England’s Anthony Hamilton will look to make a big statement on the opening day of the Champion of Champions tournament when he takes on Ding Junhui. The 46-year-old was last in action in October, when he lost to Alexander Ursenbacher in the first round of the English Open. A 4-2 defeat on that occasion saw him miss out and his last win on the circuit came in August when he beat Peter Ebdon. After being removed from the spotlight for the last few weeks, Hamilton will be determined to prove his worth against his Chinese rival.
Ding has been in top form so far this season and he is the 11/50 favourite to win, with a Hamilton victory priced at odds of 16/5. A repeat of the 2017 World Grand Prix final also takes place on Monday as Barry Hawkins and Ryan Day face off against each other in Coventry. The two winners of each match will then take part in a evening session for a place in the final four at stake. England’s Hawkins has struggled of late after early defeats in the English Open and International Championship but he is still the 3/4 favourite to win.
Day, 37, managed to progress further than his rival in the International Championship but his defeat to Mark Williams saw him exit in the second round. A strong performance from him could be expected and he can be backed at odds of 17/4 to win 4-3 at the Ricoh Arena.
Snooker odds available at Dafabet.