World number one Mark Selby has one foot in the China Open final after opening up a three-frame lead over Kyren Wilson. ‘The Jester from Leicester’ leads Wilson 6-3 in their best of 19-frame contest and appears on course to continue his dominance over his fellow Englishman.
Selby has won the last five meetings between the two – including two Champions League matches this year where he dropped just one frame. However, Wilson should not be completely discounted as the 26-year-old is enjoying his best season to date and currently sits at a career-high 10 in the world rankings. ‘The Warrior’ has reached two ranking event finals this season and also made it through to the final of The Masters and he will be desperate to claim what would be just a second ranking event title going into the World Championship in Sheffield.
Selby is 1/20 to claim the win and Wilson is a 8/1 outsider but if he can win the first frame when play resumes that will provide a massive confidence boost and could set up a tense finale. Selby is 11/2 to win 10-3 or 9/1 to win 10-8, while Wilson is 20/1 to win 10-9 or 200/1 to smash off seven frames in a row and claim a 10-3 success.