Mark and Shaun Are the Best Bets in European Masters Snooker
The 2023/24 World Snooker Tour will kick into gear next week. From August 22-27, 64 of the world’s finest snooker players will descend on the KIA Metropol Arena in Nuremberg, Germany, to contest the BetVictor European Masters. The tournament boasts a £427,000 prize fund and a lot of valuable ranking points.
The in-form Shaun Murphy is quoted on an irresistible 14/1 for European Masters glory. ©GettyImages
Kyren Wilson won the 2022 BetVictor European Masters when the competition was played in Fürth, Germany. The world ranking event was previously won by Judd Trump in 2016 when it was staged in Romania. Trump followed up in 2017 when Belgium played host to the nomadic event.
The lesser-known Jimmy Robertson took the 2018 final (also in Belgium). Neil Robertson (Austria) and Mark Selby (Milton Keynes) took the two European Masters competitions staged in 2020. And, in February 2022, Fan Zhengyi caused one of snooker’s biggest-ever upsets by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in the competition’s final.
Top Eight Murphy off to a Flier
The BetVictor European Masters is the second-ranking tournament on the World Snooker Tour’s calendar. Fourteen more will follow, culminating with the World Championship scheduled to run between April 20 to May 6, 2024. Luca Brecel is the reigning world champion. His success in the ‘big one’ means the Belgian is now world-ranked number two.
Shaun Murphy landed 2023/24’s first ranking event, the Championship League. Lasting almost a month, made up of 32 ‘groups’, offering relatively small prize money, and with matches consisting of just four frames, the form value of this confusing competition is always questionable.
Like all players in the top eight of the World Rankings, Murphy must play a qualifying match on his arrival in Nuremberg to assure himself a place in the European Masters. His opponent will be Graham Dott.
The World’s Top Eight With a Qualifying Date
- Ronnie O’Sullivan
- Luca Brecel
- Mark Allen
- Judd Trump
- Mark Selby
- Neil Robertson
- Shaun Murphy
- Kyren Wilson
Murphy finished last season on a high following several seasons in the doldrums. Significant weight loss seemingly improved his game, and he landed February’s Players Championship and the Tour Championship at the start of April. Such was the poor state of his game, he had failed to qualify for both competitions in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
One of the best shots of the season from Shaun Murphy!#snooker #ilovesnooker @Magician147 pic.twitter.com/th7tw5gzM2
— I ❤️ Snooker (@ILoveSnooker_) June 2, 2023
Outside of the World Championship, Murphy has been a beaten finalist in one, and winner of three, of the last four ranking tournaments he has played. It is a striking record that suggests William Hill online sportsbook has overrated his chances of the 2005 World Champion landing the European Masters. At Hill’s industry top price, he is an attractive 14/1 proposition.
Ronnie Just Doesn’t Travel Well
Ronnie O’Sullivan rarely performs well away from home shores – unless there is a significant prize on offer – and such is his disinterest in this event; he has skipped this tournament or withdrawn at the 11th hour several times. In my opinion, as the 5/1 favourite, he represents the one player to oppose on the betting exchanges.
Judd Trump had a thoroughly forgettable 2022/23 season in ranking tournaments. He could bounce back to his brilliant best at any time, but he is also easy to pass by until he shows a semblance of his best.
And so, our second selection is Mark Selby. The four-time World Champion has had well-documented battles with depression, but he seemed in a good place in the spring, and his game was prospering. A run to the semi-final of the Tour Championship and a sixth appearance in the final of the World Championship – where he recorded a 147 break – underlined his well-being.
Selby is traditionally a better player in long-format matches. And so, this competition’s structure of four rounds of best-of-nine-frame matches followed by even longer semi-final and final matches should work to his strengths.
Our European Masters Best Bets
Shaun Murphy 14/1
Mark Selby 8/1
