The World Grand Prix gets underway on Monday night with just one session of play on the opening day inside the Centaur Building at Cheltenham Racecourse, but the four matches on show should keep the crowds nicely entertained.
It might be a slow start to the tournament in terms of the number of matches but it isn’t with the standard of player on show. Ronnie O’Sullivan, Barry Hawkins and Mark Allen are all in action across the two tables.
Sign up to BetVictor before kick off in Monday’s Premier League clash to get a massive looking 30/1 on Liverpool to win! Click the image above for these great odds. 18+ T&Cs apply
Main Table
It is the defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan who gets the action underway on the main table. He begins his title defence with the man ranked 31 in the seeds this week in Marco Fu. Fu is better than that but he has struggled health wise thus far. When those have finished battling it out International Championship and Scottish Open winner Mark Allen will follow them. He goes up against the last man into the draw in Gary Wilson for a place in the second round.
Table 2
If you can only see Table 2 during this session you won’t lack for quality. Two members of the top 16 go head to head in the first match when Barry Hawkins takes on Ryan Day in a repeat of the final of this tournament in 2017. Hawkins won that so Day might be out for a big of revenge. English Open winner Stuart Bingham is on the baize once those two have finished their tussle. The former world champion has a tie which can only be described as a banana skin as he takes on Chinese youngster Zhao Xintong.
[the_ad_group id=”3624″]
Betting
If we include Championship League matches, Ryan Day has won six of his last seven matches against Barry Hawkins and I’m going to side with the Welshman once again at odds against. I’ve not been all that impressed with Hawkins this season. Usually he kicks on one he’s had his Christmas turkey but there haven’t been any signs of that happening on the bigger stage to date.
To be fair Day had a heavy defeat in Berlin last week but everyone is entitled to a bad day at the office from time to time. He ran into a whirlwind in Xiao Guodong anyway with the Chinese player banging in a couple of tons and three more runs over 50 so Day just got outplayed. He doesn’t get done up by Hawkins too often though, especially in recent times so at 11/10 the Welsh star is my pick.
Tips
Back R.Day to beat B.Hawkins for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Betfred
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2019
