World Snooker Championship
Can Ronnie Conquer the Crucible for a Third Time?
World number two Ronnie O'Sullivan goes into the Snooker World Championships at the Crucible this weekend as 4/1 favourite to emulate his 2002 and 2004 successes, but nothing is settled in Sheffield.
After six different winners in the last six years, the 2008 World Championship once again promises a wide open field of challengers.
Mark Selby (7/1 for the tournament) lit the Crucible on fire last year with a remarkable semi-final comeback against 2005 champion and world number one Shaun Murphy, before succumbing to Higgins in the final. Hoping to go one better this year, the star is 1/7 on to dispatch Mark King (4/1) at the first hurdle, and is sounding confident.
According to Eurosport, he commented on the draw claiming: "I'm happy with it. I'm in the best half: some of the top names like Ronnie [O'Sullivan] and [Stephen] Hendry are in the other [top] half so although it's still tough I'm definitely in the better half."
The young player could face Murphy again, but this time at the quarter final stage, should results go to form.
Meanwhile the Rocket will be looking to dominate his half of the draw, kicking off as 1/12 favourite to down Liu Chuang (6/1) and eyeing a possible match-up with Higgins, the other titan in his half. An O'Sullivan/Selby all English contest is the most likely final showdown at 7/1.
The tournament trophy has not been successfully defended since Stephen Hendry's reign in the mid nineties, and the wily Scot is still kicking around and is a 25/1 outside shot to relive old glories.
His compatriot John Higgins is 10/1 to repeat his triumph over Selby in last year's final and defend the title, but he kicks off his campaign with a tough challenge. The Scot is 4/11 on to dispatch twice beaten finalist Matthew Stevens (2/1), but the Welshman's feel for the Crucible makes him a tough opponent.
Higgins told BBC Sport: "He's a UK Championship and Masters winner - it's one of the hardest draws I could have got. It's a draw I'm pleased with because I'm fully prepared for a tough match."
Stevens has however had a rough ride over recent seasons, slipping out of the top 16 this year for the first time in a decade. But Higgins has not reached a final since defeating Selby at the Crucible last May.
Should he progress against a sluggish Stevens, hopeful Higgins could find the draw works in his favour: Ding Junhui (8/1) is however the most fearful name in his quarter.
Chinese sensation Ding has never got beyond the first round in Sheffield – and crashed out to the rocket last year – but is 1/2 on to defeat local rival and first round opponent Marcu Fu (6/4). Only one will progress, but Chinese hopes are high with four entrants competing this year and 7/1 odds of an eventual Chinese winner (including Hong Kong, the home of Marcu Fu).
In their way lies the English challenge: the threat of O'Sullivan and Murphy combined makes the host country 4/6 favourite to yield a winner, while the Scottish challenge of Maguire and Higgins raises the odds to 10/3 for a victor north of the border.
And Maguire goes in on a high after defeating Murphy in the recent Honghe Industrial 2008 World Snooker China Open final. The Scot is 2/7 on to fight off the challenge of Anthony Hamilton (5/2) in the first round.
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