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World Snooker Championship Preview: Can Judd Trump defend his crown?

| 30.07.2020
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

The competition at the Crucible gets underway tomorrow

The World Snooker Championship gets started this week as the world’s best players go head-to-head at the Crucible.

Last year saw Judd Trump win the competition for the first time and the world number one heads the betting ahead of the action.

But he’ll face stiff competition from Ronnie O’Sullivan, who is looking to win the championship for the first time since 2013.

Before it all kicks off, we’ve detailed everything you need to know about the World Snooker Championship.

How does the competition work?

The Championship gets underway on Friday 31st July and we’re set for more than two weeks of action at the Crucible, with the final taking place on Sunday 16th August.

It was originally scheduled to take place in April and May but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be one of the first sporting events in the country to allow spectators in, up to around 30% capacity.

The first round will see players face-off over 19 frames, before matches are increased to 25 frames for the second round and the quarter-finals.

The semi-finals are over 33 frames, with the final being the best of 35. The total prize fund of the competition is £2,395,000, with the winner taking home £500,000.

Who are the favourites?

2019 winner Judd Trump is the market leader ahead of the Championship, with our traders pricing him at 5/2. The 30-year-old faces Tom Ford in the first round and the quarter-finals could pit him against Stephen Maguire, who beat him in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship.

Five-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan can be backed at 4/1 and he faces Thai player Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. Despite the Rocket’s favourable odds, he’s not progressed beyond the quarter-finals in the last six years and he suffered a shock first-round defeat to James Cahill in 2019.

Trump could end up facing John Higgins in the semis in a repeat of last year’s final. Higgins has lost each of the last three finals and the four-time winner is going at 16/1 to go one better this time around.

Elsewhere, three-time winner Mark Selby is priced at 11/1, while 2018 champion Mark Williams is a longshot at 40/1. Neil Robertson will fancy his chances at 11/2.

View the latest snooker odds.

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication

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Author

Harry Howes

Having previously worked on national newspapers, Harry is an experienced writer who is obsessed with all things football and Wilfried Zaha, even naming his cat after the future Ballon d’Or winner.