Latest from the Rock

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After several days of blogging about snooker player profiles, I return to the latest news from the Gibraltar Open. We are now down to the last 16 players and many are fighting for crucial ranking points and tour spots. Kyren Wilson, Ryan Day, Stuart Bingham and David Gilbert are all through but  only two of these players can feature in next week’s Tour Championship in Llandudno.

This once lambasted tournament has become a crucial tipping point for players, either they cross the line and pick up their needed targets or they return to the snooker shadows for the rest of the season, no pun intended on the word rest. What has now been dubbed #Race to Llandudno in the industry, requires stamina and top form to succeed. It may not be 17 days at the Crucible but this sprint up the Gibraltar Rock has perils and permutations. One trip or slip and a player could risk their season or tournament form for punishment for poor play.

Snooker is a cruel and devouring sport that doesn’t take any prisoners. As history has shown, if you don’t turn up on the day and if you snooze, you lose. It would be easy to pick a winner but snooker really is like a roll of a dice. You may get two sixes or one of your dice might tumble to the floor. However with those last fatal words I will stick my neck out and say a Bingham/Gilbert final with Bingham becoming the new champion in Gibraltar.However don’t try and contact me when you are tearing up your betting slip at the bookmakers as I am ex directory.

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