Coral Northern Ireland Open semis tips: Hawkins closes in on title swoop

Coral Northern Ireland Open semis tips

World snooker’s number 14 and 15, Barry Hawkins and Kyren Wilson, look like being the unlikely finalists of the Coral Northern Ireland Open in Belfast after a plethora of top potters sunk at the Titanic Exhibition Centre on Thursday and Friday.

Neither player are particularly glamorous, but The Hawk’s gritty, grinding matchplay leaves him a worthy 11/10 favourite with the sponsors for a third and most significant ranking title.

Young Wilson is next in the outright betting at 7/4 for just a second success after winning the 2015 Shanghai Masters. The Warrior meets relative veteran Mark King (13/2 tournament chance), while Hawkins plays a resurgent Anthony Hamilton (15/2 outright outsider).

What look like the best bets from these green baize battles then? Our snooker experts give 2016 Coral Northern Ireland Open semis tips on the two tussles…

King v Wilson odds

If Wilson can beat former multiple World Snooker Championship winners Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams back-to-back, then King shouldn’t cause him any problems.

That current form is why The Warrior starts as odds-on 2/5 match favourite and better at 11/8 to cover a handicap betting deficit of 2.5 frames.

Facing Coral English Open winner Liang Wenbo apart, King has had a very, very easy run of opponents at this event, and a strong start from Wilson should expose him.