George Weyham picks out two fancies in the Players Championship.
Players Championship
It’s the first UK based event since the passing of John Virgo who sadly left us during the World Grand Prix. He lit up the commentary box for decades with a tone that was unmistakable, much like Ted Lowe and Clive Everton before him. No one loved the game more than JV and got more excitable about where a cue ball was going! He leaves a huge void not just behind the mike, but in snooker as a whole.
To this week, the reigning Players Championship champion will be missing in Telford….
Kyren Wilson might have captured the Masters and Shanghai Masters (non rankers/invitationals) this season and in the process accumulated total prize money of £769,700, however he’s not made the top 16 on the one-year list due to a having a moderate time of it in ranking events.
Though he’s made three quarter-finals, he didn’t bypass that round once so it will be a watching brief for the Kettering man this week.
Neil Robertson is the number one seed in Shropshire after a title at the Saudi Masters and two semis at the UK Championship and German Masters. His only loss in the first round came most recently in Hong Kong where he was thrashed 5-1 by Wales’ Jak Jones.
Robertson won this title in 2022 and was meant to open here with a certain Ronnie O’Sullivan however he withdrew (with plenty of notice I might add!) and in his place is his ‘Class of 92’ counterpart, John Higgins.
No doubt if O’Sullivan had rocked up here, he would be priced around 9/1 in the outrights (even after a mediocre season & being bang out of form) yet Higgins can be backed at 18/1 win only or 16/1 each way and that’s the angle I want to pursue.
Betano Sportbook
John Higgins 16/1 - 0.25pt ew
Amazingly, Higgins is up to number 5 in the world rankings, above the likes of Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and Wu Yize who are all considerably shorter than Higgins in the betting here. The thoroughbred Scot has said all season that his game is in a great place and is better than ever - I agree with him. He’s made the final of the International Championship, semis of the British Open, and two other quarters. His consistency is remarkable.
Last month, Higgins made the Masters final after beating Barry Hawkins, World champion Zhao Xintong (since won the World Grand Prix) and World number one Judd Trump (since won the German Masters) before losing to Wilson. That is rock solid form.
Like Robertson, Higgins did lose first round in Hong Kong to Zhao (5-3) but that’s an event he has a stinky record in.
Higgins won this event in 2021 with one of the most dominant displays in snooker history, losing just four frames in the entire event. If he thinks he’s close to that form, then he’ll be unstoppable in Telford.
I like the fact Higgins has got in this event through the proverbial back door - players do have a tendency to relax a touch in the scenario and he has had previous success at this venue winning the 2010 U.K. Championship plus he lost in the final the year previous. Higgins went well here last year losing to Trump 6-4 in the semi-final.
His recent record against Robertson is slightly concerning - no win outside of the Championship league since 2019 and he’s never beaten Robbo in best-of-11 however he’s lost the last four times 6-4, 6-5, 10-9 and 9-8 so Higgins is due some lady luck against the Aussie.
Last season Higgins won two ranking events at the back end of the campaign and I’m more than happy having the Wizard of Wishaw on side here to replicate.
The bottom half of the draw looks hellish to say the very least with a raft of in form players - even the rank outsider Elliot Slessor isn’t out of it.
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Mark Williams 18/1 - 0.25pt ew
So I’ll dip back to the top half and though he’s been a little out of sorts of late, I can’t resist an each-way poke on Mark Williams at a slightly bigger price than Higgins (18/1).
He’s under everyone’s radar now which will suit him fine and usually this is when he’s at his most dangerous. If Williams can find his early season form, he’s not without a chance this week.
He has a ranking title in the bag this season winning the Xi’an Grand Prix in October which made him the oldest ranking event winner in history. In the last 16 he beat Barry Hawkins 5-4 who he opens with here. Williams has beaten Hawkins in 19 of their 26 previous meetings so it looks a decent opener for the Welshman. Furthermore, former finalist Hawkins has largely been disappointing all term.
I expect it might be Trump in the quarters but they are 3-3 in head-to-heads in recent times and arguably it should be 4-2 with Williams (for once in his career) bottling it in a decider in the 2024 Saudi Masters final. Who can forget their classic in the Worlds semis in May where Williams beat Trump 17-14. If that doesn’t give him inspiration, nothing will!
Also, the first ever ranking event staged here at the International Centre was the 2000 Grand Prix and it was won by none other than Williams. He’s also made a semi-final here in 2002 plus the aforementioned UK Championship final in 2010.
Underestimate these two living greats at your peril!
