The best thirty-two snooker players in the world will arrive in Sheffield over the next few days hoping that they are still standing at The Crucible by the end of April which will mean they will be contesting the final of the 2011 Snooker World Championship.
It looks like a wide open contest this year and there are many players who will believe that they can have their name etched on to the trophy, with reigning champion Neil Robertson getting things under way on Saturday when he plays Judd Trump.
Robertson is a best price 10/1 with Skybet and the Australian must not only overcome the ‘Crucible curse’ which regularly comes back to haunt champions of the previous year but also beat a player who recently won the China Open.
Trump is a star in the making and this has the makings of a first round classic, with Betfred offering 40/1 about the 21-year-old demonstrating that he has finally arrived at snooker’s high table.
In addition to Robertson, there are five other players all trading at single figure odds and that includes John Higgins, the three-time winner of the World Championship who had a fall from grace last year thanks to the News of the World expose.
However, the Wizard of Wishaw has cleared his name and will be a popular bet at 11/2 with Paddy Power, especially as he has demonstrated his mental endurance when it comes to the longer frame format. Higgins has a tough potential opponent in the form of Stephen Lee in the first round and is in the tricky-looking bottom half of the draw.
Ronnie O’Sullivan could meet Higgins in the quarter final and the Rocket is a player that the bookies never like to write off, although the 8/1 (Stan James – £25 free bets) currently available is the biggest odds that we have seen about Ronnie for several years.
O’Sullivan has been at loggerheads with promoter Barry Hearn for some time and doesn’t appear to be happy with the reduced prize money that is available for tournaments, with the east Londoner probably one to swerve this time around.
However, Mark Selby is many people’s idea of a winner and the Leicester-based player is a tasty 6/1 with Paddy Power (£100 free bet) considering that he has a winnable opening match against Jimmy Robertson and then comes up against either Joe Perry or Stephen Hendry. Selby recently reached the final of the China Open and has the endurance to cope well in the later rounds.
One player turning back the clock is Mark Williams and the Welshman has done enough over the last few months to suggest he will be a contender in Sheffield. It’s been eight years since The Welsh Potting Machine won his second title, although reaching the final of the UK Championship suggests that he could be a contender and William Hill (£25 free betting )offer 8/1.