The first stage of the Championship League Snooker competition draws to a close inside the Morningside Arena in Leicester on Friday when the eight players still to get their campaign underway have the chance to do so when the last two opening round groups are played out.
We’ve seen plenty of big names in action in the tournament already so far but the best has been saved for the last day of the first round as the world number one Judd Trump will headline the play on Friday.
Day 15 Recap
We had a favourite progressing and one going out across the two groups on Thursday. The favourite to make it through was Dave Gilbert. He didn’t just progress but he won all three of his matches and only dropped the one frame in the process so he is in a good position. Zhao Xintong was the favourite who bit the dust though. He was in a good position to make it through but defeat in his last match opened the door to David Lilley who stormed right through it to qualify.
We didn’t do a preview of the action on Thursday but that means there was an outstanding bet on Wednesday to clear up which sadly was a loser as Mark King couldn’t build on levelling matters with Matthew Stevens at 1-1. The Welshman pulled away in the latter stages with King only scoring two points in the last two frames to condemn us to defeat. Hopefully we can finish the first round off with a bang on Friday.
Group 1
Fixtures
Judd Trump vs Rod Lawler
Anthony Hamilton vs Lee Walker
Anthony Hamilton vs Rod Lawler
Judd Trump vs Lee Walker
Lee Walker vs Rod Lawler
Judd Trump vs Anthony Hamilton
Preview
The world number one Judd Trump will be expected to breeze through on the main table on Friday when he goes up against three veterans who are no more than plodders. This format suits Trump and it is hard to think that will be the case of the other three in the section. Anthony Hamilton is the second seed in the group and while he is competent he often takes a while to get going. Lee Walker is very much at the latter end of his career while Rod Lawler dropped off the tour last term and will be looking to go well as he begins life back as an amateur in status.
Group 5
Fixtures
Chris Wakelin vs Mitchell Mann
Mark Allen vs Daniel Womersley
Mark Allen vs Mitchell Mann
Chris Wakelin vs Daniel Womersley
Mark Allen vs Chris Wakelin
Mitchell Mann vs Daniel Womersley
Preview
The headline attraction over on Table Two on Friday is the Champion of Champions winner Mark Allen, a player who hasn’t kicked on at all since then, although it has since come to life that a few private issues have been the reason for that. He did hint that it would take longer than the summer to sort so what sort of desire he’ll have here remains to be seen. Chris Wakelin is the second seed in this group and he’s a player who looks to have the bit between his teeth once again. Mitchell Mann has never really made the grade at this level while Daniel Womersley continues to fail to get his tour card and gets in with amateur status.
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Group Betting
It is another day where the favourites are hard to oppose in the group betting, certainly on the main table. Judd Trump is probably the shortest priced favourite of the lot but that is with good reason both because he’ll be hungry to shine after losing early by his standards at the World Championship and also because the format is so much better for him than it is any of the other three in what looks like a pretty average section behind Trump.
Mark Allen is more vulnerable favourite you would imagine but even then his group should come down to his final match against Chris Wakelin with the other two in the group looking a fair bit behind those two. Rather than getting involved in potential frames difference and highest breaks and things I’d rather go with Wakelin in his match against Allen in case he has an early start to the day rather than in the group.
Match Betting
That is exactly what I’ll do. I do think we might see Mark Allen off colour here with all that is going on in his life. Even if everything was bang on for him this doesn’t strike me as the sort of event he would automatically get himself up for so I’m expecting him to use this as a little bit of practice ahead of his high profile match in the British Open first round later in the month. That shouldn’t be the case for Chris Wakelin though. He has plenty to gain here.
We saw what snooker meant to Wakelin at the end of last season when he made the quarter finals of the Gibraltar Open and then qualified for the World Championship. His tour place was under threat before then though so he needs to keep going now in order to stave off the threat of relegation at the end of this season. Wakelin plays the match before he plays Allen so he should have a good feel of the table and looks overpriced without the draw in play.
Tips
Back C.Wakelin to beat M.Allen (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 3.25 with Coral
Back him here:
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