The Players Championship begins with one session of action which sees two first round matches being played as the tournament kicks into life at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Monday. Quarter final spots are up for grabs for the four men on show.
Some events we are eased into the action but that isn’t the case here with four top acts on show on the opening night. We have The Masters winner and runner-up, the Champion of Champions and the World Open champion on show on what should be an excellent evening of snooker.
Ding Junhui vs Mark Allen
The action on the main table sees two of the best players in the world in action when Ding Junhui takes on The Masters champion Mark Allen over the best of 11 frames in what could be the pick of the first round.
Apart from winning the World Open, it has been a largely ordinary season for Ding although he did show something of a return to form when making the final of the World Grand Prix last month. Allen won The Masters in January but apart from a run to the final of the International Championship he won’t be happy with his season either.
Given the form of the two picking the winner of this one is not easy but even though they have not been getting the results they would like there has been nothing wrong with the scoring of the pair. They are two of the heavier scorers in the game so with that in mind the best way to approach this could be to take over 1.5 centuries. Both can cover this on their own while one each gets it done too. I like the idea of that outcome.
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Shaun Murphy vs Kyren Wilson
The match on the other table sees the Champion of Champions winner Shaun Murphy going up against a Kyren Wilson who has already made three finals this season but is yet to get over the line in a tournament.
I say that is the match we are expecting but it might be that it doesn’t happen after all as both are having difficulties ahead of the contest. Murphy pulled out of Gibraltar and Romania with a back problem while Wilson was left on the runway in Bucharest on Sunday attempting to get back to this tournament.
Assuming Wilson makes it back in time he has to be the call here. He has plenty of match practice under his belt having made the semi-final in Bucharest last week while Murphy is likely to be rusty if his back is as bad as it has been said. It is hard to see Murphy functioning at his best so I’m on Wilson here.
Tips
Back D.Junhui vs M.Allen – Over 1.5 centuries for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
Back K.Wilson to beat S.Murphy for a 4/10 stake at 2.15 with 888sport
Back him here:
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