Masters, Grand Prix and Shoot Out – A Busy Month for Snooker
At a time when other sports slowly wake from Christmas hibernation, the World Snooker Tour will hit its full stride during January. For starters, the second leg of the sport’s triple crown, The Masters, will begin on January 8th. This prestigious £250,000 to-the-winner tournament concludes seven days later, on the eve of the World Grand Prix.
The next five weeks will be a busy time for snooker players. But who ate too many mince pies, and who has been flat out on the practice table? Only time will tell. ©GettyImages
Unlike The Masters, the World Grand Prix is a ranking event. Restricted to the top 32 players on the one-year ranking list – up to and including the conclusion of December’s English Open – last season’s Grand Prix was won by Ronnie O’Sullivan. The ‘Rocket’ also took this competition in 2018. But Judd Trump has the better overall record winning this tournament in 2015, 2019, and 2020.
But neither player has won the Shoot Out competition. This year, the fun BetVictor-sponsored single-frame quick-fire tournament will begin on January 25th – just three days after the 2023 World Grand Prix winner has collected his trophy and banked the £100,000 winner’s cheque.
Four from Berlin on Trial
More televised snooker quickly follows as the German Masters starts on February 1st. World number one, Ronnie O’Sullivan, withdrew from this Berlin tournament in November. Additionally, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham, Ryan Day, and Ding Junhui all lost in the qualifying rounds.
Remarkably, of the top 16 players in the world rankings, only four – Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, Jack Lisowski and Luca Brecel – are in the last 32 ‘mainstage’ part of the German Masters. It means the competition could easily fall to a first-time ranking event winner.
Similarly, the Shoot Out is likely to fall to a lesser light. Its 10-minute game time with a 15 and then 10 seconds shot-clock produces slings-and-arrows snooker designed to create excitement and upsets. The eventual winner is sure to have benefitted from an outrageous slice of good fortune at some stages of the competition.
Upsets as Lesser Lights Have Shone Bright
Professional snooker does not need much upset during the early months of 2023, as this has been an unusual snooker season. Few people could have predicted that neither Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, or Mark Williams would not have made a single appearance in one of the concluded seven ranking tournament finals.
During the current campaign, Luca Brecel (Championship League), Kyren Wilson (European Masters), Ryan Day (British Open), Gary Wilson (Scottish Open), and Mark Selby (English Open) have all won a ranking tournament.
But it is Mark Allen that has excelled. The Belfast-born player won the Northern Ireland Open for the second time in October and landed the UK Championship – the first leg of snooker’s triple crown – in November. Additionally, the often controversial player finished runner-up in the British Open.
Allen Flying as Others Endure a Drought
Now ranked world number five – but number one on the one-year ranking list courtesy of £402,000 in prizemoney – the best snooker betting sites make Mark Allen 12/1 to get his 2023 off to a flying start by winning next week’s Masters in London’s Alexander Palace.
There’s been no let up over the festive period for our table fitters.
They’ve been working hard to get the @CazooUK Masters match table ready for Alexandra Palace next month. pic.twitter.com/sjqm32kh2Z
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) December 30, 2022
In a 16-player field, those odds appear generous as several players have negatives stacked against them. For example, Shaun Murphy has not won a tournament since landing the Welsh Open in February 2020. Stuart Bingham last entered the winner’s circle when taking The Masters three years ago.
Similarly, it is almost six years since Barry Hawkins last claimed a ranking final – the 2017 World Grand Prix – and Jack Lisowski has never won a ranking event. He has also gone almost two years since reaching a final.
Selby Can Fire Ahead of Big Guns
But snooker’s big guns can pop up at any time. A case in point is Ronnie O’Sullivan. He may be shy of ranking tournament victories, but the sport’s poster boy has won this season’s Hong Kong Masters and Champion of Champions. ‘The Rocket’ thrives on competitions like the Masters, and he has won this event seven times. It is a record that makes his 4/1 odds appear attractive.
Mark Selby is a three-time Masters’ winner who has finished runner-up in the competition twice. Seemingly hitting form at the right time, the ‘Jester from Leicester’ narrowly gets our tip by virtue of his generous odds. The leading snooker betting sites make the four-time world champion an 8/1 shot.
Winning the English Open a week before Christmas, Selby is in fine form. Traditionally the 39-year-old finds his stride in or around March. But he has enjoyed a healthy season with deep runs in four other events. Now he has claimed some silverware, it is unlikely Selby will not claim at least one of the nine remaining televised events before the World Championship starts in April.
