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Luke Humphries now 5/16.00 to win the World Championship
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Dirk to score heavily
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Reliable Ratajski to deliver
Reigning World Champion Luke Littler is currently 10/111.91 to go back-to-back at Ally Pally with Luke Humphries 5/16.00 to reclaim his crown on 3 January after the conclusion of a dramatic and highly entertaining round one at Ally Pally.
Hillbilly and the The Aubergenius to score heavily
Dirk van Duijvenbode was handed a stern test in his opener at this year's World Championship but battled past his Belgian opponent thanks to some monstrous finishes and heavy scoring.
Remarkably the Dutchman not only took out his fourth 170 finish on the Ally Pally stage but also had three other ton plus outs to go with his eight 180s.
When things click for the 2020 World Grand Prix finalist, he is one of the most explosive players on the planet.
Capable of producing a level of scoring power that can blow opponents off the oche, unplayable in spells, if he could deliver that sort of display on a consistent basis and not just for short, sharp bursts in matches, he would once again be considered a terrifying prospect in every major tournament.
In James Hurrell, he has an opponent who has already done enough to retain his tour card privileges heading into 2026 and who is certainly more than capable of asking a few more questions of The Aubergenius.
I'm backing 10+ 180s & 2+ 100+ checkouts in this one at 7/24.50.
Back 10+ 180s & 2+ 100+ checkouts
Reliable Ratajski to deliver again
Krzysztof Ratajski is one of those players who rarely gets the credit he deserves. So often producing on a consistent basis, he is one of the most reliable players to deliver a mid 90s average.
He was absolutely superb against Alexis Toylo on Thursday, despite admitting after the game that the pace of the match was certainly getting to him.
It certainly wasn't noticeable though against the unflappable Pole who looked strong in every single department.

He takes on one of the most consistent finishers in the game on Saturday in Ryan Joyce and whilst I think it could be a really close contest, I am backing Ratajski to average +93.5 at 5/61.84.
Back Krzysztof Ratajski to average +93.5