Can Trump Ace Snooker’s Northern Ireland Open for a Fourth Time?
The third ranking tournament on Snooker’s 2021/22 World Tour takes place at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall during the week. The 2021 BetVictor Northern Ireland Open began on October 9th and concludes eight days later. Beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-7 in the final, Judd Trump won the Northern Ireland Open for a third consecutive year in 2020.
Trump has an exceptional record in the quartet of Home Nations tournaments. In addition to his three Northern Ireland Open titles, he also claimed the English Open in 2020. The Home Nations series was introduced in 2016. Since then, Mark Selby (2019 English Open, 2019 and 2020 Scottish Open) and Neil Robertson (2017 Scottish Open and 2019 Welsh Open) have also won more than one Home Nations title.
Judd Trump has been installed as 7/2 favorite for the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open by the tournament sponsors. ©Rigour
It could be argued Ronnie O’Sullivan has the most impressive overall record in Home Nations events. In addition to landing the 2017 English Open, ‘The Rocket’ has been a beaten finalist on five separate occasions.
One Frame Shootouts
The most memorable of all O’Sullivan’s Home Nations defeats came in last year’s Welsh Open. On that occasion, with the scores poised at 8-8, the game went to a final frame decider. In such situations, O’Sullivan is normally considered a formality. But world ranked number 81 Jordan Brown, who had started the competition as a 750/1 outsider, had not read the script and sealed the deal with a 74 break.
In taking the title Brown became the lowest-ranked player to win a ranking event since 1993 when Dave Harold won the Asian Open. The 33-year-olds form has gone awry since and if you think he can win this week’s Northern Irish Open on his home soil, tournament sponsor BetVictor will give you 250/1.
There have been other epic Home Nations finals and the Northern Ireland Open seems to specialize in them. In the 2017 decider, Mark Williams edged out Yan Bingtao in a final frame shootout. 2016 victor, Mark King, took his first ranking title with a 9-8 win over Barry Hawkins.
Trump Aces the Betting
Identifying the winner of the 2021 Northern Ireland Open is no easy task. Trump is the sponsor’s default favorite at 7/2. A third-round casualty in the most recent ranking tournament – the British Open in mid-August – he was last seen in action in Atlantic City contesting the US Open Pool Championship.
It was three-time world champion and 24-time ranking tournament winner Mark Williams that landed the British Open. He may be 46 but the in-form ‘Welsh Potting Machine’ will appeal to many at odds of 33/1 especially as he won this event in 2017.
Neil Robertson is a fascinating contender. The Australian former world champion has won at least one professional tournament every season since 2006. Covid restrictions have led to him missing the first two ranking events of 2021, so the Northern Ireland Open will mark his seasonal debut. Bookmakers are taking his form on trust and go just 11/2 about Robertson in the outright betting.
Reigning World Champion Amongst the Generously Priced
Remarkably Mark Selby, who became a four-time world champion in May, is only third favorite in the Northern Ireland Open betting. There is a theory the Home Nations format – the first four rounds of the tournament are a race to four frames – does not suit the world-ranked number one’s style.
But given he has won two such competitions during the past two seasons, it is a difficult theory to prescribe to. Ladbrokes industry top price of 13/2 looks generous about the ‘Jester from Lester’.
Local hopes primarily rest with Mark Allen. The world-ranked number 11, an 18/1 shot, has never gone beyond the quarterfinals of the Northern Ireland Open in five attempts. He is very much a form player though and judging by his appearance at the final table of the season-opening Championship League, he’s currently in good form.
Those looking for a big-priced interest could do worse than side with former casino croupier Elliott Slessor. Famous for beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in this competition in 2017 – confessing after the match he had already booked his flight home – the Gateshead resident can be backed at 275/1.
Given the world-ranked number 43 player went on a five-match winning streak in the recent British Open – where he claimed the scalps of Ali Carter, Judd Trump, and Zhou Yuelong – it is an attractive each-way price.
More Snooker and Prizemoney to Follow
Televised by Eurosport and Quest, the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open is the first of the 2021/22 season’s BetVictor Home Nations events. It will be followed by tournaments in England, Scotland, and Wales.
The four Home Nations events are part of the 2021/22 BetVictor Snooker Series which also includes four other tournaments: The German Masters, European Masters, Shoot Out, and Gibraltar Open. A ranking list will run across those eight events and the player finishing top of the standings will receive a £150,000 bonus.
