2024 World Open Snooker Preview
In the latest guest column from our friends at OLBG, here’s a look ahead to snooker’s World Open Snooker, which is underway now. Trusted by over two million users who contribute tips, opinions and insights, the Online Betting Guide is a vibrant sports betting community.
Since its 1982 inception as the Professional Players Tournament, the World Open snooker championship has undergone several name and format changes, often tied to title sponsorship deals. Across the 1980s and 1990s, it was mainly called the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, the tournament incorporated a round-robin format. However, a knock-out format was reinstated in 2008. Since 2010, the tournament has been concertedly known as ‘The World Open’.
History shows us that the event has been a proving ground for rising snooker stars, often producing upset victories and breakout players. As we approach the 2024 championship, veteran Judd Trump is the defending champion.
Preview and Predictions
Predictably, Ronnie O’Sullivan heads the market as the favourite and is joined at the head of the market by defending champion Judd Trump. Both have won this event once in the past in 2004 and 2023 respectively.
They are clear of the Marks, two-time winner (2012 & 2013) and recent players championship victor Mark Allen, and Selby who will be looking for his first. There is an obvious absence of 4 times champion Mark Williams who is not involved this year.
Completing the top of the betting, the current world champion Luca Brecel who has started to show a return to form that won him the ultimate brown almost a year ago, is preceded by Neil Robertson and John Higgins, who set the four consecutive centuries break record way back in 2005, at the time also recording a record-breaking 494 points without reply beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-2 in the final.
It is hard to look beyond snooker tipster favourites, O’Sullivan and Trump, given their respective form this season, scooping up most of the available ranking titles between them. The chasing pack arguably has Allen in the finest most recent form, whilst outside of this, there are a few names we could consider given the nature of this tournament throwing up the odd surprise
Ali Carter is having an excellent season, playing some of the best snooker of his entire career, and he doesn’t have the hardest rounds 3 & 4 route ahead to progress to the Quarters in trying to add a second World Open title having bested Joe Perry in 2016
The most improved player of the season without a doubt is Zhang Anda, and is a surprise to find him priced generously playing in his home country ahead of the start, albeit he does have a held-over Round 2 match to play
147 Break to be scored?
After the new 167 break in Saudi Arabia didn’t happen we are back to the traditional (and let’s be honest, sensible) 147 maximum break, but do not expect this event to throw up many. To date, just 2 have ever been scored, and they have only come in qualifying by O’Sullivan and Marco Fu in 2010 and 2012.
This article was written by Darren Brett, the snooker betting expert at OLBG
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