UK Championship final predictions and snooker betting tips

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for the UK Championship final between Luca Brecel and Zhao Xintong on Sunday.

Where to watch

BBC Two & Eurosport, 1pm Sunday

Best bet

Luca Brecel
2pts 10-11 bet365

Match preview

This year’s UK Championship has thrown up a series of strange results and few would have anticipated a final between Luca Brecel and Zhao Xintong.

Brecel, a former world number 11, has always threatened to take the snooker world by storm while many would have long been aware of the talent possessed by Chinese sensation Xintong.

However, this is uncharted territory for both players and at some point the nerves can be expected to kick in.

World number 26 Xintong is the higher ranked player but he and Brecel (world number 40) are two players destined for the top 16.

Xintong trounced the experienced Barry Hawkins 6-1 in the semi-final - he made six breaks of 70 or more - although it was the performance of Brecel that was arguably more impressive.

The Belgian Bullet defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan’s conqueror Kyren Wilson 6-4 and knocked in four centuries as well as breaks of 97 and 80.

This will be the first UK final between two non top-16 players and Brecel, the more experienced at 26, may cope better with the situation.

Unlike Xintong, the Belgian is a ranking event winner - he claimed the China Championship in 2017 - and he has twice played in the Masters which should stand him in good stead.

Bookmakers are struggling to separate the pair but Brecel, who has also defeated Scottish duo Anthony McGill and Stephen Maguire in York, looks the bet.

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