Betfred.com World Snooker Championship 2011: Snooker battle begins at Crucible today
The Crucible theatre in Sheffield is opening its doors today for the most prestigious title in the history of snooker, the World Championship. The top 32 players will begin their struggle
for the title in a tournament which will be contested for 17 days. The defending champion, Australia’s Neil Robertson, is ready to put his crown on the line in an attempt to retain it for another year.
Robertson will inaugurate the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship 2011 as per tradition, by playing in the opening match against youngster, Judd Trump, who recently grabbed the Bank
of Beijing China Open 2011 title. The Australian is well aware of the intensity of the pressure he will face in the match-up being a defending champion and playing against an upset maker like Trump.
Robertson, the only Australian to have won the world championship, accepts that his draw against a man like Judd Trump is one of the toughest opening matches for a defending champion.
He added that he would have preferred an easier draw rather than facing Trump in the first round, yet he is determined and prepared to defend his championship title against the young Englishman.
The 21-year-old Trump is also ready to make an outstanding appearance at the Crucible Theatre. He has shown a terrific performance in the China Open and he has the capability to upset
Robertson in the opener. The young Bristolian has high targets in his career as he said that he wants to take the place of John Higgins or Ronnie O’Sullivan to become a regular tournament winner and not just some player with a little bit of talent who might
win events in future.
The ‘Rocket’ Ronnie O’Sullivan has had a tough time in this season, as he faced several first-round exits and a couple of walkovers. Due to these reasons, he plummeted down the rankings
at Number Ten for the first time in his career. The former three-time world champion even threatened his retirement from the world snooker after he crashed out of the China Open 2011, but right before this event started, Ronnie reconsidered his decision and
now he is participating in the championship.
World Number One, John Higgins, has been tremendous form in this season picking four even titles that includes two ranking events, one minor ranking and one non-ranking event. He grabbed
the first Scottish Professional Snooker Championship title in 22 years just five days before his first-round match of the world championship on April 20. Higgins is drawn against Stephen Lee, the man he defeated in the first round of 12Bet.com UK Championship
2010 by 9-6.
Welsh Potting Machine, Mark Williams, is also sharpening his cue for his third title. He is famous for his fluent break building with his extraordinary potting skills, which he showed
in his first match of the China Open 2011 where he clinched four frames with four stunning century breaks. Though he lost the match, he definitely did send a message to other players.
The Bwtfred.com World Snooker Championship 2011 is commencing today at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with Neil Robertson and Judd Trump to play the very first match of the event to
give it an official opening.
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