World championship first round draw previews and predictions
Bettor.com takes a look at the matches being played this weekend and who will reach the next round
John Higgins v Barry Hawkins
The opening match of the tournament sees the defending world champion in action. Higgins has played sublime snooker this season. He has won the Welsh Open, was runner-up at the UK Championship, and was a semi-finalist at the Grand Prix, Shanghai Masters and the Premier League. Hawkins has the hard job of trying to contain The Wizard. Over the long sessions, Higgins will prove to have too much. The world champion will progress comfortably.
Prediction: Higgins 10-4 Hawkins
Mark Allen v Tom Ford
Allen has shown glimpses of what his best snooker really is. Who can forget in last year’s world championship when he knocked out Ronnie O’Sullivan, and then gave Higgins a close match in the semi-finals before losing? Ford is provisionally 43 in the world rankings, but does not have the experience at The Crucible. Allen had a great tournament last season, so Ford will have a hard task of beating him.
Prediction: Allen 10-3 Ford
Joe Perry v Michael Holt
Perry’s place in the top 16 is under threat but he has experience of making it to the latter stages of the longer-frame tournaments. In 2008, he lost 17-15 to Ali Carter in the semi-finals here, having closely matched Carter for the whole game. Holt is a hot and cold player, and this has been his biggest downfall. When playing well he can play to a decent standard. However when not playing well he seems to fade away from a match. This will be a close match to call, as there is little to choose between them. Experience could decide who wins, and on that basis, Perry might just edge it.
Prediction: Perry 10-7 Holt
Stephen Hendry v Zhang Anda
Hendry has more Crucible titles than anyone else, and has won more matches than anyone else at Sheffield. He had a great run last year, reaching the quarter-finals, losing to Shaun Murphy while compiling a maximum 147 break. Zhang is making his debut at The Crucible this year, and is the latest player to emerge from the ever-growing conveyer belt of Chinese talent. The occasion could overwhelm the 18-year-old debutant. With this is mind, Hendry should progress.
Prediction: Hendry 10-3 Zhang
Mark Selby v Ken Doherty
This is a match that will prove tough to pick a winner. Both have the experience of playing in the final of this event, Selby, a runner-up in 2007; and Doherty, a former champion in 1997.
Selby is my tip for an outside chance of winning his first world crown. He is the current Masters champion, but has not been firing on all cylinders this season. No-one will expect him to do well, and his lack of tournament play means he is fresher than anyone to have a good few weeks. Selby has the knack for the longer matches. In 2007 he lost a stunning semi-final to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final frame of the UK Championship, a frame in which O’Sullivan produced a maximum break; and was second best to Higgins in the 2007 world final. Doherty stands in his way, and he is enjoying playing in a significant number of tournaments this season. The match will be close, but ultimately Selby will just have what it takes to reach the last 16.
Prediction: Selby 10-8 Doherty
Marco Fu v Martin Gould
Fu has been enjoying his best period amongst the top 16 over the last two seasons. He won his only ranking event in 2007, beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Grand Prix. Last season, he lost in a final-frame decider to Shaun Murphy in the UK Championship final. Back in 2006, he narrowly lost to Peter Ebdon in the semi-finals in Sheffield. Gould has little experience of playing on the big stage, although he has beaten the likes of Hendry, Matthew Stevens and Stephen Maguire in his career. Fu is full of confidence, and has the match experience to beat Gould.
Prediction: Fu 10-4 Gould
Ali Carter v Jamie Cope
This is arguably the match of the round. Both are part of the up-and-coming generation of snooker. Carter is a ranking event winner, winning the Welsh Open in 2009, and came close to defending his crown this year, only to lose to Higgins. Carter also made it to the world final back in 2008, only to be hammered by O’Sullivan. Cope is an explosive player, and has the ability to blow opponents off the table. His downfall is that he is too attack-minded, and that has seen him lose matches quite easily, presenting easy chances for his opponents. This match is extremely close to call, but Carter knows how to progress to the final rounds at The Crucible and knows how to win a ranking event. Carter to squeeze out the win, but only by a frame or two.
Prediction: Carter 10-9 Cope
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