Next Saturday, in the midst of an unparalleled match-fixing scandal, is the start of the Snooker World Championship. Ronnie O’Sullivan hopes to break the record he now holds with Stephen Hendry and become the first player to win eight titles in the modern era.
The PA news agency responds to some important queries regarding the leading candidates for the most coveted trophy in sports, as well as the ongoing probe that might overshadow and detract from it.
Will Ronnie triumph once more?
The easiest response to this difficult issue is: if he wants to. Officials and other athletes have taken offense at O’Sullivan’s frequent criticism of the sport. The 47-year-old may respond by winning round one and skulking off into the night, or he could sweep everyone before him for a third victory in four years. In any case, Ronnie’s journey will undoubtedly be enjoyable while it lasts.
And if not Ronnie, then who?
Since snooker is still having trouble producing the next generation of players and the Crucible’s unique long-form format upsets all but the most dependable of rivals, it is a case of the usual suspects, with Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy—former winners and tenacious contenders—arriving at the Crucible after strong campaigns. There will undoubtedly be concerns about Mark Allen’s potential to get past the last eight for the first time given his terrible track record in the competition. Allen is another exceptional performance.
Which outsiders are the best?
While most of this year’s Crucible qualifiers have a similar feel to them, the larger stars won’t be willing to test their mettle against many of the lower-ranked seeds. Gary Wilson, a previous semifinalist, has demonstrated his ability in the long game, while Robert Milkins, a veteran of the Crucible, is at the top of his game after winning the Welsh Open this year. And what price a previous finalist who is ranked 16th going into the event, Ding Junhui, with a comeback?
What is the status of the investigation into match-fixing?
Ten Chinese athletes, including past “triple crown” champions Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao, are not participating in the competition because they are facing match-fixing charges of various kinds. If proven guilty, these athletes may be banned for the rest of their careers. The second Monday of the competition, which is customarily the day the quarterfinals are rubber-stamped, will mark the beginning of the independent inquiry; however, the findings won’t be made public until the competition is over.
From here on, where does snooker go?
The person who hoists the world championship on May 1st will steer the sport towards an uncertain near future. Regardless of the outcome of the match-fixing probe, the sport is in trouble since it was unable to revive its rich Chinese competitions following the Covid epidemic. It is also concerning that there is still a dearth of new, youthful talent that may challenge the existing stars. If Ronnie keeps being as volatile as he is, snooker may be in for an unsettling kind of civil war.