The International Championship is rattling along at a right old rate and has already made it down to the Last 32 stage where the entire round will be played over two sessions of play on Tuesday out in Daqing.
After we lost the top seed on the opening day of the tournament we lost the second seed on day two as the world champion Stuart Bingham made his way for the exit, soundly beaten by the local lad Yu Delu. Ali Carter was another high profile name to bite the dust on Monday but despite that we’re left with a high quality cast list for Tuesday.
The eight matches in the morning session on Tuesday include arguably the match of the round as the Shanghai Masters champion Kyren Wilson takes on last year’s International Championship runner up Mark Allen in what should be a high quality match.
Michael White, Mark Williams, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and John Higgins are all world ranking event winners in action in a stacked early session card so early risers could well be in for a treat.
The pick of the later session matches would appear to be the one between the Chinese hero Ding Junhui and Ryan Day which could be a cracker while there is a battle of the former world champions when Graeme Dott takes on Peter Ebdon.
Barry Hawkins, Neil Robertson, Marco Fu and Joe Perry are big names in action in the later session of play so there will be plenty for the large Chinese crowds to enjoy over the course of the day.
Wilson and Allen met in the semi-final of the Shanghai Masters last month and Wilson wiped the floor with the Irishman, beating him 6-1 and given that it was Wilson’s first ever major semi-final that was no mean effort. He is a real blossoming player and while I’m never one to write Allen off lightly you would have to suggest Wilson is overpriced at 6/4 based on that effort.
Three of the last four meetings between Ryan Day and Ding Junhui have gone the distance including when they met in Shanghai last month. Day has had some success over Ding in the past and with the pressure Ding is always under in these Chinese events I’m sure he’ll fancy his chances again here.
I see this one being quite a close match and the 11/8 on it to have 10 or 11 frames is simply too big to my eye and I’m happy to back a tight one between those two once again.
Finally while Neil Robertson will get plenty of attention this week he isn’t the only Robertson going well at the minute. His namesake Jimmy was a semi-finalist in the Asian Tour event last week where he had a couple of decent scalps on his record and in the first round here he rammed in a couple of centuries so the game is good for the lesser known Robertson right now.
He takes on the classy Barry Hawkins in the last 32 on Tuesday and Hawkins himself has been in good touch this season. He won the opening European Tour event of the campaign and like Robertson scored well in the first round here. Two form players should produce an entertaining match and this is another one I think can go beyond 9.5 frames at a hefty price.
Back K.Wilson to beat M.Allen for a 3/10 stake at 2.50 with Boylesports
Back R.Day vs D.Junhui – Over 9.5 frames for a 4/10 stake at 2.38 with William Hill
Back B.Hawkins vs J.Robertson – Over 9.5 frames for a 4/10 stake at 2.30 with William Hill
