We are getting towards the end of the first stage of the Championship League Snooker tournament and another two groups take place inside the Morningside Arena in Leicester on Tuesday as eight more players begin their new campaign.
The action on the main table on Tuesday is probably the most high profile of the tournament so far but there is a competitive group over on the other table so there is every reason to have two devices on the go throughout the day.
Group 2
Fixtures
Judd Trump vs Reanne Evans
Xu Si vs Jimmy White
Judd Trump vs Jimmy White
Xu Si vs Reanne Evans
Jimmy White vs Reanne Evans
Judd Trump vs Xu Si
Preview
We have the biggest name on show in the tournament so far on the main table on Tuesday when Judd Trump headlines Group 2. He had a bit of a season to forget by his standards last term and will be eager to get off to a winning start. On the face of it, he has a nice draw to progress from as well because Xu Si isn’t what you would call one of the more dangerous second seeds but the bigger challenge might come from Jimmy White who finished the previous campaign in excellent form and will be looking to pick up where he left off. Reanne Evans begins a second term on tour here and will hope to get off to a successful start.
Group 18
Fixtures
Joe Perry vs Stuart Carrington
Jamie Clarke vs Andy Lee
Joe Perry vs Andy Lee
Jamie Clarke vs Stuart Carrington
Andy Lee vs Stuart Carrington
Joe Perry vs Jamie Clarke
Preview
It is Group 18 which will be the centre of attention over on Table Two and it looks like we could be in for some competitive action. Joe Perry is the top seed and on his day he is very solid but he will openly admit that consistency isn’t his strong point which might well keep the other three players interested. Jamie Clarke is the second seed in this group and he’ll hope to take advantage of any Perry slip ups. Andy Lee hasn’t really achieved too much on the tour but he looks to have an open group where he can qualify from while Stuart Carrington rounds off the group. He fell off the tour at the end of last season but got his card back at Q-School and will begin his two-year term in this section.
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Group Betting
The action on the main table is all about Judd Trump and as you would imagine he is plenty short enough to win Group 2. Something tells me that it won’t be as straightforward because we know that The Masters champion likes to enjoy himself in the summer and can start seasons slowly, but at the same time his natural talent could easily get him through. It might be that Jimmy White is one to keep an eye on in this section and I might look back on not backing him as a bad move but it is hard to back someone of his age to play well over three matches. It just feels like a group best left alone.
The fact that we don’t have an odds on shot in Group 18 highlights how competitive the action could be in that group. The problem from a betting point of view is there isn’t really a standout player in it to get behind and actually this is one of those groups where five points could easily be enough to land the win. My hunch is to take Joe Perry on but as I say there isn’t really anyone to do it with so I’ll leave the group betting alone on Tuesday.
Match Betting
Instead my betting will come in the form of the matches where once again I go in search of a vulnerable favourite to take on in the early matches before the results start to alter the dynamics of the day. Clearly Reanne Evans will have her work cut out to beat Judd Trump but while I wouldn’t be surprised if Jimmy White gets the better of Xu Si, it is the opening match of the other group which catches my eye betting wise.
That sees Joe Perry going up against Stuart Carrington and while the latter has had a bad couple of years, credit must go to him for going to a much harder Q-School than before with one event less and getting his card back. That shows that he can handle pressure and should give him a lot of confidence as he goes about getting back into the level of the ranking he once was. Perry is very hit and miss these days but at his stage of life it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world if he hasn’t been hitting the practice table particularly hard. Carrington should have much more motivation to get off to a fast start so he’s my bet here.
Tips
Back S.Carrington to beat J.Perry (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 2.20 with Coral
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