It is the last day of group action in the Champion of Champions on Thursday as the last four players to get their title campaign up and running inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes do so, with the semi-final line up being finalised.
We already have three top names in the semi-finals and on Thursday the world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is among the four players looking to join them on what should be another very good day of snooker in Milton Keynes.
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Michael Holt
The opening match of the day sees the world champion back in action when Ronnie O’Sullivan looks to make it through to the group final later in the day when he bids to overcome the winner of the Snooker Shootout, Michael Holt.
O’Sullivan won the world title back in August but this season he has put in a couple of indifferent outings and been beaten early in both the European Masters and the English Open. He tends to raise his game for these elite one table events though so maybe we’ll see the man who won the world title turn up here. In contrast, Holt has had a decent season so far without his results really reflecting that. He has made the last 32 of both the main ranking events to date but run into Judd Trump on both occasions. Even then he should have beaten Trump in the English Open when he led 3-1. Holt doesn’t have a lot to lose and he’s dangerous if O’Sullivan continues to play indifferently but we don’t know if he will and for that reason this is not a match to bet on.
Mark Allen vs Scott Donaldson
The second group semi-final on the day on Thursday sees the first of the three Championship League winners in this tournament in Scott Donaldson taking on a man who made it in here courtesy of his world ranking rather than winning a title in Mark Allen.
Donaldson will have watched on as both previous Championship League winners were beaten by Mark Selby on Wednesday and he’ll hope to avoid going the same way in this match. Donaldson has actually looked alright whenever I’ve seen him this season, and indeed behind closed doors as a whole, but his results don’t back that up and that is something of a concern for him. I think it is fair to say that Allen hasn’t delivered the results that he would have wanted this term either but when you look deeper into his losses he has run into a couple of machine like performances.
There are a few things going for Allen in this match. Firstly, Donaldson has lost a number of matches you would have expected him to win or be more competitive in this term. Secondly, the Scot is still largely inexperienced in events of this kind and magnitude and even though no crowds will help him feel more comfortable in the environment the mind still knows how big the deal is. Thirdly, Allen has won their three previous best of seven matches 4-0, 4-1 and 4-0, the latest of which was last season. He also has a 5-1 win over Donaldson so the Scot seems to be an opponent he enjoys playing. Allen knows how to cope with these events and I expect him to come through here with a bit in hand.
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Group Betting
If everything goes to plan we should be treated to a wonderful group final between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Allen and that will be a great match to watch. When you look at the group odds you have O’Sullivan at odds on which seems a little on the short side given the quality that he will be coming up against and coupled with the fact that he hasn’t played anything close to his brilliant best recently, but at the same time his record in these type of events is impeccable.
When it comes to possibly taking him on, you have Mark Allen at 11/4 who wouldn’t be a great deal shorter than that should he meet O’Sullivan in the final so you are largely taking that price now in the hope Allen doesn’t face O’Sullivan in that match but Holt instead. That is possible but I just don’t think it is very likely. I’d rather back Allen to beat O’Sullivan in the final even at a shorter price when we know how both men are playing so initially I’m not too interested in betting the group winner.
Tips
Back M.Allen (-1.5 frames) to beat S.Donaldson for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with BetVictor
Back him here:
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