The Snookerbacker Blog

The unique set-up at the Tempodrom (photo thanks to my second best pal after Steve Davis, Ken Doherty)

It’s Day One of the German Masters in Berlin as the action gets underway from the Tempodrom in front of what I am sure will be the usual great crowds.

This features a mix of matches which includes those carried over from the final qualifying round as well as the First Round proper (Round 3), the big names are all in action and it promises to be a great first day.

My outright preview for this event can be viewed here and all match prices from Apollobet can be viewed here. It’s a unique set up in the arena with five tables in action and in full view in each session, if you haven’t caught this tournament before I urge you to give it a look on Eurosport as it’s one that I am sure you will enjoy.

Myself and Mrs SB fly to Berlin on Thursday and will be there for the final stages, in the meantime here is a look at the 15 matches being played on Day 1.

9am

Mark Williams v Martin O’Donnell
Shaun Murphy v Ben Woollaston (TV)
Mark Allen v Nigel Bond
Dominic Dale v Jimmy White
Ding Junhui v Liu Chuang

I was hoping that the MJW v The MO’D would be televised in this session but they have plumped for the Murphy and Woollaston tie which I suppose is understandable as combined the two are comfortably the highest ranked. I was very impressed with Ben when his matches in Munich were televised recently and he’s a player that is winning a lot more than he is losing these days and not phased by the cameras it seems. Shaun however is one of my picks for the title so I’ll stick with him, he’s won the pairs only two meetings to date he’s in form and is usually a solid starter in events. As for the MJW/MO’D tie I will just sit anxiously watching the scoreboard tick by and hope that Martin can put up a decent showing. Of course you have to fancy MJ and only a brave punter would bet against him but it would be fantastic, as much as I am a fan of MJW if Martin could progress, fingers are well and truly crossed. Mark Allen and Nigel Bond have never played each other which surprised me a little, Allen is another that will have his supporters this week and Nigel hasn’t done a lot to suggest he can cause an upset here. The bet of the morning and possibly the day however has to be Berlin resident Dominic Dale who is up against an increasingly declining Jimmy White, I just can’t see Dom not winning this is in a canter and his price for me is value enough to throw in a maximum bet in the very first session. You have to go back about a year since Jimmy beat a player ranked as high as Dominic in a ranking event and amazingly back to the Grand Prix in 2005 since Jimmy’s last main ranking event win at a main venue in anything other than a wildcard round in China, when he beat Ricky Walden 5-2. *(OK in 2010 in a carried over qualifier he beat Paul Davison 3-1 in the ill-fated World Open)* Whatever way you look at it, it’s still quite incredible that. Finally, Ding who is my main fancy for the title opens up against Hendry’s lad Liu Chuang, I don’t get involved in all-Chinese clashes but on recent form Ding should be safely into the next round there.

Predicted Winners: MJW, Murphy, Allen, Dale, Ding.

Recommended Bet: 5 points on Dale at 4/7 with Betfred.      

The man of the moment

2pm

Neil Robertson v Daniel Wells
John Higgins v Peter Lines
Stephen Maguire v Alan McManus
Mark Selby v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (TV)
Andrew Higginson v Stuart Bingham

Unsurprisingly Mark Selby’s match will be televised against Un-Nooh, the improving Thai player who’s surname (recycled gag alert) sounds like a disappointed Scotsman (laugh damn you). Whilst Un-nooh is an improving player in the lower ranks this is a different kettle of fish and he surely can’t pull off a win against the man in form. Apparently Peter Lines beat John Higgins in the shootout at the weekend, I only know this as Oliver told me but again this is a massive step up even for someone of Peter’s experience. Neil Robertson will also expect an easy ride into the next round courtesy of Daniel Wells who again is improving at the lower levels of the game but who again faces a huge jump up in class. The other two matches may be a little closer, Maguire will expect to win through against Angles McManus and has won their past four meetings but it would be no surprise if Alan pulled off a shock, although that may be an oxymoron. The other match is arguably the best one of the day on paper between Bingham and Higginson, again it’s strange that they have not met on the circuit before seeing as they have been ranked so closely together for years, I can see this being an open match with plenty of big breaks between two players that don’t hang around, but as there are no century break markets out there that I can find it’s best left alone unless you can back there being more than one anywhere, the match prices are about right I reckon with Stuart a fairly strong favourite.

Predicted Winners: Robertson, Higgins, Maguire, Selby, Bingham.

7pm

Judd Trump v James Wattana (TV)
Xiao Guodong v Kurt Maflin
Fraser Patrick v Ali Carter
Matthew Stevens v Jamie Burnett
Dechawat Poomjaeng v Barry Hawkins

Judd Trump starts his campaign against the experienced Thai James Wattana and the TV lights are back on the naughty wonderboy. James is not the type to hand things to Judd on a plate and this is a banana skin if Judd’s feeling like fooling around, the prices are ridiculous so it’s not even worth taking a risk in an acca, Judd might just mess up and if he does Wattana is the type that can take advantage. Guodong and Maflin is a match I mentioned in the main preview, it would be going against the grain if this didn’t go to a decider as 6 out of 7 times they have played it has, including the last four which have all been won by Guodong. Ali Carter faces Fraser Patrick, the amateur player who kicked Martin Gould out of this, he’s a nice player is Patrick but surely again this constitutes a nice warm up for the Captain. Matthew Stevens form of late has been pretty poor, with the exception of some flashes in the UK he will have to up his game to beat Jamie Burnett in my opinion, this season seems to be slipping away from him at the moment and he needs to get it back on track, they are two other players who have not met over the years. Finally, Barry Hawkins takes on Dechawat Poomjaeng in what again I think is another example of a match where the venue will make all the difference. The new flatter structure is something I think is much fairer but it might also be one which sees profits from betting soar until the players lower down the ranks get used to the conditions at the main venues. We shall see and today will either be a lesson learned or the start of the betting community bigging up the flatter structure.

Predicted Winners: Trump, Maflin, Carter, Burnett, Hawkins.

Recommended Daily Acca: 4 points on Allen, Higgins, Selby, Robertson and Carter pays almost bang on 6/4 at Apollobet. Add Dale and Hawkins for a 2 point acca which pays over 4/1 at Apollobet.