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Tomorrow in Latvia starts the first ranking tournament of the new season, albeit it's one of the less interesting ones. 64 players, the first four rounds are Best-of-7 and semifinals and finals just Bets-of-9 as well. The winner gets 50.000 pounds and ranking points. It's fine for the players and fans that there is a tournament already in June, but yeah, it makes sense, that it is a minor one, also because it's two months until the next ranking event, which will be the China Championship and I guess this will feel as the "real" start to the season.
It's no big surprise that the Top Four players in the World Rankings chose not to enter this event, but enlengthend their holidays. World Champion Mark Selby was scheduled to play here, but while you think he would urgently need the ranking points to keep his number one ranking, he pulled out of the Riga Masters short-term. Some other notable absents are Ronnie O'Sullivan, Marco Fu and Liang Wenbo.
The biggest competitors are defending champion Neil Robertson (who still has to play his qualifier), Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham, Kyren Wilson and Stephen Maguire. Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy had entered, but already lost in the qualifiers.
For the full draw, please, look here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Riga_Masters
First quarter
The highest ranked player here is Anthony McGill, who also still has to qualify. If he does so successfully he would open against Stuart Carrington. And in the Scots form I think this could be quite dangerous. Also here are Gary Wilson, Tom Ford and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. In other words, this quarter is wide open.
My pick for the semifinal: Tom Ford
Second quarter
This section is a bit more competitive with world number 9 Stuart Bingham on one side of the quarter and world number 7 Neil Robertson (if he qualifies) and Stephen Maguire on the other side. Bingham has a tough opener against Mark Davis as well.
My pick for the semifinal: Stuart Bingham
Third quarter
This is the section of the very interesting first-rounders. It features:
Hossein Vafaei - Mark King
David Gilbert - Joe Perry
Barry Hawkins - Ryan Day
Ben Woollaston - Kyren Wilson
Every single one of them has a good chance to make the semifinal. And it's worth of note that chinese youngster Zhou Yuelong is also in this part of the draw.
My pick for the semifinal: Kyren Wilson
Fourth quarter
The Welshmen Mark Williams (who starts in a duel of former world champions against Peter Ebdon) and Michael White are probably the most notable names here along with Luca Brecel, who beat Shaun Murphy in the qualifiers. Brecel and Williams would meet in the second round.
My pick for the semifinal: Luca Brecel
It's no big surprise that the Top Four players in the World Rankings chose not to enter this event, but enlengthend their holidays. World Champion Mark Selby was scheduled to play here, but while you think he would urgently need the ranking points to keep his number one ranking, he pulled out of the Riga Masters short-term. Some other notable absents are Ronnie O'Sullivan, Marco Fu and Liang Wenbo.
The biggest competitors are defending champion Neil Robertson (who still has to play his qualifier), Barry Hawkins, Stuart Bingham, Kyren Wilson and Stephen Maguire. Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy had entered, but already lost in the qualifiers.
For the full draw, please, look here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Riga_Masters
First quarter
The highest ranked player here is Anthony McGill, who also still has to qualify. If he does so successfully he would open against Stuart Carrington. And in the Scots form I think this could be quite dangerous. Also here are Gary Wilson, Tom Ford and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. In other words, this quarter is wide open.
My pick for the semifinal: Tom Ford
Second quarter
This section is a bit more competitive with world number 9 Stuart Bingham on one side of the quarter and world number 7 Neil Robertson (if he qualifies) and Stephen Maguire on the other side. Bingham has a tough opener against Mark Davis as well.
My pick for the semifinal: Stuart Bingham
Third quarter
This is the section of the very interesting first-rounders. It features:
Hossein Vafaei - Mark King
David Gilbert - Joe Perry
Barry Hawkins - Ryan Day
Ben Woollaston - Kyren Wilson
Every single one of them has a good chance to make the semifinal. And it's worth of note that chinese youngster Zhou Yuelong is also in this part of the draw.
My pick for the semifinal: Kyren Wilson
Fourth quarter
The Welshmen Mark Williams (who starts in a duel of former world champions against Peter Ebdon) and Michael White are probably the most notable names here along with Luca Brecel, who beat Shaun Murphy in the qualifiers. Brecel and Williams would meet in the second round.
My pick for the semifinal: Luca Brecel
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