World Snooker Championship 2016

From Monday 3rd to Wednesday 6th April, I made a poll on Twitter and Facebook asking people who they make favourite to win this year's World Snooker Championship at the Crucible. I will make a stuff here in the Blog about each of the three most voted players, talking about previous results at the Crucible, his campaign this season, and I will also discuss about his chances to win Snooker's blue-riband event considering the draw he has and his current form.

Everyone would pick 3 players in maximum, and they would choose players that they believed that should really win it or/and they're fans, whether he's a Top 16 player or has to come through the Qualifiers yet. So some votes might have been influenced by fanaticism, although I think the three players who won the poll are in very good form and are the three that I personally make favourites as well.

Thanks to everyone who voted, and let's get it started:

18% of the votes - Judd Trump

Having recently won the China Open and the Championship League it doesn't surprise me that Judd Trump is in the Top 3 of this poll.
Talking about Trump's record at the Crucible, it's nothing bad although people often says he should have already won this. He made the Final in his second attempt in 2011 as a Qualifier and since then the former World Number One never lost in the 1st Round, with a couple of Semi-Finals where he was defeated to the eventual champion. That includes last year's 17-16 defeat to Stuart Bingham.
This season have been good for Trump, I think he's a lot better player than he was years ago, he learned a lot about tactics and I think he's been psychologically ready to win the World Championship for a while now. But he never found that 2011 form again, form is something that comes and goes, you try to potentially get the best out of it during the second half of the season in the Triple Crown events, but it's nearly out of your control to know when your form will arrive. Although I think Trump's form have finally arrived and at the right time. He won the China Open as his first Ranking Event in 2011 before having his career best Crucible run, now much more experienced at 26, Trump will be full of confidence.
The draw haven't been kind to Trump, he potentially have Martin Gould - German Masters Champion in February and Runner-Up in the Australian Open and Gdynia Open - in the second Round and then should play Neil Robertson already in the Quarter Finals. In the Semi-Finals he would be up against someone like 4-times winner John Higgins or defending Champion Stuart Bingham and then the Final never gives you an easy game. I think the top half of the draw is slighly tougher, although the draw for the 1st Round with the Qualifiers coming can change everything and I'm sure Trump will confide himself of beating anyone at the Crucible this year.

18% of the votes - Neil Robertson

Arguably the greatest player of all time from outside the UK, Neil Robertson is enjoying the best form of his career, but if he's to win the World Championship this year he'll just relive something he did in 2010 when he was - in my opinion - not even close from being the great player he's today. Even though he was capable of lifting Snooker's most wished trophy and that shows you how good he is. Last year he was defeated in the Quarter-Finals after reaching the last 8 of the Crucible for a sixth time.
His season have been full of highs and lows, but the highs all came in the biggest events, looks like he manages his schedule very well and is able to bring the best out of his game in the bigger events. He won the Champion of Champions and the UK Championship back-to-back and then it took a fantastic performance from Judd Trump - making four centuries - to knock him out of the Masters 6-5. And then he made the Final of the Welsh Open only losing to Ronnie O`Sullivan in the BBC televised event.
However, many first Round defeats this season including in his last two events played got Neil only tied with Trump in second place. He's in the top half of the draw so I think he's got a tough mission to win the World Championship, but depending on how the draw works with the Qualifiers, he would have a couple of comfortable matches to begin, I can't see Mark Williams giving him a run in the 2nd Round but there are players like Ding Junhui and Ali Carter possibly coming from the Qualifiers who should draw him and give him a match.

33% of the votes - Ronnie O`Sullivan

No doubt a favourite to win the title, O`Sullivan's season so far is easy to describe, 5 tournaments played, two won, one Runner-Up, one second round defeat in December and one first Round defeat in March.
O`Sullivan won the most important tournaments he played, The Masters after 8 months without playing a televised match, and the Welsh Open beating three top 10 World ranked players in the last three matches. His game seems to be as strong as it has been and his long potting have been better than it has ever been in my opinion. It gives him a lot of chances each frame and as he's a great break builder he takes them. He's in the bottom half of the draw which seems slightly more comfortable, even though his second Round opponent might be Barry Hawkins, Masters' finalist this year, World finalist in 2013 and the only player who made the Semi-Finals in each of the last three editions of the World Snooker Championship.
O`Sullivan's record at the Crucible isn't as easy to describe, he made six Finals and won five of them. He's had his highs and lows but recently he have found the right balance and is very regular to be fair. With 3 Finals in the last 4 years with two titles, the last time The Rocket didn't win the World Championship or lost to a player that eventually went on to win it, was in 2010 and that's also the last year someone won more than 4 frames against him in the 1st Round. By the way, his last 1st Round defeat at the Crucible came in 2003 when he lost to Marco Fu but even so made a Maximum Break.



Well these were the three then, I'll be posting on Facebook and Twitter in the next few days interesting facts like who was the 4th that missed out for one place, who didn't get any vote, etc...
But although only three players could make this Blog, it doesn't mean they're clear favourites, it feels like everybody is having a good season, Ali Carter, Kyren Wilson and Ding Junhui coming from the Qualifiers will fancy their chances even though they would like to get some luck with the draw on Thursday. Mark Selby has withdrew from the last couple of tournaments due to personal reasons that I've no idea about what it is, but if his mindset is okay at the Crucible then he's always a contender. Mark Allen won two titles this season and recently lifted the Players Championship Grand Finals trophy on ITV, he seems to be in great form and it wouldn't surprise me if he gets to the Final this year. Last year's Runner-Up Shaun Murphy had a tough season, but things turned around in Llandudno for him as he cued up to perfection winning the World Grand Prix. Defending Champion Stuart Bingham was Runner-Up in the World Grand Prix, but that Final was his only this season and he looks to be in bad form, but it all can change at the Crucible, I believe he's not such an underdog this year as he was last year so everything is possible although I can't really see that happening, being back at the Crucible should be good for him if he can settle quickly.
John Higgins, Ricky Walden and Joe Perry are other players in form that have had good runs in Sheffield in the past and will be ones to watch.


The Qualifiers in Ponds Forge finishes Wednesday and the 1st Round draw for the World Championship will be made on Thursday, you can follow all the latest results from the Qualifiers, the draw and up coming results from the Crucible through Ronnie O`Sullivan Brasil on Facebook.