UK Championship Snooker day 3: Six tasty first round tips

Dynamo Dott to edge out Bond in tight encounter

Dott, the 2005 Crucible king, last met veteran Nigel Bond during the 2013 UK event, where the Scot prevailed with a narrow deciding frame victory in a 6-5 result.

The potting pair will collide once again this year at the Barbican Centre and the Pocket Dynamo is 15/2 to triumph again 6-5 after another thrilling final frame shootout with snooker’s Secret Agent 00-147.

Robertson to ease past Taubman

Fresh off the back of an impressive Champion of Champions victory in Coventry, in-form Australian break-builder Neil Robertson will be gunning for his second UK coup this year, and he begins with a potentially comfortable clash against Alex Taubman.

The Thunder form Down Under thrashed his Welsh counterpart in their only ever meeting to date, emphatically whitewashing him at a European Tour Event on Polish soil, and the 2013 UK champion is 17/5 for another flawless 6-0 win here.

Wilson avenges previous losses to Davison

Kyren Wilson has previously stuttered against experienced Paul ‘Snowy’ Davison, losing four of their five ever match-ups to date, but the Kettering potter’s recent first ranking title success has seen him rise to prominence.

The 23-year-old toppled Judd Trump in the Shanghai Masters final in September and also reached the Champion of Champions semi-finals, making him 13/4 to lead 4-0 after four frames and potentially go on to gain revenge over his opponent.

Spaceman Dale to go Wild in first round

Eccentric character Dominic Dale comes up against Michael Wild in his opening UK fixture and, having overcome his 34-year-old opposition and dropping just three frames in their only previous encounter, the Spaceman is 21/5 to rally to a 6-3 win this time out.

O’Sullivan outpots menacing Maflin

There will in fact be an O’Sullivan making an appearance at this year’s UK Championship event after all, but it’s talented young cueist Sean rather than the defending champion Ronnie.

The Rocket’s promising namesake dispatched Kurt Malfin comfortably with a 4-1 win in Latvia earlier this year in a European Tour Event, and he is a tasty 2/1 to secure victory here again in York.

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Coral’s top tip: Jimmy White returns to the UK Championship for an opening clash with Stephen Maguire, so back him at 6/1 to secure a first round victory.