With the 2025 World Championship now underway let's highlight some of the key contenders for victory. We continue our guides by taking a focused look at the defending champion this week, Kyren Wilson.
What are the World Championship odds for Ronnie O’Sullivan?
Despite starting the week as the defending champion and the top seed, it was slightly surprising to see that in most bookmakers, Kyren Wilson could be backed at odds as big as 8-1.
For many, Wilson is the form man of world snooker following his victories at the German Masters and the Players Championship so far this year.
With Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan ahead of him in the betting, many believe that Wilson started the week as the best value betting option of the entire tournament.
What is Kyren Wilson’s record at the World Championships?
2024 was a magical one for Kyren Wilson as he joined an elite club of former and current players who can proudly call themselves World Champion.
Whilst the win in 2024 was his one and only championship to date, there is something about the Crucible stage that the Englishman clearly loves as since 2016 his record in the event is formidable.
As the breakdown above shows, only twice in the last nine years has Wilson not made it to at least the quarterfinal stage and he heads to Sheffield full of belief that he will once again be the man to beat.
Having struggled to reach the latter stages in both 2022 and 2023, for 2024 Wilson was seen as an afterthought, but after thrashing Dominic Dale 10-1 in the first round, the pundits started to take notice.
After dismantling Dale in round one, he then eliminated Joe O’Connor who had been a surprise victor over Mark Selby.
With the draw opening up, Wilson was able to beat John Higgins in the quarterfinals before then beating David Gilbert in the semifinals.
Standing in the way of Wilson and snooker immortality was Jak Jones. In a match that ebbed and flowed it was Wilson who was able to hold his nerve and clinch a first title 18-14.
Despite reaching the very pinnacle of the game, the winning hasn’t stopped there and Wilson has been able to take his game to even greater heights. He will be confident that he will become the first man since Mark Selby to successfully defend his World Championship crown.
What is Kyren Wilson’s form like heading into the World Championships?
Whereas some of the leading players in the game and even some of those ahead of Wilson in the betting have questions to answer, Wilson has enjoyed a productive 2025 and should bring in plenty of form and confidence to the Crucible stage.
His start to the year was positive as Wilson was able to reach the final of the Masters where he would have been disappointed not to have won a first Masters crown. Starting out as the favourite, he couldn’t quite get his best game going and he fell to Shaun Murphy in surprising fashion.
Whereas some players may have been rocked at letting such an opportunity slip, Wilson showed what a class player he is as he battled his way to the German Masters title.
The win in Germany was his second in four months after he tasted success in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Open and another title would follow in the shape of the Players Championship.
Whereas many could potentially point towards a favourable draw when he won the 2024 World Championship, the same accusation couldn’t be labelled at Wilson when tasting victory at the Players.
Beating Mark Allen, Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and world number one Judd Trump en route to the title, Wilson proved yet again that very few can match him and if he brings his A game, few will be able to stand in his way from having another deep World Championship run.
2025 World Championship in focus
By virtue of winning last year’s World Championship, Kyren Wilson is the number one seed this year and had the honour of kicking off proceedings at this year’s tournament.
Able to take to the table first, he made swift work of his opening round opponent Lei Paifan.
Despite an even start, Wilson took advantage of his opponents nerves and cruised towards the finish line and in doing so put down a pretty formidable early marker for the rest of the big guns to follow.
Whilst he is rested and through to the second round, a potentially brilliant second round contest against Jak Jones lies in wait.
The two shared a memorable match in the final of the World’s last year and Jones would dearly love to exact his revenge on the man that cost him his world title dream.
If he is able to come through his second round contest, a blockbuster quarterfinal against Neil Robertson or Mark Allen is likely to lie in wait.
Either man would offer Robertson a firm test but if he can advance to a semifinal few would bet against him reaching yet another final.
Mark Selby or Ronnie O’Sullivan could be potential semi final opponents with Judd Trump the man who could meet him in the final.
Of late the two have started to develop the makings of an epic rivalry but for Wilson and his followers, they will take great heart in knowing that it is their man who has been able to succeed in the biggest moments.
Victories over Trump in the final of Northern Ireland Open and Players Championship as well as the semifinals of the Masters would suggest that Wilson knows what it takes to beat Trump when it matters most.
Of late, the two have separated themselves from the rest of the field and if the final were to be decided by these two brilliant players, it would be a blockbuster of an occasion but a match that Wilson would have plenty of belief that he could win.
Andrew Blakely
At 35, Andrew Blakely stands as a seasoned expert in both snooker and its betting intricacies. A dedicated player and analyst, he offers keen insights derived from years in the field. Through his writings, Andrew aspires to guide enthusiasts navigating the captivating world of snooker betting.
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