Champion of Champions Snooker day one: Trump takes to table
Published:
Lee Gormley | November 9, 2015
Judd Trump v Kyren Wilson
- Champion of Champions
- Tuesday, November 10th
- Scheduled for: 15:00 GMT
- Ricoh Arena, Coventry
- Live on ITV4
Trump tackles recent conqueror Wilson
The Champion of Champions is back on our screens and it’s the sport’s flamboyant potter Judd Trump that takes to the baize in Coventry on day one, as he contests Kyren Wilson for only a fourth time in his impressive career to date.
With defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan opting out of competing for his crown again this year, Bristol break-builder Trump enters as the 7/2 tournament favourite with Coral to secure victory, but he faces a tough task in his opener.
Trump, this year’s Grand Prix winner, is massively odds-on 4/11 to overcome Nottingham’s Wilson for a third time ever, but he will have to banish recent demons, with his opponent having outpotted him in the Shanghai Masters Final in September.
Wilson can cause shock
The Juddernaut toppled Wilson in their first two encounters in both a 2013 European Tour clash in Germany and a 2014 Welsh Open match-up, but victory in the Shanghai Masters sees the latter enter this prestigious event with confidence and Wilson is 21/10 to stop Trump again.
Both young cueists entered a decider in their Shanghai showdown earlier this year, with Wilson ultimately prevailing with the ranking crown in only his fifth year on the professional circuit, and it’s 12/5 for another final frame shoot-out to occur in this opening day contest.
In both of Trump’s previous shorter frame format victories over Wilson in Germany and Wales, the current world number six rallied to a 4-2 triumph, and the four-time ranking event winner is 17/5 to secure that result for a third time this latest meeting.
Stuart Bingham v Zhou Yuelong
- Champion of Champions
- Tuesday, November 10th
- Scheduled for: 13:00 GMT
- Ricoh Arena, Coventry
- Live on ITV4
Bingham battles potting prospect Yuelong
Stuart Bingham sensationally secured the World Snooker Championship crown earlier this year, overcoming Shaun Murphy at the Crucible to become the oldest winner since 1978, and he will look to continue his success as he begins his Coventry campaign against Chinese potter Zhou Yuelong.
Ball-Run Bingham overcame both the Rocket O’Sullivan and hot-shot Trump on the path to that magnificent maiden Crucible crown, and the 39-year-old is now odds-on 1/2 favourite to dispatch Chinese prospect Yuelong in his opener.
The Essex-born potter will obviously hold plenty of confidence entering this exciting event as the world champion, but Bingham also holds a victory over his youthful opponent from late in 2014.
World Cup winner Yuelong a threat
Bingham overcame this tournament’s second-youngest competitor in December last year during their German Masters meeting, securing a dominant 5-1 triumph and is 15/4 to earn a 4-1 victory in this Coventry clash.
Although, the talented 17-year-old, who incredibly lifted the Snooker World Cup for China’s B-team alongside teammate Yan Bingtao in the summer, is 13/8 to thwart Bingham in their tournament opener.
The teenage sensation, and his potting partner, overcame the likes of Scottish duo John Higgins and Stephen Maguire in that World Cup triumph in June, with the latter claiming he had witnessed a future world champion in Yuelong.
High praise for such a young cueist, but it’s Bingham who will look to shatter his Champion of Champions dreams in their match-up, with the world champion 13/2 for a 4-0 whitewash triumph.
Related
Read our snooker archive
