Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2024 Players Championship snooker match.
Mark Selby
Mark Sleby beat Barry Hawkins (6:3). Hawkins did a lot of things for Selby to win, although both players made quite a lot of mistakes. Mark Selby stated after the game that it was difficult to play even against Barry in his current form. Selby is definitely not confident now. It’s unlikely that the next game will be easier for Mark as O’Sullivan has better statistics in the head-to-head matches.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Ronnie started pretty poorly in his first game, losing the first 2 frames. It could be OK as Ronnie often loses the first frame. But two in a row! Against an opponent who was an underdog! That was surprising. However, O’Sullivan woke up, braced himself and won the game 6:2. Ronnie O’Sullivan won 4 tournaments during the season 2023-24, including the British championship and the Masters.
Mark Selby – Ronnie O’Sullivan prediction
A small note. Yesterday, Ali Carter eliminated Judd Trump (6:4) in a very interesting game. I guess everybody remembers a recent quarrel between Carter and Ronnie and the final of the Master in January. O’Sullivan beat Carter, saying some unpleasant things in an interview after it. I think that we can see Carter and O’Sullivan in the final again. This is why I’m choosing to bet on the favourite and on the first frame.
