Snooker / Paul Krishnamurty / 17 January 2010 /

O'Sullivan has come through a tough draw against some determined and in-form opponents, Selby has benefitted form poor play from his opposition and could wobble under Ronnie's onslaught

Whatever happens today, the Masters will be going to a familiar face. In a repeat of last year's memorable final, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby will retain their stranglehold over this title. Ronnie bids for the fifth Masters title of his career in what will be his sixth appearance in the last seven finals, while Selby has reached this stage for the third year in a row. On this week's evidence, Ronnie looks pretty solid at [1.5] to maintain supremacy.

Rarely in a big event has there been such a difference in the quality of matches in either half of the draw. We've seen four matches this week that will rank amongst the finest of the season; O'Sullivan/Robertson, Murphy/Hendry, Murphy/Williams and best of all, yesterday's semi-final between O'Sullivan and Williams. The loser of each of those has every right to feel aggrieved, and it is testimony to Ronnie's brilliance that he has managed to survive that draw.

In stark contrast, there has barely been a top-class performance in the bottom half of the draw. The best effort probably came from Selby last night, but even then he made plenty of mistakes and was helped no end by his opponent's lacklustre performance.

This pair have already fought out several classics. Besides last year, Ronnie won a memorable UK Championship semi-final 9-8 with a maximum 147 break in the decider, while Selby produced an incredible comeback to win the 2008 Welsh Open final 10-9. That record suggests Selby shouldn't be too daunted by the task, but he hasn't looked in anywhere near that level of form all week. Having somehow managed to fend off peak-form assaults from both Williams and Robertson, Ronnie shouldn't have too much trouble landing the odds.

Selection: Ronnie O'Sullivan @ [1.5]

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