Snooker / Paul Krishnamurty / 05 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Taking very short odds about the world number one has generally proved a mug's game over the years, but the Rocket really does look nailed on for his first round match against Jamie Burnett, writes Paul Krishamurty.

"The question is whether Burnett will even win a frame, and getting the three required to win the handicap looks a very tall order."

Ronnie O'Sullivan started the season in impeccable style by winning the Shanghai Masters; exactly the type of event where he has looked under-motivated in the past.

Of course as this tournament progresses, there's always a strong chance that he will lose interest in one session and pay the price, but such is his superiority over Jamie Burnett here that he would probably win even playing at 50% of his ability. The Scot, ranked a lowly 40th in the world, has never gone beyond the quarter-finals of a ranking event and hasn't even reached that stage for 11 years.

Ronnie can expect to get at least two or three chances per frame here, and that is simply not a good enough standard to challenge the best player in the world by some distance. For me, the bigger question is whether Burnett will even win a frame, and getting the three required to win the handicap looks a very tall order. The [1.8] about Ronnie giving away 2.5 games looks rock-solid.

Tags: Jamie Burnett, Paul Krishnamurty, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Snooker Betting Odds, Snooker Betting Tips, World Grand Prix Snooker