An excellent week of snooker at the Players Championship comes to an end on Sunday when Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on Shaun Murphy in the final. This is the third time this pair have met to determine the champion of a tournament this season after they met in the Champion of Champions final and the climax to the UK Championship.
Murphy won their battle at the Champion of Champions before O’Sullivan gained his revenge in the UK Championship so the trilogy will determine who leaves Llandudno with another title in an excellent season for both men.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
I think it is fair to say that Ronnie O’Sullivan hasn’t been at the level that he was at other times in the season when he looked a million dollars but when the gauntlet has been laid down to him this week he has had the answer. Both Ding Junhui and Judd Trump have got ahead of him early this week but rather than crumble he has battled harder and shone through.
As ever O’Sullivan has looked fantastic in the balls this week but the really impressive thing has been his patience and his willingness to create chances for himself. That has allowed him to come back when behind against Ding and Trump and when he has been level he’s been able to dominate from there as he so often does.
Shaun Murphy
I think we can now officially put to bed any theories that Shaun Murphy is being hampered too badly by his neck complaint. It might still be an issue but it certainly doesn’t appear to be hindering his form in any way. He has come through the draw powerfully this week with some heavy scoring and authoritative shot making.
For the second time this week Murphy rammed in two centuries before the mid-session interval in his semi-final win over Mark Williams on Saturday evening so there is nothing wrong with his scoring should be get the chances. Whether his safety can stand up to the scrutiny remains to be seen. You get the feeling that a quick start is imperative.
Head to Head
These two have met on 16 previous occasions including those two finals earlier this season. O’Sullivan has had much the upper hand with 11 wins to just four of Murphy. There has also been a Premier League draw between the two. They have shared their last four battles so there is a bit of a 50/50 feel to this best-of-19 final.
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Betting
I’m looking forward to this final and in many ways the contest is all about Shaun Murphy. If he plays to his best then there is every chance that based on what we have seen this week so far he will win the final but I suspect it didn’t sit right with O’Sullivan that Murphy beat him in Coventry and he might be out to install more pain on Murphy than he is already feeling.
I prefer to look elsewhere to the match market for a bet on this final with the obvious place to look being the centuries. Both men have banged in five tons for the week so far and are scoring very well so I expect over 2.5 centuries to land here. There were three tons in the UK Championship final and although they combined for just one in the Champion of Champions final there were two more runs over 95. I expect to see at least three tons here.
Tips
Back Over 2.5 centuries for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
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