Friday's World Snooker Championship predictions and betting tips: Robertson's heavy scoring should continue

Where to watch the World Snooker Championship

BBC & Eurosport, 10am, 2.30pm & 7pm Friday

Best bets

Highest break over 129.5 in Jak Jones v Neil Robertson
1pt 17-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Ronnie O'Sullivan -2.5 frames v Hossein Vafaei
1pt 8-13 Coral, Ladbrokes

World Snooker Championship day seven predictions

Jak Jones v Neil Robertson (10am)

Surprisingly Jak Jones leads Neil Robertson 2-1 in their personal series but, while the Welsh novice is rightly drawing praise for some solid performances in recent weeks, it will be nothing short of incredible if the qualifier was to extend his head-to-head lead over the Australian in the second round of this year's World Championship.

It's best of 25 frames now and Robertson, 41, got his tilt at winning a second Crucible crown off to an impressive start against Wu Yize.

The Chinese youngster is an attacking player so Robbo had plenty of scoring opportunities which he ruthlessly took advantage of. The Thunder from Down Under made a brace of 146 breaks, a 138 and a run of 100 in a four-ton display bettered only in the round of 32 by Kyren Wilson's five-century tally in his victory over Ryan Day.

Jones is much more experienced than Wu and his safety game has been pretty good, so Robertson is likely to get considerably fewer breakbuilding chances.

But the 2010 world champion's scoring powers are markedly superior to those of Jones, so the outsider is up against it.

Jones, 29, made a century in his latest triumph over Robbo in last year's Gibraltar Open. But that was their first meeting since 2014 so the Cwmbran potter, who was crowned European Under-19 champion in the same year Robertson conquered the Crucible, may have taken the Melbourne cueman by surprise.

There is little value to be had in the main match markets, so backing the highest break to be 130 or higher at 17-20 with Coral and Ladbrokes could be the best approach.

Robertson is the likelier of the pair to surpass that mark and even if he does get dragged into a tactical battle, his scoring prowess should shine through at some stage.

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Hossein Vafaei (2.30pm)

It was virtually all Ronnie O'Sullivan in his first two meetings with Hossein Vafaei as the Iranian failed to make a break of 50 in their rumbles in the 2019 English Open and 2021 World Grand Prix, both of which the Rocket won 4-1.

But it was a different story in their latest meeting when Vafaei dismissed O'Sullivan 5-0 in last year's German Masters with the help of a run of 141.

Vafaei also turned on the style to fight back to defeat Ding Junhui 10-6 in their World Championship opener – compiling breaks of 122 and 117 – and the 28-year-old from Abadan will be out to end the defending champion's hopes of a record eighth Crucible title.

There is added spice to the contest because Vafaei has been vocal about his annoyance at O'Sullivan regularly criticising the standard of some lesser players on and off the main tour.

Vafaei possesses plenty of fighting spirit but if O'Sullivan, who failed to make a ton in his win over Pang Junxu, brings his A game to this last-16 clash then the qualifier is likely to be playing second fiddle.

The Iranian outsider is handed a general 3.5-frame start on the handicap, but preference is to support O'Sullivan to successfully concede 2.5 at a slightly shorter price.

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