The second half of the snooker season begins on Sunday when the leading 16 players in the world rankings make their way to Alexandra Palace in London for The Masters, the second Triple Crown event of the campaign.
Judd Trump landed the title a year ago and he is back looking to make a successful defence of a tournament which is really elevating in status every year it is held at this wonderful iconic London venue. Everyone in the field will want to take the trophy off of Trump.
Recent Winners
2023 – Judd Trump
2022 – Neil Robertson
2021 – Yan Bingtao
2020 – Stuart Bingham
2019 – Judd Trump
2018 – Mark Allen
2017 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2016 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2015 – Shaun Murphy
2014 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
The Format
There are no nuances to the format this week. It is a pretty simple one it has to be said. The tournament is a straight knockout right from the beginning with every match up to the final over the best of 11 frames on the one main table in the venue. The final is the best of 19 on the second Sunday of the competition with two sessions of action being used to determine who will land the second Triple Crown event of the campaign.
Top Quarter
As with the majority of snooker tournaments these days the defending champion is the number one seed which means that Judd Trump is the main draw in the top quarter of the bracket. Trump has been the player of the season so far so arrives here with a target on his back for more than one reason. Trump beat Mark Williams to win the title a year ago but the two are scheduled to meet in the quarter final this year as the Welshman is also in this quarter. Two men who have been playing well in the Championship League complete the quarter in Kyren Wilson and Ali Carter, both finalists here in the last six years.
Second Quarter
The Champion of Champions winner Mark Allen is the highest seed in the second quarter of the draw. Allen knows what it is like to go the course and distance here having done exactly that in 2018 and he’ll be eager for a second invitational title of the campaign. Mark Selby hasn’t won a ranking event this season yet but he has a fine record in this tournament having won it on three occasions and he is scheduled to meet Allen in what would be a tasty quarter final. John Higgins is another former champion here and he is in this quarter while Robert Milkins will be looking to show he is doing more than making up the numbers.
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for this tournament! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
Third Quarter
The UK Championship winner Ronnie O’Sullivan is the main attraction in the third quarter this week. O’Sullivan has a home game here and it almost goes without saying that he has a fantastic record in the tournament. He’ll be keen to claim a second successive Triple Crown title here. Neil Robertson endured a very ordinary 2023 by his high standards and he’ll be looking to start 2024 off in a much stronger style. He is scheduled to be the quarter final opponent for O’Sullivan. Ding Junhui lost out in the final of the UK Championship and he’ll get the chance for revenge in the first round here while Barry Hawkins has a title to his name this season and could be very dangerous.
Bottom Quarter
As always when he isn’t the defending champion of an event, the world champion Luca Brecel is automatically the second seed in a tournament and that is the case this week. He has only ever won one match at The Masters though and that will certainly encourage the rest of the players in this section. Shaun Murphy opened up the season by winning the Championship League and he is seeded to be the quarter final opponent for the Belgian but two men will be out to show that isn’t a formality. Jack Lisowski recently made the final in Macau, hitting a 147 in that title match, so he’ll be confident coming in here, while Zhang Anda makes his debut off the back of a wonderful end to 2023.
Betting
I have backed Mark Williams for this tournament for the last two years. In 2022 he was in the final when Neil Robertson needed snookers in the deciding frame of their semi-final, only for the Aussie to get them and kick me right in the balls. Williams went one better last year and I kind of feel obliged to stay with my man here. I was probably looking for a reason to back him a couple of weeks ago but his run to the title in Macau is more than enough for me to get involved.
Williams beat Judd Trump in the semi-final of that event and that feels more than a little significant here given the two could meet in the quarter final. Williams also went on and won that tournament to add it to the British Open he won earlier in the campaign, when Mark Selby, a potential semi-final rival here, was his victim in the final. The top half of the draw this week feels like it could easily open up quite quickly and given the form Williams continues to show, and having gone semi-final then final here the last two years the 18/1 on the Welshman looks too big to me.
Tips
Back M.Williams to win The Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 19.00 with William Hill (1/2 1-2)
Back him here:
