In one semifinal we have an obvious favourite, but in another one we have rival players. The win for Liang Wenbo is not just making it to the finals. This is the additional 40 000 pounds, a place in TOP 16 and a ticket to the Masters tournament where even the losers of the first game can get 12,5K pounds. Liang is not pampered by big prize money. He once played in the final of the rating tournament but he got the lesser amount.
It seemed that Wenbo can get Martin Gould in semifinal, but Gould have lost to David Grace from 5:1 to 5:6. Grace is the unveiling star of this tournament. His every game is marked as the sensation. He was 81st in the rankings in the beginning of the tournament and now he’s made it to TOP 64 with a good chance to keep his place in tour for the next year. His game isn’t solid but he’s winning anyway. Liang has to compete not only with Grace, but with himself. The odds are too high. I suggest to bet on Wenbo with handicap – 1,5. He will play nervously anyway.
The second semifinal is Neil Robertson against Mark Selby. Neil is showing a brilliant game. He was leading in the match against Higgins and won it in the last frame. Higgins lost the game by himself with his risky attacks in the beginning and a lot of misses in the end. Mark Selby will not make that kind of misses. But all five Neil’s games show that he plays better. That’s why he is a favourite. The bet on Robertson’s win with handicap -1.5 frame is quite good, but I’ll suggest you to bet on Mark Selby’s win. This is a balanced decision to me.