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World Snooker Betting: D-Day for reigning champion Higgins

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John Higgins will not retain the title of World Snooker Champion this year after he lost last night to Welshman Ryan Day.

John Higgins had traded as low as [1.11] on Betfair when leading 4-0 and 6-3 early in the piece, and at 8 frames each going into the final session one would have been forgiven for making the defending champion slight favourite.

But one man, Ryan Day, had not read the script and reeled off the first three frames of that session and went on to hold his nerve in two of the next three. What had promised to be a nail biter ended very comfortably for Day and all his backers, the happiest of whom will have been those who got the highest price of [8.0].

In the tournament winner market, Higgins was matched at a low of [8.0]. Those bets are now done and dusted, but the [160.0] that has been matched for Ryan Day is very much alive. Day is now [11.0] to back for the title, a smaller price than some much bigger names, though the biggest name of all, Ronnie O'Sullivan, remains the favourite at [3.8]. He still looks the man to beat.