It’s into the Semi Finals of the Snooker Totesport Welsh Open on Saturday, with the Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan looking in some blistering form. In his demolishing of Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen (who even waved a white flag on the end of his cue in jest to O’Sullivan’s dominance), Ronnie missed two golden opportunities to finish off a 147 maximum break. Had he achieved it, he would have been the first player to reach 10 maximums in professional competitions. Those chances agonising slipped by, though it didn’t hinder the Rocket’s progress any. He is looking sharp, a lot sharper than he was at the recent Masters for some reason.
Master’s Winner Mark Selby crashed and burned against John Higgins in their Quarter Final match, raising interesting points about how certain players perform above and beyond at certain tournaments. This was a perfect opportunity for Selby to stamp his authority all over the game, but instead he quietly bowed out in a 5-2 defeat. Higgins’s victory now pits him against the irrepressible O’Sullivan in the second semi final match.
Ali Carter, who, to be honest, rarely causes much of a ripple at the major tournaments, clearly likes the Welsh Open. He is the current holder, and seems to be on a severe mission to make sure that he retains it. He will now face the toughest test in his defence, as he takes on Stephen Maguire in the first of Saturday’s semi finals. Scot Maguire is one of those players who has the complete game, and the World Number Two looks as if he just needs a couple of tournaments wins under his belt to take his game onto the next level. A “nearly man” perhaps would be a fair but harsh description. He is a great player to watch though on his day, and should start as favourite against the defending champion.
Totesport Welsh Open Semi Final Match Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan to win: 4/6 at SkyBet
John Higgins to win: 11/8 at BetFred
Stephen Maguire to win: 8/11 at Totesport
Ali Carter to win: Evens at Totesport
Welsh Open Outright Winner Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 6/4 at SportingBet
John Higgins – 11/4 at Totesport
Stephen Maguire – 4/1 at Paddy Power
Ali Carter – 11/2 at BetFred
If you think Ronnie is set to make a 147 in this tournament, then he is 7/1 at Totesport
