World Championship Snooker 2025 Qualification concludes: Top betting strategies for underdogs
The 2025 Snooker World Championship Kicks Off Next Weekend
Get ready for the much-anticipated 2025 Snooker World Championship, starting next Saturday! This year's tournament will host 16 deserving players who battled their way through qualifications.
The top 16 players earned their place in the tournament through their performances in the WST World Ranking. These rounds were fiercely contested, and 16 additional players punched their tickets to the prestigious event.
Here are the 16 qualifiers for the 2025 Snooker World Championship:
- Zak Surety (73)
- Chris Wakelin (20)
- Daniel Wells (49)
- David Gilbert (23)
- Zhao Xintong (%)
- Zhou Yuelong (32)
- Ryan Day (36)
- Ben Woollaston (44)
- Matthew Selt (34)
- Pang Junxu (27)
- Ali Carter (18)
- Lei Peifan (39)
- Wu Yize (22)
- Fan Zhengyi (46)
- Hossein Vafaei (24)
- Joe O'Connor (30)
Though these players qualified, some of them have a promising chance of winning the event. Last year, Jak Jones, 31—a qualifier—made it to the final of the 2024 Snooker World Championship.
While Judd Trump, 35, Mark Selby, 41, and Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, are favorites, we'll explore the outsiders who offer great potential for sports betting.
Zhao Xintong: Standout Performer in Qualifiers
Zhao Xintong, 28, was the standout performer during the qualifiers. Known as one of the greatest Chinese talents, Zhao served a 20-month ban due to his involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
Since his return, he's demonstrated impressive performances. As an amateur after his ban, he had to play the qualification from the first round. He impressed with stunning performances: During his first match against Ka Wai Cheung, 26, he made four century breaks.
Zhao then defeated Long Zehuang, 28, Lyu Haotian, 27, and Elliot Slessor, 30, [Video in English]. Sports betting fans can currently get a quote of 12.00 on Zhao's victory.
David Gilbert: Semi-finalist in 2024
David Gilbert, 43, also qualified for the Snooker World Championship 2025. Last year, he reached the semi-finals of the competition.
Gilbert had a relatively quiet season, and didn't make it to any major finals. Still, his qualification for the Snooker World Championship went well. Thanks to his world ranking, Gilbert only had to win two matches to qualify.
Gilbert secured a 10:6 victory over Gong Chenzhi, 18, and subsequently defeated Aaron Hill, 23, after a 9:9 decider. While bookmakers are not giving Gilbert high chances of winning the tournament, his odds stand at 50.00.
Noteworthy Absences: Jack Lisowski, Gary Wilson, Stuart Bingham, Jackson Page, Jimmy Robertson
Several strong players surprisingly failed to qualify for the 2025 Snooker World Championship. Jack Lisowski, 33, the world number 25, lost 8:10 to Zak Surety, 33, in the third round. This is the first time since 2022 that Lisowski will not be at the World Championship. Gary Wilson, 39, also failed to qualify, losing the decider to Daniel Wells, 36, in the fourth round.
Other noteworthy players missing from this year's championship are Stuart Bingham, 48, Jackson Page, 23, and Jimmy Robertson, 38, who all failed to qualify.
Joe O'Connor: Rising Star with Unfulfilled Potential
Joe O'Connor, 29, has also qualified for the 2025 Snooker World Championship. He defeated rising star Iulian Boiko, 19, in the third round and Jackson Page in the fourth.
O'Connor is considered a rising star with untapped potential. In the 2024/2025 season, he reached the final of the World Open but lost to John Higgins, 49. In the 2024 Snooker World Championship, O'Connor caused a significant upset by defeating four-time champion Mark Selby in the first round.
O'Connor's current odds for a tournament win are 33.00.
Could Another Qualifier Make it to the Final?
With many strong players among the qualifiers, sports bettors have the opportunity to back an underdog. It's possible that, once again, a qualifier could make it to the final.
Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage of the Snooker World Championship by the news team of OnlineCasinosDeutschland.com in the coming weeks.
Sports fans in Germany looking for exciting betting opportunities might find interest in onlinecasinos.com. Notably, Zhao Xintong and David Gilbert, qualifiers for the 2025 Snooker World Championship, are attracting attention from sports-betting enthusiasts. Zhao Xintong, a former match-fixing scandal offender who has demonstrated impressive performances since his return, currently offers odds of 12.00 for a tournament victory, while David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in the 2024 competition, has odds of 50.00.
