Welsh Open snooker: tournament preview, best bets and where to watch

Free snooker tips, best bets and tournament preview for the Welsh Open.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1, from 10am Monday

Best bets

Mark Selby
1pt each-way 14-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Shaun Murphy
1pt each-way 18-1 Betfred

Tournament preview

Mark Selby has already won two of this season’s three Home Nations Series events and he can complete a rare hat-trick with another tournament success in Wales this week.

The Jester from Leicester has been triumphant in England and Scotland and was also a quarter-finalist in Northern Ireland, and he looks value to also reign supreme in Cardiff.

Selby was a first-round casualty at the Coral World Grand Prix in Cheltenham last week, losing 4-3 to Xiao Guodong despite making breaks of 83, 111 and 131.

His game clearly remains in good shape and punters can expect the three-time world champion to turn up the heat as the Sheffield showpiece draws closer.

Selby also has a nice draw to work with. An opener against David Grace should ease him into contention, while he would also be fancied to get past Dave Gilbert or Graeme Dott were they to meet in the last 16.

Defending champion Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan are both in Selby’s half of the draw, but the early best-of-seven format allows for potential upsets and, even so, Selby would fancy his chances against either of them.

At 14-1 Selby, who has regained his consistency and expressed his liking for similar events this season, is overpriced and looks a must for any punting portfolio.

At slightly bigger odds in the less competitive bottom half of the draw, a rejuvenated Shaun Murphy is worthy of consideration.

The Magician was victorious in the China Championship earlier in the season and he has held his form well, with semi-final appearances at the German Masters and the English equivalent this year.

With Mark Allen, who is in his section, struggling for form Murphy looks best-placed to capitalise and quotes of 18-1 may underestimate his chances.

Murphy opens up against a qualifier, with world number 23 Zhou Yuelong the most dangerous opponent he can face before the last 16.

It’s a generous draw that Murphy should exploit and although Judd Trump could be lurking in the quarter-finals, the Magician has shown that on his day he can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

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