Snooker World Grand Prix 2025: Higgins Outmaneuvers World Title Holder Wilson - Trump Advances with Freeloaders (Non-payers) in the Quarterfinals
Bold and Brash: The Snooker World Grand Prix 2025 Recap
By Miriam P, Edited by A. Burke, Published on: 06.03.2025, Updated on: 30.04.2025.
Tournament Progress and Sports Betting Tips
The Snooker World Grand Prix 2025 has taken the snooker world by storm, delivering nail-biting matches, historical moments, and some unexpected twists. We're here to break it all down for you.
Recent Developments
Congratulations to Neil Robertson for clinching the World Grand Prix 2025! He crushed Stuart Bingham 10-0 in the final and threw in a century break for good measure. This is the Aussie's second title in the current season, cementing his spot in the top 16 of the world rankings and ensuring he's battling it out in the upcoming Snooker World Championship 2025.
Historic Quarterfinal Clash
Today's round of 16, featuring the face-off between John Higgins, 49, and Kyren Wilson, 33, was nothing short of a spectacle. Higgins, arguably the most consistent player this season, emerged victorious with a 4-2 win, having earned two century breaks of 143 and 100 points. With his recent win at the Snooker World Open, Higgins has been playing with unmatched confidence and defeated Wilson, the reigning world champion, en route to reaching his 147th career quarterfinal. This remarkable achievement surpasses Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, in this category. Keep an eye on Higgins as he prepares to face the winner of the match between Barry Hawkins, 45, and Shaun Murphy, 42, in the quarterfinals.
Judd Trump's Bye
While John Higgins had to beef up for a match versus Kyren Wilson, Judd Trump, 35, reaped the benefits of a bye. He was originally set to play against Jack Lisowski, 33, but the WST announced Lisowski's withdrawal from the tournament due to personal reasons. Fret not, Trump fans, as this means more time for the tournament favorite to rest up for the quarterfinals, where he'll face either Hossein Vafaei, 30, or Xu Si, 27.
The Bookies' Bet
After some shocking results in the first round, the betting odds have shifted slightly. Judd Trump remains the clear favorite, but John Higgins and Mark Selby, 41, are also making waves in the betting world:
- Judd Trump: 2.63
- John Higgins: 5.00
- Mark Selby: 6.50
- Neil Robertson: 8.00
- Shaun Murphy: 8.00
The Unseen Event
The World Grand Prix arrived at the grand Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, but an unusual turn of events took place during the evening session. With thousands of fans gathered to watch snooker's greatest players, the arena enforced a sort of curfew, resulting in the audience being asked to leave during the second session. However, WST and arena operators swiftly reached a compromise, and spectators were granted access to watch the evening session to its very end.
Some Surprising Results
The first day of the Snooker World Grand Prix tossed up some unexpected outcomes. Mark Williams, 49, went down 2-4 to Stuart Bingham, 48, after starting the season on a roll. Ding Junhui, 37, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the WST world rankings, also dropped out in the first round, 3-4 to Xu Si. And the heartbreak didn't stop there – world number one at the start of the 2024/25 season Mark Allen, 39, faced an early exit after a 2-4 defeat to Jimmy Robertson, 38. Allen even posted a tweet expressing his frustration, hoping not to qualify for the Players Championship, starting on March 17. He set his sights on the Snooker World Championship 2025 instead.
Upcoming Matches
What's in store for the remainder of the tournament? Get ready for four packed matches in tonight's session, featuring top-tier talent:
- Hossein Vafaei vs. Xu Si
- Barry Hawkins vs. Shaun Murphy
- Jimmy Robertson vs. Mark Selby
- Xiao Guodong vs. Lei Peifan
Keep an eye on this exciting competition as it heads into the later stages, with the tournament final scheduled for Sunday, March 9.
- What about the unexpected victory of Jimmy Robertson over world number one Mark Allen in the first round of the Snooker World Grand Prix 2025?
- In 2025, snooker operators are keeping an eye on the remarkable performance of John Higgins, who surpassed Ronnie O'Sullivan in the category of career quarterfinals after defeating reigning world champion Kyren Wilson in the round of 16.
- The bookies have Judd Trump as the clear favorite for the Snooker World Grand Prix 2025, with odds of 2.63, but John Higgins and Mark Selby are also generating significant buzz in the betting world.
- The Snooker World Grand Prix 2025 witnessed an unusual event during the evening session at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, where attendees were briefly asked to leave, but WST and arena operators quickly resolved the issue, allowing spectators to watch the rest of the session.
