Ronnie looking for the half-dozen

Will Judd Trump the pack?

More likely to be the ace in Sheffield is Judd Trump, who starts as market leader with Coral, going as 3/1 favourite to bank the winner’s cheque. A player who has never won this title, his best effort being a runner-up finish from seven previous starts, he may not strike punters as the best man for the job.

Beaten by John Higgins in the final, courtesy of a 18-15 score, that near miss came way back in 2011, showing that the 27-year-old from Bristol has plenty of improving left in him if he is to finally get his hands on the gong. He let punters down in the recent China Open, scoring a 147 before going on to lose to little-known Iranian Hossein Vafaei, number 76 in the world at the time. There are too many questions marks hanging over The Juddernaught, and having tipped him in China, we’re happy to oppose him here. There are better 3/1 shots going around at the minute.

Ronnie looks good for six

Robot man Ronnie O’Sullivan is never far from the top of the market, and Rocket goes into this year’s renewal as a 4/1 second-favourite. He has been pretty poor since winning the Masters, and won few fans when bowing out of the China Open early, sinking in the second-round to Mark Joyce, world number 51, in a shocker.

O’Sullivan has spoken in the past of his dislike for playing in that part of the world and although he did put in a decent enough effort, all things considered, producing two century breaks during the match, he was never really in it, and never led the contest at any point, before going down 5-4. Back on home soil we are predicting much better from the bad boy of snooker.

Let’s not be too hasty in forgetting that O’Sullivan is a five-time winner of the world title, and a sixth would move him level with Steve Davis and Ray Reardon in the top performers chart, behind Stephen Hendry on seven. The fan’s favourite did the business in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013 and should get no trouble from debutant Gary Wilson in his first match this year. After settling in to the tournament, he will have every chance of going and winning it, at a decent price.

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