World Snooker Championship 2011 Preview - (Part 1)
The 2011 World Snooker Championship, which takes place between 16th April and 2ndMay, has thrown up some exciting match-ups in the first round, as some of the tournament favourites have been handed tough draws.
Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), Barry Hearn has made a lot of changes to the sport this year and there have also been record ticket sales for the event.
The best 32 players of the world are going to battle it out for the most prestigious snooker event, and after 17 days the winner will take away 250,000 pounds along with the world title.
Here is a brief overview of the best-of-nineteen last 32 matches:
Neil Robertson vs. Judd Trump
The defending champion, Neil Robertson, is going to raise the curtains. It is going to be a great first match to start off the championships as both players like to play an attacking game, so hopefully there should be a quick finish. Robertson, who became
the first Australian to win at the Crucible will be the favourite in this match, though Trump has a habit of going after points this season.
Marco Fu vs. Martin Gould
The second match at the Crucible between Fu and Gould is going to be a mouth-watering repeat of last year’s encounter in the opening round. Gould will be quite confident this year, as he reached the finals of the Players Tour Championship (PTC) for the first
time last week. However, it’s going to be a close match, since Fu has also had a good season this year and is very experienced.
Graeme Dott vs. Mark King
This is a match that might stretch to the full as both players are tough and will most probably showcase their flawless safety skills. However, 2006 world champion and two-times runner-up, Graeme Dott, will have a slight edge due to his vast experience of
playing at the Crucible.
Ali Carter vs. Dave Harold
Former 2008 world champion Ali Carter has good chance to come through here but he will have to fight for it, as the 44 year old stroke potter, Harold has the ability to turn the tables.
Ding Junhui vs. Jamie Burnett
The Chinese star, Ding, is going to be a strong favourite in this match as he has had a good season and there are high expectations from him. On the other hand, Burnett also qualified after knocking out the likes of Thai-Poon, James Wattana and the rising
star, Liang Wenbo.
Peter Ebdon vs. Stuart Bingham
This should be one of the most exciting matches in the last 32, as both players are closely ranked and like to play pretty focused. A slow game can also be expected, as former 2002 world champion and two-times runner-up, Ebdon, is known for taking his time
on shots. Whoever comes out on top will be brimming with confidence going into the next round.
To be continued in Part 2
Tags: