Welsh Open predictions & snooker betting tips: Zhao's rise looks set to continue

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for the Welsh Open, which starts on Monday at the Celtic Manor Resort.

When to bet

Starts 10am Monday

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport 1, from 1pm Monday

Best bets

Zhao Xintong
1pt each-way 14-1 Hills

Mark Allen
1pt each-way 16-1 bet365

Jack Lisowski
0.5pt each-way 40-1 bet365, Hills

Tournament preview

The final leg of this season’s Home Nations Series heads to Newport for the Welsh Open and John Higgins will be hoping for a change of fortune after final defeats in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

But with matches involving the top-16 seeds being held over to the main venue, Higgins may struggle to repeat those heroics with a qualifying clash against Pang Junxu a tricky starting point.

Pang reached the last 16 at last week’s European Masters, where he claimed the scalp of Neil Robertson, so there may be better value to be had given the early best-of-seven-frames format.

Draws can help win you tournaments and few should have it better than China’s rising force Zhao Xintong, who tops the one-year ranking list having lifted the UK Championship and German Masters.

Zhao faces Oliver Lines in his opener but victory would see him drop into the first quarter, which is the weakest section of the draw.

The world number seven would face Jak Jones in the last 64 and, on this season’s evidence, should have little to fear from potential challengers Anthony McGill, Ryan Day and Shaun Murphy, suggesting a semi-final spot is there for the taking.

There has been no fluke about Zhao’s rise to stardom and given the way he grows into a tournament, the Chinese cueman rates excellent value.

The second quarter looks best left alone with Judd Trump, Robertson and Barry Hawkins battling it out, but there are two tempting each-way alternatives in the bottom half of the draw.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, who suffered a shock defeat to Jordan Brown in last year’s final, and Yan Bingtao will have their backers but they could be upstaged in the third quarter by Mark Allen.

The Pistol won his second Home Nations Series event in his own backyard at the Northern Ireland Open in October, and recent performances hint that a return to form is imminent.

Allen made the semi-finals of the German Masters at the end of January and has the draw to go deep in Newport, with his first genuine test coming in a potential last-16 encounter with Kyren Wilson.

The world number 11 is capable of beating anyone on his day and, with O’Sullivan possibly vulnerable after a busy week in the European Masters, quotes of 16-1 are tempting.

The final selection comes in the form of the supremely gifted Jack Lisowski, who will be hoping to claim a maiden ranking title having finished runner-up on six occasions.

That's of some concern but Jackpot is too good not to get his hands on some silverware at some point and the fourth quarter looks a good place to be with fellow seeds Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham both struggling to hit peak form.

Higgins or Mark Williams may be lurking in the quarter-final but, even so, odds of 40-1 seriously underestimate his winning prospects.

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