The first snooker title of 2022 will be won on Sunday when Neil Robertson battles Barry Hawkins for the Paul Hunter Trophy when the two men meet in the final of what has been an epic The Masters inside Alexandra Palace.
We have had drama and close matches by the absolute spades this week and it would be foolish to think we are going to get anything different to round off what has been a brilliant week of snooker from start to finish.
Neil Robertson
Emotions generally run higher at this tournament than most but that will have been even more the case for Neil Robertson this week. He has gone from being rusty to having to cope with a couple of intense atmospheres but he is still standing and will go in search of a second Masters title in this final. Robertson hasn’t been at his best but there have been flashes of what we know he can produce and he’ll be hoping he has saved his best for the final.
There is a chance that could have happened as well because he started out very ordinary in his opening match before showing improvement in a good win over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter final and then from 5-3 down to Mark Williams in the semi-final he played his best snooker so far but the emotional and mental energy he had to use up in overcoming the Welshman could well have taken something out of the Australian it must be said.
Barry Hawkins
I think in the main there is a case to be made for Barry Hawkins having played the best snooker of the two finalists this week. He has also picked up his level as the competition has gone on but I don’t think his level was ever that bad to begin with. He has made it through to the final of this tournament before but won’t have good memories of that title showdown where he won just one frame so he’ll be eager to make a much bigger impression on this final.
Hawkins will admit himself that he took care of a couple of opponents who weren’t at the races in the first two matches this week but that certainly wasn’t the case in a wonderful semi-final against Judd Trump, one which saw Hawkins come from 5-4 down to win 6-5 with a couple of tidy breaks and a composure which suggests he is enjoying the stage he is performing on and feels good about his game heading into what could be the biggest day in his career.
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Head to head
There have been 14 previous meetings between these two and it probably comes as no surprise that it is Robertson who has had the better of them. He leads 10-4 in match wins and he’s well ahead in the frame count with an 80-57 advantage. This will be just their second meeting at The Masters with Robertson having come out on top in the previous one. This is also their second match over the best of 19 frames but it is Hawkins who won their first one. They have never met in a final but Robertson will know he has won the last four matches between the two.
Betting
I think I would make Neil Robertson the favourite for this match and the most likely winner of it purely because he has played in a couple of finals this season already and he is seasoned in lifting big titles but I don’t see this being a runaway final. I think there is less pressure on Barry Hawkins here and he’ll have plenty of support and can relish the occasion and come out and play his best snooker. Where he might struggle is if he gets into a winning position because while he has won tournaments in the past, he’s won nothing of the magnitude of this event.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Robertson takes a bit of time to flow in this final. His semi-final was a mentally taxing affair so he is entitled to work his way into this match. That all makes me think that the best bet in this final is for there to be more than 16.5 frames. Robertson has a clear hold on Hawkins in their previous battles but the three multi-session matches have been much closer ending 13-12, 10-6 and 13-9. The occasion should ensure both give their all so I think we’re in for a very close final.
Tips
Back Over 16.5 frames for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Boylesports
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