Well we were quids in at the Totesport Welsh Open on Monday thanks to Andrew Higginson thrashing Marco Fu 5-1 – recommended on puntinplay at 7-4 – and there look to be a few certs to get stuck in to on Tuesday down at the Newport Centre in what looks an acca's dream.
MARK ALLEN had not enjoyed a decent run before the Masters, but he was terrific when beating John Higgins and also produced some excellent stuff in narrowly losing 6-5 to eventual winner Mark Selby, and I cannot believe extrabet have only quoted him at 2-5 to beat Tom Ford.
Okay, it's only the best-of-nine and Ford enjoyed a couple of decent wins over Ricky Walden and Jamie Burnett in qualifying, but Ulsterman Allen is playing some great stuff at present and I cannot see anything over than a win for him here.
Matthew Stevens beat Barry Pinches in qualifying on Monday to set up an encounter with SHAUN MURPHY, in what was an error-strewn performance from both players and there's no way punters should be backing the Welshman at 5-2 with totesport even on home soil.
Murphy, runner-up in this event in 2006, has been doing okay this season without pulling up any trees, but he looks a cert to defeat Stevens who look really out-of-sorts and if Pinches had been on his game, then the home favourite would have been sent crashing and Murphy is the one to back at 2-5 with Paddy Power.
Extrabet also offer the best price on STEPHEN MAGUIRE to overcome Dominic Dale, the resident summariser-in-chief on BBC Wales, with the Glaswegian 1-3 to progress and he should have little difficulty in making it to round two.
This is a rare event in which world number 16 MARK KING has actually performed well in, reaching the final way back in 1996 when losing to Stephen Hendry and he is worthy of further of further investigation at 8-13 with Blue Square and 888 when he tackles Marcus Campbell.
Now, King is no world beater, far from it, and won't be winning this title (and ending his tournament drought in the process), but he is playing reasonably well at present and doesn't normally have much problem in getting past the first hurdle, as evidenced by victories over Anthony Hamilton in the UK and Jimmy White in the Masters wildcard, and I expect him to be too good for Campbell, who saw off Nigel Bond 5-1 to book his berth in Wales,
STEPHEN HENDRY shouldn't have too many difficulties in beating Dave Harold at 1-2 with William Hill and Boylesports, while RONNIE O'SULLIVAN is 1-5 with sportingbet against Stuart Bingham.
The one possible shock could be provided by TONY DRAGO who looks overpriced at 5-1 with Stan James to beat Welshman Ryan Day. The Maltese ace whizzed through four qualifying rounds to secure a place in the first round proper and he has been given a decent chance to get into the second round against a player not in form.
Day may have made it into the second round of the Masters with a crushing 6-0 victory over Joe Perry, but I think his granny could have beaten the Chatteris man that day given how bad he is playing. Day has not been playing like a man in the world's top 10 and he could be vulnerable here.
Drago is on a roll following his terrific run through the qualifiers and while the man is hot he is definitely worth a punt especially in this short format.
