THE Unibet British Open is played at The Centaur within the grounds of Cheltenham racecourse and the FA Cup style format means predicting who will be first past the winning post is a tougher task than in most tournaments.
Several big names could be early fallers as the random draw shows no mercy for rankings or reputation. It keeps all the players on their toes and could be a chance for a lesser light to come through the pack and win their first ranking title.
That said, since the Unibet British Open was restored to the calendar in 2021 it’s been won twice by all-time great Mark Williams. Ryan Day was the other winner in 2022, and he already had three ranking titles to his name.
In any format the cream invariably rises to the top because the pressures of getting over the winning line remain the same and favour those with experience of landing trophies. But in general, predicting the winner of tournaments has become harder than in years gone by because there are now so many events that lots of players are match sharp.
This year’s Unibet British Open falls in early season but there has still been plenty of snooker played during the 2024/25 campaign. In fact, it’s the fifth ranking tournament. Add in the invitation Shanghai Masters and various qualifying action and there are plenty of players already in the swing and confident of landing the Clive Everton Trophy.
British players enjoy travelling the globe and chasing big first prizes in Saudi Arabia and China, but home-based events are also special as friends and family are often able to come and share in the winning moments.
Several of those in this year’s field are old enough to remember the early years of the British Open, which ran originally from 1985 to 2004. It was always a prestigious title to win – its first staging carried what was then the biggest ever first prize – and remains a key part of ITV Sport’s snooker portfolio.
But who could seriously threaten to pick up this much prized silverware?
Kyren Wilson
Every new world champion will receive additional scrutiny and many struggle under the weight of these expectations. For instance, Luca Brecel seemed to go AWOL last season but Wilson has already proved a major point by winning the current campaign’s second ranking title, the Xi’an Grand Prix in China. He beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals and Judd Trump in the final, so nobody could claim the draw had opened up for him.
Wilson, known as the Warrior, has resolute self-belief and pride in performance. A few years ago he complained he wasn’t being given enough time on the main TV table, but his Crucible success now means he is centre stage. When he lost 6-0 to Zhou Yuelong in the Shanghai Masters in July he realised he needed to park his World Championship success and get back to work. He’s been in good nick ever since and doesn’t seem to mind having a target painted on his back. In fact, he relishes it.
Shaun Murphy
In recent times Murphy has followed a good season with a bad one. After winning the Players and Tour Championship titles in the spring of 2023 he endured a disappointing year, but already this season he has reached the Shanghai Masters final and Saudi Arabia Masters semis, coming a cropper to Judd Trump each time.
Murphy remains a formidable long potter and, when at his best, has the demeanour of someone entirely comfortable with being centre of attention. He has scored heavily so far this term – 17 centuries compared to 32 the whole of last season – and looks ready to go deep again.
Dave Gilbert
Gilbert is known as the ‘Angry Farmer’ but has every reason to be in a good mood after his run to the World Championship semi-finals last season. His friend and former professional Andy Lee has been helping him keep a strict routine on and off table, practising properly, watching his diet and hitting the gym. As a result, Gilbert has renewed enthusiasm for snooker and this makes him dangerous.
One ranking title – the 2021 Championship League – seems a low return for such a talent, but on his day he is a handful for anyone, and exactly the sort of player who could thrive in this unpredictable format.
Zhou Yuelong to reach semi-finals
China continues to produce very talented young players with He Guoqiang, Wu Yize, Fan Zhengyi and Pang Junxu among those who have impressed at the English Open this week. Meanwhile Zhou has been a little quiet since losing in the semi-finals of last season’s Scottish Open to Gary Wilson, who successfully laid the three snookers he needed in their deciding frame.
This was a bitter pill for Zhou to swallow but he is too good a player not to go deep again. He has already appeared in three ranking finals and three further semi-finals so has experience at the business end of tournaments.
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