The Grosvenor Casinos Champion Of Champions – Tournament Preview

Get ready for an electrifying week of world-class snooker when the Champion of Champions tournament kicks off at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Bolton from November 11-17.

As proud sponsors, we’re turning up the excitement with special offers all week long.

Let’s get the offers on the baize!

We’ve gone snooker loopy by giving you a 20% odds boost to add to your outright bet for the tournament and we’re also offering you a cash back refund if any of your match selections are beaten in a final frame decider throughout the week.

How the Champion Of Champions works

The Champion Of Champions schedule begins with the group matches, held from Monday 11th November 11 to Thursday 14th November. Each day will see two match sessions: the afternoon session, beginning at 1pm, followed by the evening session at 7pm.

Each winner of the afternoon session group stage best-of-seven match will proceed to the evening session group stage final, played over a best-of-11 frames.

Following the group stage, the semi-finals will take place on Friday 15th November and Saturday 16th November, where the competition heats up with best-of-11 match-ups. These intense evening matches are set to start at 7pm, as players vie for a spot in the final.

The tournament culminates in the Grand Final on Sunday 17th November. This decisive best-of-19 contest is split into two parts: the afternoon session starting at 1pm and the evening showdown at 7pm, where one player will ultimately emerge as the Champion Of Champions.

The stakes are high, with a generous prize fund of £440,000 up for grabs, including a £150,000 reward for the winner. Here’s the breakdown of the prize structure:

  • Winner: £150,000
  • Runner-up: £60,000
  • Losing semi-finalists: £30,000 each
  • Group runner-up: £17,500
  • Losing group semi-finalists: £12,500

 

Who’s playing?

Group One includes defending Champions of Champions title holder Mark Allen facing off against Igor Figueiredo, the reigning World Seniors Champion. Joining them are Gary Wilson, Welsh Open and Scottish Open winner, and this year’s World Championship runner-up Jak Jones.

Group Two sees world number one Judd Trump open up against the International Championship winner – currently taking place in Nanjing, China. Rounding out this group is Ali Carter, the Championship League Snooker Ranking winner, and 2024 English Open champion Neil Robertson.

Group Three features a strong line-up of reigning world champion Kyren Wilson against 2023 world champ Luca Brecel and Tour Championship victor Mark Williams versus women’s world champion Bai Yulu.

Group Four pits English ace Mark Selby against countryman Shaun Murphy. Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan, searching for his record-breaking fifth Champion of Champions title, is drawn against China’s Xiao Guodong.

Ones to watch

Northern Irishman Mark Allen is the odds-on 4/6 favourite to win Group One, having lifted this trophy 12 months ago, and is likely to have the better of Igor Figueiredo.

Allen’s biggest challenge is likely to come from Gary Wilson 3/1 to win the group – who has clinched both the Scottish and Welsh Open in the last year – but Wilson faces a tricky test against Jak Jones.

It’s too early to call Group Two but Neil Robertson is odds-on to topple seventh seed Ali Carter, while second seed Judd Trump has reached the final in each of the past two editions and could go deep once again.

Bai Yulu is the long shot in Group Three, meaning Mark Williams is in line to take on both of the last two world champions in either Luca Brecel and Kyren Wilson in the group final. Wilson is 7/4 to be the King of the Baize in his opening match against Brecel, which seems good value. A contest between Williams and Wilson could be close, with Wilson our slight favourite to edge the Welsh Potting Machine and book his spot in the final four.

Group Four is filled with household names, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, and appears the closest on paper. The Rocket last won the tournament in 2022 and will have his work cut out to get past first Xiao Guodong and then, most likely, fourth seed Mark Selby. O’Sullivan may be seeded lower than the Jester from Leicester, but is ahead of his fellow Englishman in the odds market.

Comments

comments


Posted

in

,

by

Tags: