Can Ding do it?
Sky Bet's Andy Thorp asks whether Ding Junhui can retain his Masters Championship against a tough field.
By Andy Thorp - Follow me on Twitter @Thorpy_Snooker
Last Updated: 15/01/12 1:57pm
Defending champion Ding Junhui takes on four-time Masters Champion and favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first match of this year's Masters at Alexandra Palace.
Ding infamously lost to Ronnie in the 2007 final after finding the raucous Wembley crowd too much for him, but they took him to their hearts last year and he will have plenty of fans at the new Ally Pally venue.
However, it remains to be seen whether the young Chinaman has the mettle to beat O'Sullivan against whom he only has one significant victory since 2006.
Junhui is 6/4 with online betting company Sky Bet to beat O'Sullivan who is 8/15, but the value could lie in backing O'Sullivan -1.5 at 4/5 or even at the alternative -2.5 frames at 6/4 as, if he is going to win, there is every chance he will do it in style with a comfortable victory.
Ding fans will be hoping he gets off to a quick start and he can be backed to win the opening mini four-frame session at 11/4.
With maximum 147 breaks flying in left, right and centre this year the online bookmaker go 25/1 that there will be one in this match or, for those slightly less ambitious but anticipating a high quality encounter, over 7.5 50 breaks is 6/4 and over 1.5 100 breaks at 4/5 will appeal.
The evening match features world No.2 Mark Williams against a resurgent Stephen Maguire and at odds against (6/5) the Scotsman looks worth a bet.
Williams has been practising with a new cue and has been a little out of form of late and, after a decent performance in the UK Championship and a PTC tournament victory last week, Maguire will be looking to extend his 4-1 head-to-head record.
World number 16 Ronnie O'Sullivan just tops the outright betting at 11/2 from UK Champion Judd Trump at 6/1, with world No.1 Mark Selby and two-time Masters Champ John Higgins both at 13/2.
Mark Williams is 11/1 but having already highlighted the merits of Stephen Maguire against Williams the 18/1 for Maguire to win is a value punt.
In what could be one of the highest-quality Masters fields ever assembled defending champ Junhui is as big as 12/1 and UK championship finalist Mark Allen is 18/1.
Sky Bet have quoted the entire field in their 'Name the Finalists' market with some big prices on what would seem entirely plausible chances - for example Maguire v Gould is a 150/1 shot or Junhui v Murphy a 50/1 punt.
Those fancying a repeat of last year's World Championship final can get 14/1 for Trump v Higgins or a repeat of the 2009 and 2010 finals O'Sullivan v Selby is 12/1.
Sky Bet's Andy Thorp will be covering the event all week and can be followed on Twitter @Thorpy_Snooker. He thinks Judd Trump is now the man to beat and is looking forward to watching the youngster's attacking style of play.
He said: "Judd Trump has raised the bar with his performances over the last eight or nine months and it is up to the rest of the field to raise their own games too. Trump fears no one and I would go as far as to say he even frightens the greats like O'Sullivan and Higgins.
"He can be beaten as he does give plenty of chances, but he is aware of this and has been working hard on his safety game so if his opponents get a chance they had best make the most of it and make a frame-winning break,otherwise they know they may not get another chance".
