The second Monday of the World Championship is always one of the best days of snooker of the entire year and this one is set up to be no different. The four remaining second round matches all conclude in the two sessions of play on Monday and by the end of it we will know our quarter final line up.
Sunday recap
The snooker on show on Sunday was frighteningly good. Over the course of the three sessions we were treated to no fewer than six centuries and stacks of drama and at the end of it we have the two tournament favourites going into the round behind with a session to play and another well fancied runner a mile back.
Judd Trump and Ding Junhui started their match in the morning and have now played two sessions and Ding leads the match 10-6 but it looked for all money like it was going 11-5 before Trump pinched the last on Sunday. That could be crucial when this one resumes on Monday afternoon.
In the other match which began on Sunday, Mark Allen trails Kyren Wilson 11-5 having been 7-0 behind at one stage. Allen got it back to 7-5 at the second interval but the run of the ball deserted him and Wilson recovered to win the last four on Sunday evening and he’ll surely complete the win on Monday afternoon.
The other two matches both played their second sessions on Sunday and many judges expected Ronnie O’Sullivan to overturn his 5-3 deficit. That wasn’t the case though. He could only share the second session with Barry Hawkins so he trails 9-7 going into their final session on Monday night.
The run of the ball deserted Ricky Walden too and while he tried to hang on to John Higgins he is clinging to him by his coattails with the Scot able to open up a 10-6 lead. They will play to a conclusion on Monday evening too.
Monday afternoon
It is the final session for both matches which played two sessions on Sunday so Ding Junhui and Kyren Wilson will be looking to nail down their significant advantages.
Judd was awful for much of Sunday so it is very much to his advantage that there is no snooker in the morning on Monday so he can knuckle down and get his technique sorted. I expect him to come out firing here.
I still think you’ve got to fancy Ding to win after all Judd needs to win no worse than 7-2 from here but the Chinese star looked a little tired come the end on Sunday and that is no surprise given he had to play the qualifiers as well.
As I said I think Judd Trump winning is asking a little bit too much but I did sense that he looked up for the job when leaving the arena on Sunday evening. 7-2 might be beyond him but winning four of the first six frames certainly isn’t and that will bring the current handicap line in.
I think Judd’s come too far this season to throw in the towel. I expect a real fight and I fancy we’ll get four frames from him and who knows maybe a few more too.
In the other game Allen will fight and if he can win the first four of the session like he did on Sunday evening he might have Wilson wobbling again but you’ve got to think at some point the chances will come for the Kettering man to get the two frames he needs.
Monday evening
This session sees John Higgins looking to complete an expected victory over Ricky Walden but the other match couldn’t be better poised if it had tried and all eyes will be on that one that’s for sure.
I’m expecting Higgins to progress now although Walden hasn’t done a lot wrong so if he can get the run of the ball for a few frames he could yet cause Higgins a few issues but Higgins is experienced enough to get the job done there I would think.
Can Barry Hawkins hang on to his 9-7 lead and beat O’Sullivan for the first time in 11 meetings? That is the question everyone is asking and it is going to be so interesting to see if he can. So far in the match he has been solid. He has scored well and taken most of his chances which is what he has to do.
However there has to be somewhere in his mind, and maybe more importantly in O’Sullivan’s mind, that knows that Hawkins is not a comfortable front runner so I don’t think this match is anything like a foregone conclusion.
In fact I’m expecting a bit of a classic here. We shouldn’t write Hawkins off completely. Bingham saw off O’Sullivan last year so he is beatable but if Hawkins does win I think he’ll have to have come through a little battle. This doesn’t have a feel of Hawkins easing to the line about it.
I like over 23.5 frames from here now. For that to lose O’Sullivan would have to win 6-1 from the start of the evening and that is unlikely while Hawkins could have to win three of the first seven frames. That is more likely but I still don’t think it will happen.
Anything but O’Sullivan losing the first mini session and this match is well alive but if O’Sullivan wins it even if it is only 3-1 they’ll come out after the interval at 10-10 and from there you’ve got to think both will make it to 11 before this one is done. I like the overs there.
Tips
WON – Back J.Trump (+3.5 frames) to beat D.Junhui for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Boylesports
Back him here:
WON – Back B.Hawkins vs R.O’Sullivan – Over 23.5 frames for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Coral
Back him here:
