It is the penultimate day of the second stage of the Championship League Snooker tournament inside the Morningside Arena in Leicester on Wednesday as two more spots at finals day on Friday will be secured.
We’ve seen something of a Chinese revolution this week so far and there are four more players from the Asian nation looking to make it through on Wednesday too but some huge names are out to try and deny them on what should be a great day of snooker.
Group A
Fixtures
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Yuan Sijun
Ali Carter vs Pang Junxu
Ali Carter vs Yuan Sijun
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Pang Junxu
Pang Junxu vs Yuan Sijun
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ali Carter
Preview
The action on Table One on Wednesday looks like it will be sizzling hot as Ronnie O’Sullivan looks to make progress from Group A. He hasn’t always seemed to care about this competition but he certainly looked up for it when he came through his first group and I suspect the presence of a former rival in Ali Carter might just inspire him to be on top form in this section. Carter is the second seed in the group but with Pang Junxu the third seed and the talented Chinese player Yuan Sijun the bottom seed this is clearly a strong group.
Group D
Fixtures
Zhao Xintong vs Chang Bingyu
Mark Allen vs Gary Wilson
Mark Allen vs Chang Bingyu
Zhao Xintong vs Gary Wilson
Gary Wilson vs Chang Bingyu
Zhao Xintong vs Mark Allen
Preview
The action on Table Two should be as hot as on the main table with the UK Championship and German Masters winner Xhao Xintong headlining Group D. This is an absolutely loaded group. That is evident when someone with the class that Mark Allen has only has room to be the second seed in it. Gary Wilson made the final of the opening event of the season last year when he lost out to Mark Williams in the British Open and he’ll be looking to make finals day from this group. Chang Bingyu is a perfectly competent bottom seed as well.
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Group Betting
I mentioned earlier in the week how betting on these groups could get much more difficult as the competition goes on and that is certainly the case on Wednesday. It is going to be hard to oppose Ronnie O’Sullivan on the main table in fairness. If he fancies the job he will come through I don’t think that is being too harsh on the other three to suggest but if he isn’t up for it then you could make a case for Ali Carter, Pang Junxu and Yuan Sijun. I’m happy to leave this one alone.
The other group might be even harder to work out. We have two men who won titles last season in there in the form of Xhao Xintong and Mark Allen, both of whom are of the very highest class on their day while Gary Wilson has made ranking event finals and a World Championship semi-final so his pedigree is there for all to see. Chang Bingyu might not have achieved what some of his Chinese compatriots have done but he’s still very good in his own right so I’ll leave these groups alone.
Match Betting
I will go with one in the match betting though and that comes in the form of Gary Wilson to beat Mark Allen. Once again I’ll bet without the draw in play because it is actually in play in most of the matches on paper on Wednesday. Allen won his first stage group but immediate went onto Twitter to say he would need to play better to come through his European Masters qualifier against Farakh Ajaib. He didn’t and duly lost that which suggests his performances might not be where he would like them to be.
I don’t think Wilson will have any concerns with his form. He came through his opening group in decent enough style and then scored very nicely in denying Duane Jones in qualifying for the European Masters so the Geordie should be heading back to Leicester in good spirits. He is often at his best when he is an underdog and he’s a clear underdog in this match but there is every chance he catches Allen a little cold. I sense Allen will build his form throughout the day if indeed he plays well at any point. While he is doing that Wilson can take care of him.
Tips
Back G.Wilson to beat M.Allen (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 2.75 with Coral
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