World Championship 2011 preview

zack01

Just thought i'd post a preview of the forthcoming world championships,this year i'm convincedd we are going to see one of the best world championships in many years, this is simply due to the fact that so many players are playing at the top of their game at the moment.
Most players have played non stop since last August and if proof that the more match play you have improves your game than you have to look no further than yesterdays China Open champion Judd Trump, he has played in over 18 events this season, finally this week it all came together and he has captured his first ranking title.

It's been a great year for snooker, a lot of course is down to Barry Hearn who has practically reinvented the pro tour and has done what the players wanted and that is give them chance to play more tournaments.

So after seven ranking events this season we've had six different winners:

The Shanghai Masters - Ali Carter

The World Open - Neil Robertson

The UK C'ship - John Higgins

The German Masters - Mark Williams

The Welsh Open - John Higgins

The PTC Grand Final - Shaun Murphy

The China Open - Judd Trump

Of course you have to include Ding Junhui who won The Masters albeit a non ranking event it is still a big title.

So on to Sheffield and the big question is, who is going to win?

This year i think the tournament is up for grabs for several players.

I won't go through each match but just the eight players who i feel may meet in the quater
finals.

Looking at the top half of the draw and defending champion Neil Robertson has a very tough opening match against Judd Trump, i fancied Robertson before Trumps victory yesterday and i still do, but just! this has the makings of a superb game, it's the first match of the tournament and is played to a
finish on the first day.

Further down that half you have a tough match for Peter Ebdon against Stuart Bingham also a tough one for Stephen Hendry against Joe Perry, it's agame Hendry may have to win to hold on to his top 6 ranking.

So from the top half i fancy these two quater finals:

Neil Robertson v Ali Carter

Ding Junhui v Mark Selby

To the bottom half and this looks very interesting.Two great matches in store here with the all Welsh battle between Mark Williams and Ryan Day and John Higgins v Stephen Lee. I fancy both Williams and Higgins but these matches could go very close, Lee was flying in China and
i expect him to push Higgins very close.
So who are the quater finalists here, well i'm not expecting much from O'Sullivan so i'm not going to include him, i hope i'm proven wrong because like him or love as long as he's around
there is an air of excitement in the tournament.

So the quater finalists for the bottom half,

Mark Williams v Matthew Stevens

Shaun Murphy v John Higgins

Semi finalists i'll go for are

Neil Robertson v Mark Selby

Matthew Stevens v John Higgins

For the final i'm going for a Selby v Higgins final and a Higgins win.

Of course my record this season of predictions has been awful so don't be taking my word for it, but the world championships is a long haul and huge amounts of stamina and mental strenght are required to be world champion, i feel both Selby and Higgins have this and that's why i've picked them for the final.

Who knows maybe Ronnie may show up refreshed, and hungry to win, maybe,maybe not, as for an outsider winning? I think this year the standard is going to be so high so it will be tough, but if he can beat Mark Selby in his first round match than maybe Jimmy Robertson could go far but over 19 frames it will be tough.

So roll on the 16 April, as usual the BBC will provide full coverage, Eurosport will also provide coverage, i'm heading over as usual for the last four days so i'll post a report or two as well.

These are only my views, i'd love to hear your own opinions and predictions.


Zack

giant_midget

Thanks for taking the time to write this up Zack very intertesting read.

My money will be on Higgins and Selby. Id like to see Selby win it as he does really well in each event but always seems to stumble at the last hurdle...

Ali Carter could be a contender also i reckon.

Also i fancy a close match with Dale v O'Sullivan with Dale coming out the victor.

celticfc

With your prediction skills, you have really put the mockers on Higgins & co.

Really looking forward to this too, only about 10 days, 12 hours and 41 minutes to the first match.:P

zack01

I heard last night that O'Sullivan verbally withdrew from the worlds on fri last, the WSA asked him to consider his withdrawl over the weekend and if he wanted to go ahead and withdraw they would require it in writing.
On Monday he did a U-turn and insisted he would play and in the meantime would be travelling to meet with a mind guru, apparently the same mind guru who helped GB win eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

I e-mailed a respected snooker hack in Birmingham today and he confirmed the story.

Even before the tournament starts it seems Ronnie is already making headlines!

clanard

Thats interesting Zack01, but think thats Ronnie all over.
So hard to predict with him, think I will avoid him this year.

zack01

Well it looks like the real Ronnie O'Sullivan has shown up!
Currently 7-2 up overnight on Dale, he looks sharp, focused and above all interested in playing, he could have made two maximums, but apart from his potting he scraped out a few frames, the type if frames he normally would concede early.
Great to see him competing again, as I said in my preview you never know which Ronnie will show up but on the form he's shown today it looks like he's the real deal this time around.

Speak Now

Looking forward to the Allen V Stevens match.