The Dafabet Masters Snooker, 14-21 January

Categories: Sports Event Previews | Published by: admin

14/01/2018

The Masters snooker tournament, sponsored by Dafabet, starts on Sunday 14 January at London’s Alexandra Palace, and runs until Sunday 21st January.

Dating back to 1975, this is snooker’s most prestigious invitation tournament and is considered one of the sport’s Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the UK Championship.

nooker’s elite will be in attendance, as 16 of the best players in the world are invited to compete for the famous trophy and a £200,000 top prize.

Current world number 2, Ronnie O’Sullivan, is the holder of the Masters title after winning it in 2017 for a record seventh time, when beating Joe Perry in the final. O’Sullivan goes into the tournament as favourite, ahead of fellow Englishmen and current world number 1, Mark Selby, and world number 3, Judd Trump.

First round ties

’Sullivan opens the defence of his title on Tuesday against Hong Kong’s Marco Fu – the current world number 9, whilst Selby opens the competition on Sunday, and has been handed a first-round match with Wales’ world number 10, Mark Williams.

Sunday’s other match sees world number 8, Mark Allen, from Northern Ireland, face Belgium’s world number 11, Luca Brecel. On Monday, world number 4, Ding Junhui of China, plays world number 17, Ryan Day, of Wales, whilst the evening session features world number 3, Judd Trump and China’s world number 19, Liang Wenbo.

On Tuesday, as well as O’Sullivan’s game in the afternoon, there’s an all English affair, as world number 7, Barry Hawkins faces world number 14, Kyren Wilson.

First round matches are concluded on Wednesday, when world number 6, Shaun Murphy, meets fellow Englishmen and world number 13, Ali Carter, in the afternoon session. That is ahead of an all Scotland match-up between world number 5, John Higgins, and world number 16, Anthony McGill.