Trump stars in Coral’s Snooker Shootout opening weekend
Published:
Lee Gormley | February 11, 2016
Coral Snooker Shootout
- Coral’s Snooker Shootout first round
- Starts Friday, February 11th
- First break-off: 18:35 GMT
- The Hexagon, Reading
- Live on ITV4
Snooker stars out in force for Coral shootout
The Snooker Shootout is back and better than ever, with the Coral-sponsored event breaking off on Friday night at a packed-out Hexagon in Reading, with fans ready to witness plenty of fast-paced potting action from the world’s best cueists.
It's the Coral Snooker Shootout tonight, & we're Best Price for every favourite, every day! https://t.co/TGiquczkNj pic.twitter.com/e3Wzp0FCmF
— Coral (@Coral) February 12, 2016
Coral’s Shootout is a fast and furious one-frame knockout event featuring 64 of the planet’s most prolific break-builders, with each match lasting a maximum of 10 minutes, including a 15-second second shot clock for the first five minutes then a 10-second timer for the final five. Plus, every foul gifts opponents ball in hand, so there can be no mistakes!
Truly epic action and sporting drama are always on show at such a tournament, with the majority of baize battles going down to literally the last few seconds. In front of an electric crowd and incredible atmosphere, live on ITV4, it’s first round action on Friday night, with reigning champion odds-on 8/11 to overcome Mark King in the event opener.
Opening weekend holds top match-ups
Following Welshman White’s Snooker Shootout defence beginning, Ireland’s very own 1997 champion champion Ken Doherty is also in action, with ‘the Darling of Dublin’ getting his campaign rolling against the dangerous Tom Ford.
Crowd favourite Ali Carter will take to the Reading baize too, and ‘the Captain’ is 4/6 to overcome Liam Highfield, while reigning Crucible king Stuart Bingham is 20/23 to crack ‘the Walnut’ Ricky Walden.
Everyone’s favourite Scot Alan ‘Angles’ McManus contests David Morris later in the evening too, with a tasting pairing of the 2014 Shootout champion Dominic Dale and Shaun Murphy rounding off Friday’s action, with the latter ‘Magician’ 6/5 to taste defeat.
Trump stars in Saturday’s Shootout action
First round proceedings continue long into Saturday, with a tongue-twisting match-up between John Higgins and Andrew Higginson getting things going, while Rory McLeod is 11/8 to down veteran Welshman Mark Williams in the afternoon.
Fresh back in UK after clinching a sublime German Masters victory, Martin Gould will look for further success in Reading and is 4/5 to edge past Jamie Jones, with Liang Wenbo and Anthony McGill involved in a potentially thrilling meeting.
After rallying all the way to the Masters final in January, Barry Hawkins now faces the threat of Peter Ebdon in the Shootout but ‘the Hawk’ is 6/5 to see his recent soaring halted by this experienced circuit veteran.
Capping off an exciting weekend will be the sport’s young leading light Judd Trump, with the trailblazing potter ready to take this event by storm in quick-fire conditions he relishes. ‘The Juddernaut’ is 16/1 to lift the Shootout silverware, but has to first overcome Gerard Greene in his opener.
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