WST Classic predictions and snooker betting tips: Ford can motor to home town glory

Where to watch

Matchroom.Live, 10am Thursday 

Best bet

Tom Ford
0.5pts each-way 100-1 Coral, Lads

Robbie Williams
0.5pts each-way 400-1 Coral, Lads

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WST Classic preview

The inaugural running of the WST Classic begins on Thursday and it’s an interesting ranking event. This tournament is a replacement for the cancelled Turkish Masters and it looks a competitive heat with Ronnie O’Sullivan heading the betting at 6-1. 

Top potters O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump and Mark Williams are all housed in the top-half of the draw and the bottom section looks the place to play. 

Kyren Wilson and John Higgins are the jollies in section seven, but those two cuemen haven’t been at their best this season, and at 100-1, Tom Ford looks the bet. The Leicester potter shouldn’t have any issues getting past Andrew Pagett in round one and it’s been a pretty impressive campaign for the 39-year-old. 

Model T made the final of the Welsh Open last month, he reached the semis of the prestigious UK Championship earlier this term and warmed up for this event with a nice run to the last four of the Six Red World Championship last week. Ford has the break-building abilities to compete with anyone on his day and he is exactly the type of player worth chancing at big prices. 

Robbie Williams has made three ranking event semi-finals in his career and two of those have come in the last two seasons. The Merseyside man is known as a grinder, and he won’t be lacking in the tactical department, but the 36-year-old is a good all-round performer. 

Williams starts with a game against Aaron Hill, and while a potential second-round tie against Robert Milkins could be tricky, there’s little else to worry about in the mini-section. The out-of-form Mark Selby is the big-hitter in the quarter and that gives scope for a less fancied runner to progress from the section. 

Williams is a 400-1 shot to lift the crown in Leicester, and although it’s clearly a stiff task, the Merseyside man could give punters a good spin. 

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