World Snooker Championship Betting / Paul Krishnamurty / 16 April 2009 /

As the tournament gets under way on Saturday, Paul Krishnamurty makes his picks from the first round of matches.

Mark Williams @ [1.66] (v Stephen Hendry)

Without doubt, the highlight of the first round is this re-run of the 1999 final. It's been a long time since either player was anywhere near their peak, but at least Williams has found some form recently. Having started the season down at number 22 in the world rankings and with his top-level career on the line, Williams has fought back well and now stands at 13 in the provisional list. If he can win this first round match, Mark's position in the top-16 will be secure.

Its not totally implausible that Williams puts a run together over the next fortnight and challenges for a third title. Last year he arrived in similar rankings trouble, but played really well before running into an on-fire O'Sullivan.

In contrast, besides the odd characteristic quick century, Hendry has looked a pale shadow of his former self for some time. Perhaps this encounter against his good friend and old rival will inspire the seven-times champ, but Hendry certainly starts the match as outsider.

Mark King @ [1.6] (v Rory McLeod)

As usual, Mark King arrives at Sheffield for a pivotal first round match that will determine whether he will spend the next season in the elite top-16. Last year, he looked likely to miss out, but saved his bacon by producing the shock of the round to beat Mark Selby. A lacklustre season has left King struggling down at number 17 in the provisional list, and knowing he must win. That sense of urgency may have spurred on some improvement if a victory over Mark Williams in the recent China Open is anything to go by.

He couldn't have hand-picked a better opponent. Rumour has it that Rory McLeod is a class act on his day, but he's never shown any sign of it in front of the TV cameras, losing every time he's made the last-32 of a ranking event. King must rate a solid 1.6 chance to maintain McLeod's miserable sequence.

Liang Wenbo @ [3.0] (v Ding Junhui)

Is there a more frequently disappointing snooker player than Ding Junhui? Amid all the hype and predictions of the Chinese star sweeping all before him, I don't recall anybody predicting that he would face a fight to remain in the top-16 so early in his career.

Yet so it has panned out, with Ding languishing down in 15th spot. The draw has not been kind either. In fellow countryman Liang Wenbo, Ding faces one of the stars of last year's World Championship. The Crucible crowd took Wenbo to their hearts, and if he hadn't run into Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals, his form pointed to a serious run at the title.

As usual, the market over-rates Ding at just [1.5]. For me this match, which will watched by a huge audience in China, is certain to be close, and given his previous Crucible heroics, Wenbo must rate top value.

Jamie Cope @ [2.2] (v Joe Perry)

If both of these players bring their 'A game' to the Crucible, this should be a cracker and guaranteed to be very close. On the one hand, though Perry has never won a ranking event, he reached the semi-finals last year and has proved himself as a smart tactician and gutsy competitor. On the other, Cope is a potting machine and has enough natural talent to reach the very pinnacle of the game, but lacks consistency.

I reckon this will go to the wire, and am backing the outsider. Cope needs to win to have any chance of reaching the top-16, and will surely be well prepared. He produced some quite outstanding snooker on his Crucible debut last year before losing a classic first round match to Peter Ebdon in the deciding frame.

While I respect Perry as a model professional, at his best Cope is the heavier scorer. And having dramatically enhanced his reputation with last year's run to the semis, 'Gentleman Joe' arrives in Sheffield with a heavy burden of expectation on his shoulders. As someone who has always previously been a fairly anonymous outsider, this extra pressure will be a new experience for Perry.

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