UK Snooker Day 2 Tips: Stick with serene Fu in grudge match

Marco Fu has the temperament to let his snooker do the talking

The highlight of day two at York is a grudge match between Mark Allen and Marco Fu. Paul Krishnamurty predicts an exciting, close affair and reckons the outsider could be under-estimated...

It isn't often that first round snooker matches are trailed by the press in advance, but the prospect of needle means a wider audience than usual will be tuning into Sunday night's contest between Mark Allen and Marco Fu. Their grudge stems from Allen's defeat at the World Championship to Cao Yupeng, when the controversial Northern Irishman accused Chinese players, in particular Fu, of cheating. That earned a big fine and suspended ban, but Allen has been unrepentant in interviews this week. If nothing else, at least his antics are keeping snooker newsworthy in spite of tabloid favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan's exit from this season's schedule.

Love or hate him, Allen is a class act, well capable of winning this title. He's in decent nick, having won the recent Belgian Open and thoroughly deserves favouritism. Whether he should be a 1.454/9 chance in what looks set to be a close best-of-11 affair, however, is another matter. Fu is the sort of dangerous qualifier that always catches the eye at big prices. A proven ranking tournament winner with plenty of pedigree in big events, losing finals of the UK Championship in 2008 and the Masters in 2010. When this pair met at the quarter-final stage in this event last year, Allen produced a thrilling comeback to win 6-5 and a similarly close contest is expected this time. If so, better value must lie with the outsider.

Much will depend on whether the grudge affects either player's attitude. If as I suspect, Allen deliberately resurrected the controversy in an attempt to scare his opponent, the tactic could backfire as Fu's serene temperament is exemplary. Allen is of course no stranger to controversy, having lost many friends at last year's event with a bizarre outburst against snooker supremo Barry Hearn. On that occasion, Allen thrived amidst the attention and went on to reach the final. The evidence from that abject defeat to Yupeng at Sheffield, however, was hardly a ringing endorsement of Allen's ability to respond to needle situations.

My advice is to either get behind Fu in either a single or as a 'back to lay'. The plan is to stake four units at 3.185/40, then place an in-play order to lay at 1.51/2 for eight units, which would mean doubling our money. An identical trading plan would have delivered in their match last year, despite Fu losing.

Recommended Bet

Back Marco Fu 4u @ 3.185/40
Place order to lay Marco Fu 8u @ 1.51/2