Neal Foulds Gives His Thoughts on the World Snooker Champs

by , 17 April 2025

For sheer tension, few sporting events can match Snooker’s World Championship at Sheffield’s aptly named ‘Crucible Theatre’. It is a melting pot for the planet’s best snooker talent. Here, former top-drawer player turned pundit Neal Foulds talks to the Best Betting Sites team and gives his thoughts on this year’s tournament.

A snooker table with a player preparing to take a shot. The green felt is visible with a white cue ball and several red balls arranged on the table, along with a black ball nearby. The player is holding a cue stick, aiming to strike the cue ball. The scene captures the precision and focus associated with the game of snooker.

Commentator Neal Foulds thinks Zhao Xintong is a class act who can make his mark on the 2025 World Snooker Championship. ©LezFraniak – © Wikipedia

From Three in World to No. 1 in the Commentary Box

It is that time of the year again; Snooker’s Holy Grail, the World Championship, is upon us. Bookmakers are betting 7/2 the field. With a lot of uncertainty about seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan’s well-being, it would appear many of the 32-player field have a genuine chance of taking the title.

Best Betting Sites has spoken to ITV and TNT Sports Snooker commentator Neal Foulds to get his opinion on the destiny of the 2025 World Championship trophy. The former world-ranked number three player was a genuine star of the sport during its halcyon 1980s period.

Foulds seamlessly transformed from ‘cue in hand’ to ‘mic in hand’. His commentary style, including some exclusive punditry for major UK bookmakers, has earned many plaudits. With abundant knowledge and excellent delivery, he is Snooker’s equivalent of F1 commentator Martin Brundle.

World Snooker Championship 2025 – It’s Complicated

Neal, there have been 13 individual winners of this season’s 17 ranking tournaments. The bookmakers have Judd Trump as the betting favourite at 7/2, but four players are 7/1 or shorter and nine players are 20/1 or less. Can you remember a more open year? 

“It’s very likely that this year is the most open ever. Although it could, of course, end up going to a previous winner or a multiple previous winner. There are also a couple of dangerous qualifiers who are more than capable of going deep, which complicates matters!”

So, how many players have a realistic chance of winning this year’s tournament? You cannot say 32!

“There are as many as eight to 10 possible winners. Last year’s winner, Kyren Wilson, would have probably been most people’s seventh or eighth choice 12 months ago. The tournament did fall apart around him, but he’s since proved he was a worthy champion.”

OK, if you had a free bet on two players, one at the top half of the draw and one at the bottom, where would you place your bets?

“Not hugely original, but Mark Allen in the top half and Judd Trump in the bottom. However, if Zhao Xintong gets drawn in that half, I’d go for him instead of Judd. He’s a class act.”

Banging the Xintong Drum

Is there a dark horse (even a big-priced contender) in this year’s competition that could go a long way at a big price?

“Some of the lower reaches of the top 16 are hard to fancy and have no great Crucible record. I’d be looking at dangerous qualifiers like Xintong and twice semi-finalist David Gilbert. Obviously, Shaun Murphy is seeded quite low at 15, and as current Masters Champion, he’s better than that.”

On a similar theme, who looks the best of the non-seeds, the qualifiers?

“I know I keep banging on about Zhao Xintong, but his amateur status going into the championship is obviously very misleading. He’s back from a suspension and is a former UK Champion.”

“In the qualifiers he has looked the snooker equivalent of a group horse running in handicaps.” – Neal Foulds, on why he thinks Zhao Xintong will have a major say on the outcome of the 2025 World Championship.

In his final qualifier, the improving Elliott Slessor played the match of his life against him but still ended up beaten.”

There are more and more Chinese players on the World Snooker Tour. We still have not had an Asian winner of the sport’s biggest prize. When will this change, and who is the most likely Chinese player that could first claim a World title, Xintong?

“There are many Chinese players in the top flight now. But it seems the small Crucible venue isn’t to all of their liking. Some of the large sweeping venues in Asia suit the likes of Ding Junhui. The fact that he’s only been in one World Final (2016) suggests that.”

“Despite many Chinese being based at academies in Sheffield, very few have cracked it there.”

“In fairness, our greatest snooker venue can be very claustrophobic and oppressive, especially if you aren’t playing well.” – Neal Foulds, on the Crucible

Rocket Ronnie Still the Best of ’92

How much longer can the three ‘Class of 92’ players (Ronnie, Higgins, Williams) go? Into their 60s? And could one of them win another World Championship?

“Mark Williams has already turned 50 and he claims his eyes have gone. He has looked to contact lenses with a view to trying laser surgery. Obviously, John Higgins has had a resurgence in 2025, winning two big events, the World Open and Tour Championship, but will he have the stamina to last the 17 days?”

“Personally, I doubt it, which brings us to Ronnie. Of the three of them, I’d give him the best chance, as all of the rules go out of the window with The Rocket. Currently, all three of the Class of 92 are still in the world’s top 8, which is mind-boggling when you think about it.”

There has been much talk about the World Championship leaving Sheffield – after the current contract with the Crucible expires (after the 2027 competition) – and moving overseas to Saudi Arabia or China.

The trade-off would probably involve increased prize money. As someone who regularly speaks to the players, what is their overall feeling regarding a potential move? Is it the case that they would be happy to play it anywhere if the money is big enough?

“Many of the older brigade are more sentimental about the World Championship staying at The Crucible as they have great memories of the place, but others want things to move overseas as they believe they’ll end up millionaires.” – Neal Foulds, on the thoughts of players regarding to Snooker’s World Championship potentially going abroad.

“I would say be careful what you wish for as vast venues overseas might lead to sparsely attended matches with zero atmosphere. A very different thing to the often-pulsating Crucible, even for the early rounds.”

“From this, you’ll gather that I hope it stays in Sheffield for the foreseeable future.”

Darts’ prizemoney is skyrocketing, but it appears to be very top-heavy. Is this the way to go for Snooker, or should all players within the world’s top 100 earn enough not to have to look outside of the sport to make ends meet? 

“Snooker prize money will always be top heavy, and it’s worth remembering that not everyone on the tour goes beyond the 20k seasonal allowance given to them by World Snooker and doesn’t make much money.”

“The lower ranks are unlikely to ever earn fortunes out of the game. It’s not like football where a Division 1 or Division 2 player might still be earning plenty of money and swanning around in a Bentley Continental.”

It’s a Tough Game – Cricket Too!

Formerly working as a broadcaster for Ladbrokes, you have good gambling knowledge. Wearing that cap, would you say a dedicated form student who selects their bets carefully could make a living as a professional snooker punter.

“I’d love to say yes to that question, but I think Snooker can be very tough. A few very odd results recently include Stuart Bingham beating Judd Trump in Hong Kong despite Bingham having ‘the yips’ and Ding beating Kyren Wilson handsomely in the Tour Champs – despite nobody I know believing these shock results were about to happen.”

You regularly Tweet about cricket, and you have previously owned greyhounds. What other sports interest you?

“I love cricket, horse racing and greyhound racing but the latter seems to be in decline in the UK. This makes me very sad.”

Outside of Snooker, do you have a betting fancy you can share with us for the year ahead?

“I want to be wrong about this, but I won’t be sucked into thinking that England can regain the Ashes next winter. I wouldn’t back Australia out of principle, but I would think they will hammer us in their own backyard yet again!”

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