Friday's Tour Championship predictions and snooker betting tips: Ding and Wilson set for lengthy battle

Where to watch the snooker Tour Championship

ITV4, 1pm & 7pm Friday

Best bet

Over 16.5 frames
1pt 5-6 Betfair, Paddy Power

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Friday's Tour Championship semi-final predictions

Ding Junhui and Kyren Wilson, who meet in the first of the Tour Championship semi-finals on Friday, are inseparable with the vast majority of bookmakers and that’s not a huge surprise given the pair’s recent form and trajectories.

Both players are performing better after quiet periods earlier in the season. But while Ding won his first title of note since 2019 when victorious in the Six Red World Championship in Thailand in early March, there may be a bit more consistency and purpose to the strides Wilson is making this week.

Punters should remain aware that Ding was one of snooker’s heaviest scorers for much of the last decade, but these days his title gathering is a lot more sporadic than it once was.

Wilson looks as if his game is coming together with the World Championship just around the corner and his display in ousting Ali Carter 10-4 in the opening round of this eight-player tournament suggests he may be in a position to kick on in Hull.

Wilson posted an early contender for the event’s highest break prize with his 137 compilation against the Captain. However, Ding’s run of 116 made in his 10-5 victory over Mark Allen suggests we could soon see more three-figure offerings from the Chinese legend.

Wilson leads Ding 9-6 in previous meetings and since 2018 the Warrior has won seven of the pair’s last eight clashes. But Ding’s scoring in downing Allen - he made three breaks in the 90s as well as his ton - means a bet on the best-of-19-frames encounter featuring 17 or more frames is preferred.

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