Betfred World Championship second-round predictions: Take Wilson to down Hawkins

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for day seven of the Betfred World Championship on Friday.

Where to watch

BBC & Eurosport 1, 10am, 2.30pm & 7pm Friday

Best bets

Kyren Wilson to beat Barry Hawkins
2pts 4-5 Betfred

Over 20.5 frames in John Higgins v Mark Williams
2pts 11-10 bet365, BoyleSports

Preview

Barry Hawkins v Kyren Wilson10am

In a re-run of a high-quality clash two years ago at the same stage of the tournament, Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins do battle on the green baize - and the same outcome is expected.

In the last-16 round of the 2019 championship, the Warrior emerged victorious 13-11 in a brilliant match that featured nine centuries. But it's also a match that Hawkins will want to forget after he failed to convert an early advantage.

The world number 11 raced 6-1 ahead and also led 9-5 during the match, but Wilson finished with three classy breaks of 81, 125 and 132 to seal a sublime performance.

Both players have fantastic records in Sheffield, 29-year-old Wilson in particular in recent years. In his last five Crucible appearances he has been to the quarter-finals three times, was a beaten semi-finalist in 2018 and last year he finished runner-up to Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The biggest tournament of the calendar clearly brings out the best in both players as Hawkins is also a former finalist and four-time semi-finalist, but he has lost at this stage in the last two seasons and may come up short again.

Wilson is the marginal favourite and looked in great nick in the first round, compiling runs of 139, 119 and 115 in his 10-8 win over Gary Wilson, while Hawkins cruised past Matt Selt 10-3 with seven breaks of 50 or more including two tons of this own - 137 and 126.

Plenty of big breaks are expected from both players again, but Wilson is preferred and the world number four is a player not to be taken lightly by punters in Sheffield this year.

John Higgins v Mark Williams 2.30pm

Two of the modern day greats go toe to toe for the first time in a proper ranking event since the 2018 final, which Williams came through 18-16 to land a third world title.

Since that thrilling showdown three years ago they have met in the 6-Reds World Championship and the Championship League with Higgins holding the upper hand, but Williams looked as good as ever in his 10-4 win over Sam Craigie on Wednesday and is a lively outsider for this.

Higgins has been to three of the last four Crucible finals, but only at times this season - after some technical tinkering - has the Wizard of Wishaw resembled a four-time world champion.

We may not see a barrage of big breaks in this one, but we will see two very experienced and battle-hardened legends trade blows in a match fancied to go the distance.

Higgins will need to improve on his first-round effort against Tian Pengfei, the 45-year-old offered up a number of chances en route to a 10-7 win but his opponent wasn't up to the job and failed to convert.

The Scot produced magic to seal the deal with knocks of 127 and 135 in the final two frames, but wily Williams will offer up much more resistance and won't shirk the issue should opportunities be offered up to him.

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