The World Open returns to the snooker schedule for the first time since 2019 this week when the qualified players head out to China for the last full ranking event before the World Championship for so many on show.
Judd Trump won this title when it last took place before the pandemic and he finally gets the chance to attempt to retain his crown but a decent field will be looking for a pre-Sheffield win so he will have to play well if he is to make a successful defence.
Recent Winners
2019 – Judd Trump
2018 – Mark Williams
2017 – Ding Junhui
2016 – Ali Carter
2014 – Shaun Murphy
2013 – Mark Allen
2012 – Mark Allen
2010 – Neil Robertson
The Format
There has been a qualifying round for this tournament so once the held over matches have been played out 64 players will be in the main draw for this event renewal. The first round right the way up to and including the quarter final will be the best of nine frames before the semi-finals take place over the best of 11 frames. The final will be a two-session affair on the Sunday of the tournament over the best of 19 frames. The draw has already been done and the event is a straight knockout.
Top Quarter
Judd Trump is the defending champion this week and he will be in the top section of the draw as a result of that, assuming that he can win his held over qualifying match. If he does win that he will like his chances of a deep run in the event because two of the other three top 16 players who were meant to be in this part of the bracket got knocked out in qualifying in Jack Lisowski and Mark Williams, who actually withdrew from the event. That leaves just Kyren Wilson as the other top 16 member.
This section has already lost one of its better players from outside the top 16 in Dave Gilbert who has pulled out of the event which leaves Ricky Walden as one of the higher players in the section. Dominic Dale is having a good season and a strong run here could get him into the Tour Championship. Fan Zhengyi will be looking to go well on home soil while Jak Jones, Jamie Jones and Ben Woollaston will all be looking for Sheffield form boosts.
Second Quarter
Mark Allen is the highest ranked player in the second quarter of the draw and the Champion of Champions and Players Championship winner will be looking to collect a fourth title of the season having won the Shootout as well. Mark Selby is the man who he is scheduled to face in the quarter final. Selby has already made the last 32 as his first round opponent Adam Duffy has withdrawn. John Higgins and the home star Zhang Anda are the other players in the top 16 in this quarter.
Two Chinese stars outside of the top 16 are in this section quarter with Si Jiahui and Zhou Yuelong looking for a good run on home soil. Ryan Day is another who could gatecrash the top 16 if he goes all the way this week while for the likes of Matt Selt, Matthew Stevens and Wu Yize it is all about building up a head to steam heading to Sheffield. Elliot Slessor was a semi-finalist at the Welsh Open and he is in this quarter too.
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Third Quarter
Ronnie O’Sullivan will be the main draw in the third quarter of the draw. He has won a number of big titles this season including the recent event in Saudi Arabia so he’ll fancy his chances this week. He is scheduled to come up against rival Shaun Murphy in the quarter final which might keep him motivated for the week. Robert Milkins is a top 16 player in this section and he’ll be in the last 32 after his opponent Sam Craigie withdrew because of illness. Ding Junhui is the other top 16 player in this quarter if he survives his held over qualifying match against Zak Surety.
There are plenty of decent players outside the top 16 in this section of the draw. Hossein Vafaei is the leading ranked of them but Noppon Saengkham has made a major final this season and will be looking for a good week here while Joe Perry has qualified for the tournament too. Cao Yupeng and Lyu Haotian will be looking to make the most of a week on home soil while Michael White and Aaron Hill are competitive campaigners too.
Bottom Quarter
The world champion Luca Brecel will look to work his way towards his title defence in Sheffield with a deep run at the bottom end of the draw this week. The Belgian is scheduled to go up against Neil Robertson in the quarter final although there is a lot of snooker to be played between now and then. Two men who will be out to stop that from happening are one of the players of the season in Ali Carter and the man who won the first full ranking event of the campaign in Barry Hawkins.
Tom Ford is teetering on the edge of the top 16 and he is in this section of the draw looking to make hay and completely secure a spot at Sheffield without having to go anywhere near the qualifying competition. Chris Wakelin will have to qualify unless he wins the title this week and he’ll look to do that from the bottom quarter, as will the likes of Yuan Sijun, Pang Junxu and Stephen Maguire, the former two being on home soil here. Jordan Brown is another capable of a decent run.
Betting
I’ll go with a couple of bets over the course of the week with the first of them being on the world champion Luca Brecel who has shown much more signs of life over the last couple of tournaments. Brecel played well at the Welsh Open where Martin O’Donnell played the match of his life to beat him and then in Riyadh earlier in the month he looked even better before running into an insanely good display from Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final. I think Brecel is ticking in the right direction though and there isn’t much in the way of decent form players in his quarter so with the chance to build up a head of steam the Belgian looks a fair price at 16/1.
Although Judd Trump is in the top quarter, the fact that there is only he and Kyren Wilson from the top 16 in that part of the draw makes me think that I need to be on someone in there in case something happens to Trump. The man I like is Ricky Walden who has won in China in the past and was always much better overseas back in the day than in the UK. Walden looked good at the Welsh Open before he went down in the last 16 in a deciding frame to Anthony McGill but he remains a decent enough player and looks a big price in a very weak section outside of Trump.
Tips
Back L.Brecel to win World Open (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 17.00 with William Hill (1/2 1-2)
Back him here:
Back R.Walden to win World Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Boylesports (1/2 1-2)
Back him here:
