Columnist Dave Hendon for Eurosport discusses his predictions for 2024, citing Ronnie O’Sullivan as having “weathered the storms of his own self-destructive instincts as well as the threats posed by rival players of various generations, and is still widely seen as the man to beat” as the snooker season continues to heat up.
The elite of snooker will quickly recover from the indulgences of the holiday season as the Masters will elegantly usher in 2024 on January 7th at Alexandra Palace.
This marks the 50th staging of the premier invitation event in snooker and marks the beginning of a new 12-month period on the green baize
.
Before the focus shifts to Sheffield’s mental marathon, there’s the lucrative three-event Players Series, the end of the European Series (with a £150,000 additional prize), and a trip back to China for the World Open.
The field and draw for snooker’s premier tournament are yet unknown, but one player stands to gain significantly: Mark Allen will enter the Crucible in April with the best chance to win the world championship to date.
Every other noteworthy box has been checked by the Northern Irishman. In fact, he had won every major amateur title, including his national event in every age group, before he even turned professional.
His pro tour triumphs were relatively irregular in the beginning, but he turned things around last season when he won three ranking events in as many months. He has already won the Shootout and the Champion of Champions this season.
Leave a Reply