set up a second round place for later in the week.
Main Table
The two matches on the main table look of the highest quality it has to be said. The former champion Judd Trump is first up on that table when he takes on last week’s maximum man Tom Ford. They are followed by the Champion of Champions winner John Higgins. He takes on the dangerous Michael White.
Other Table
The outside table doesn’t lack for quality either. English Open champion Liang Wenbo gets things underway there when he takes on the enigmatic Dominic Dale before the second match puts two top 16 players against each other in Barry Hawkins and Kyren Wilson.
Betting
I’m going with a couple of bets for the opening night with both of them coming on the main table. John Higgins is a big match player and this tournament is gaining in importance especially now it is a ranking event and I think he’ll be up to the task against a Michael White who has taken a couple of beatings recently including in Berlin last week.
Higgins wasn’t in Berlin which won’t have been a bad thing. He will have had a decent preparation for this tournament and the ones to follow and I expect him to be on top of his game. If he is then his all-round game should be too strong for the Welshman.
Before that Judd Trump takes on Tom Ford and while I think Trump will win the match I don’t think it will be one way traffic by any means. We know Ford is cueing well from his run to the quarter finals in Berlin last week and the 147 that he hit and I expect him to continue that but Trump has had enough time off since The Masters to get his game in good shape.
I think Trump will win but I like Ford on the Asian lines where if he wins two frames we get out money back but three or more sees us win. This is a deciding frame look about it.
Tips
Back J.Higgins (-1.5 frames) to beat M.White for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Ladbrokes
Back him here:
PUSH – Back T.Ford (+2 frames AH) to beat J.Trump for a 4/10 stake at 1.88 with Bet365
Back him here:
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