Betfair World Snooker Betting: O'Sullivan odds-on to retain his title

Ronnie O'Sullivan is odds-on to retain his World title

After a devastating display of potting in his quarter-final match defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is now odds-on to retain his title. Mike Norman has the details...

Ronnie O'Sullivan is odds-on at 1.981/1 to win the Betfair World Snooker Championship after taking a commanding 12-4 lead into tonight's final session of his quarter-final match with Stuart Bingham.

But The Rocket was only denied an 'evening off' when Bingham won three consecutvie frames from 12-1 down to ensure that he didn't lose with a session to spare.

And with O'Sullivan having chances in all three of the frames that Bingham won this morning it meant In-Play punters were left with burnt fingers in the Correct Score market.

The 13-1 score was matched at a low of 1.211/5, the 13-2 score at 1.111/9, and the 13-3 score at Betfair's minimum odds of 1.011/100 as O'Sullivan missed a match-winning black.

But with O'Sullivan virtually certain to wrap-up victory tonight Betfair layers are taking no chances in the Winner market with the Englishman clear favourite ahead of Judd Trump (5.04/1) and Barry Hawkins (7.413/2).

O'Sullivan has returned to defend his title after taking a year out from the game, at which time he was matched at a high of 50.049/1 to win his fifth world crown. And when it was announced that he would be back at the Crucible Theatre this year he was generally available to back at around the 8.07/1 mark.

But despite some fears of a lack of match practice, O'Sullivan has looked at his scintillating best at times during the last 10 days, none more so than in his current match with Bingham where his long potting has been particularly impressive.

O'Sullivan is available to back at 1.574/7 to win the match 13-4 this evening, with 13-5 at 3.55/2 and 13-6 at 7.06/1.

O'Sullivan will play the winner of Trump and Shaun Murphy in the semi-final, those two being locked together at 8-8 before this afternoon's final session.

To win the Betfair World Championship

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1.981/1
Judd Trump - 5.04/1
Barry Hawkins - 7.413/2
Rickie Walden - 11.5n/a
Shaun Murphy - 15.014/1