Masters Snooker Tips: Trump and Selby for final showdown?

Masters / Alex Lee / 20 January 2012 /

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A worthy favourite

"Trump deserves to be the favourite for the first big tournament of the year as he plays flowing, fearless snooker, regardless of who he’s up against... "

Alex Lee assesses the markets and make some early predictions about who we might see in Sunday's Masters final.

Deadlines being what they are, neither of the semi-final line-ups have been completed at the time of writing. It's as good a time as any, however, to ascertain who might be the likely winner of what has been an incredible Masters Snooker tournament thus far, with the semis due to start in earnest on Saturday lunchtime.

While it may have come as a surprise to some that Judd Trump is in the semi-finals and Ronnie O'Sullivan isn't, the only real shock was how easily and convincingly he beat him. Trump deserves to be the favourite for the first big tournament of the year as he plays flowing, fearless snooker, regardless of who he's against or at what stage of the competition he finds himself.

I'd install John Higgins as second favourite as he is set to play the winner of Friday night's Selby/Murphy quarter-final. The Wizard from Wishaw is close to his best at present and would like nothing more than to go cue-to-cue with Trump on Sunday in a repeat of last year's Crucible final. Furthermore, John Higgins has already beaten both of his possible semi opponents in World Championship finals - a fact that will give him additional mental strength when he takes to the baize on Saturday night.

Trump, meanwhile, plays the winner of Neil Robertson v Mark Williams and the extra day's relaxation he'll have had ahead of the Saturday afternoon semi will hand him a further advantage. The likely final line-up, therefore, looks a gripping prospect, with the young left-hand sharp-shooter against the experienced right-hand all-rounder.

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