World Snooker Championship 2025 Eligibility Period Closed: Shrewd Betting Strategies for Underdogs
Title: The Approaching Snooker World Championship 2025: An Underdog's Guide
By Miriam Prellwitz (Informal Tone Edited by Angela Burke)
Updated on: 05.06.2025
Satisfy your insatiable appetite for gambling by keeping an eye on the Snooker World Championship 2025, starting next weekend!
16 skilled players managed to snatch their spot in this year's prestigious snooker tournament through qualification
Allow us to dish out the finest betting tips for longshots
Which 16 players managed to punch their ticket for the Snooker World Championship 2025?
The much-anticipated Snooker World Championship 2025 is just around the corner. The cream of the crop in the WST World Ranking secure automatic entry into the tournament.
16 additional players slogged it out in recent qualifying matches and confirmed their admittance to the Snooker World Championship 2025 lineup.
The 16 qualifying players are:
- 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)
Although these players have qualified, some could be worthy contenders for the crown. Last year, Jak Jones, 31, previously a qualifier, stormed into the final of the Snooker World Championship 2024.
While Judd Trump, 35, Mark Selby, 41, and Ronnie O'Sullivan, 49, are hot favorites among bookies, let's delve into the thrilling potential underdogs for sports betting.
Zhao Xintong: Most tenacious player in qualifiers
Zhao Xintong, 28, caught the attention of all snooker enthusiasts who followed the qualifiers. Zhao is regarded as one of China's greatest future talents, but his previous involvement in a match-fixing scandal[2] warranted a 20-month ban.
Ever since his return, he has been making waves with impressive performances. As an amateur following his ban, he had to battle his way through the qualifiers from the opening round. He shone with stellar performances: He recorded four century breaks in his first match against Ka Wai Cheung, 26**.
He then proceeded to defeat Long Zehuang, 28, Lyu Haotian, 27, and Elliot Slessor, 30** [Video link in English]:
"Welcome back to the Crucible, Zhao! The former UK Champion advanced through every round of the World Championship qualifiers and sealed his return to the Crucible with a hard-fought 10-8 victory over Elliot Slessor."
Zhao, therefore, is likely to be tough competition for the seeded players. Sports betting fans can currently earn a quote of 12.00 on Zhao's victory.
David Gilbert: Semi-finalist in 2024
David Gilbert, 43, also joined the Snooker World Championship 2025. Gilbert is familiar to many snooker fans due to his semi-final appearance at last year's tournament.
Gilbert had a relatively unremarkable season, failing to advance to any significant tournament finals. His qualification for the Snooker World Championship went smoothly. Due to his world ranking, Gilbert only required two victories to secure a berth.
Gilbert demolishes Gong and Hill, but not favored for tournament win
Gilbert bested Gong Chenzhi, 18, by a score of 10-6 in the first round, and then defeated Aaron Hill, 23. The match went all the way to a decider at 9-9, which Gilbert won.
However, bookies show little faith in Gilbert's chances of winning the tournament. Gilbert's current sports betting odds are 50.00.
Lisowski, Wilson, and Bingham: Notable no-shows
While Zhao, Gilbert, and other players secured their spots for the 2025 Snooker World Championship, some strong players were shockingly ousted and will miss the Crucible Theatre this year.
Jack Lisowski, 33, the world number 25, lost 8-10 to Zak Surety, 33, in the third round. This marks the first time since 2022 that Lisowski will skip the World Championship. Gary Wilson, 39, also failed to make it, losing the decider to Daniel Wells, 36, in the fourth round.
Other notable 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: Newcomer with sky-high potential
Joe O'Connor, 29, has also earned entry to the 2025 Snooker World Championship. He defeated Iulian Boiko, 19, in the third round and Jackson Page last night.
O'Connor is viewed as 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.
During the 2024 Snooker World Championship, O'Connor orchestrated a massive upset by defeating four-time champion Mark Selby in the first round. Currently, the odds for betting on O'Connor to win stand at 33.00.
Another qualifier in the final?
A slew of strong players have qualified for the 2025 Snooker World Championship. Sports betting enthusiasts have the chance to back an outsider. Could a qualifier once more make it to the final?
The news team from OnlineCasinosDeutschland.com will provide comprehensive coverage of the Snooker World Championship in the coming weeks.
[1] World Women’s Snooker Championship, Bai Yulu (China) Wins Title, Sportskeeda (URL not provided)[2] Snooker: Zhao Xintong suspended for 20 months after match fixing, BBC Sport (URL not provided)
What are the odds of Zhao Xintong and David Gilbert, both qualified players, winning the Snooker World Championship 2025? Zhao Xintong, who performed impressively during the qualifiers, currently has a quote of 12.00, while David Gilbert, a semi-finalist in the previous tournament, has odds of 50.00.
