Gibraltar Open Tips: Six players to watch

Gary Moss
23 March 2022

Carter threatening to return into the winner's circle

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In a season packed with surprise champions, our snooker writer Gary Moss picks out some names outside of the big favourites to have a cracktitle at the title on The Rock...

"The two-time Crucible finalist often produces his best on the biggest stage and looks to be timing his best spell of the season to perfection by reaching the last eight in the Turkish Masters and Welsh Open."

There's a lot at stake at this week's Gibraltar Open.

As well as the £50,000 winner's prize, there's a bonus £150,000 up for grabs to whoever ends the week at the head of the European Series prize money leader board.

These lucrative prizes mean we have a star-studded line-up for the event - but if this season has taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.

So, while the usual protagonists hog the limelight, here are some other names who could be fighting it out for silverware.

Ali Carter @ 40/1

Back-to-back appearances in quarter-finals of the past two events shows that form is brewing in the Captain's camp - and we shouldn't be surprised with the World Championship just around the corner.

The two-time Crucible finalist often produces his best on the biggest stage and looks to be timing his best spell of the season to perfection by reaching the last eight in the Turkish Masters and Welsh Open.

Sometimes you just can't ignore what recent results are telling you, and it's clear that Carter is really getting stuck in. He's a real dangerman this week on The Rock.

Ding Junhui @ 16/1

Not many players had the Covid-19 pandemic harder than Ding - but things are really starting to look up again.

His slide down the rankings unsurprisingly coincided with his return to China and his struggle to play in many events. He was one of the real standout performers in Antalya, reaching the last four and producing some magnificent snooker along the way.

He's a match for anybody when he's on song and has a real chance if he can keep his famously devastating break-building together.

Ryan Day @ 66/1

If the recent exploits of Joe Perry and Matt Selt are anything to go by, Ryan Day fits the mould perfectly of a player more than capable of surprising us at any point this season.

Although Judd Trump is looming in his section of the draw, he hasn't been handed the worst route to the latter stages of this event, and deep runs at the German Masters and European Masters show he's in good enough touch to string together some results.

Tom Ford @ 66/1

There's an argument this event is a great format for the Leicester potter.

Winner of two PTC events back in the early days of the Barry Hearn snooker revolution, Ford seems to thrive on the shorter format events and could well go on a run if things go his way in the early matches.

Tom Ford.jpg

Jimmy Robertson @ 150/1

A huge price on a player who is ranked inside the top 16 of the one-year ranking list and playing some excellent snooker of late.

His run to the last four of the Players Championship shows there's no fear factor when playing the top guns. He's won an event before and so knows what it takes and, more importantly, looks to be feeling confident.

Click here to read our Jimmy Robertson interview

Yuan Sijun @ 150/1

In a season which has already produced two breakthrough Chinese ranking event winners, could Yuan Sijun be next to produce the goods?

The 21-year-old was a hot prospect when he first burst onto the tour in 2017 but has been cast into the shadows more recently as others around him have delivered more eye-catching results on the table.

There have been green shoots of optimism for him lately as he has started to produce more consistent early wins in events. Worth keeping an eye on, for sure.