March 26th 2023.
Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy are tipped to impress at the Tour and World Championships.
Long-format matches, just prior to the Crucible, are typically reserved for the top eight players in the one-year rankings; the Tour Championship seems to be a perfect opportunity for a potential world champion to shine, however, is this the case?
The answer is no, at least for the past four years.
Despite the event being the penultimate one of the season or two before the trip to Sheffield, the victor of the Tour Championship has never gone on to become the world champion by the end of the campaign, or have even come close to doing so.
Neil Robertson's win in 2021 accompanied by a run to the quarter-finals in Sheffield was the most impressive performance of a reigning Tour champion at the Crucible.
Actually, no one has even achieved the final of the Tour and maintained that success into a World Championship win or a run to the final in the same season.
Stephen Maguire's victory over Mark Allen in the 2020 Tour Championship was a surprise final, apart from that, we are only dealing with former world champions who have been Tour finalists such as Robertson, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins.
To conclude, success at the Tour Championship does not mean glory in South Yorkshire is certain.
The number one seed at the Tour Championship is likely to be the standout player of the season at the start of the tournament, however, this doesn't appear to be a strong indicator of success at the Crucible.
Mark Allen, Judd Trump and Zhao Xintong were all the top seeds for the Tour, none of them made it to the final of the event, and none of them proceeded beyond the quarter-finals of the World Championship in the same season.
It is an odd situation that good form right before the Crucible does not bring success, yet consistent form over the season doesn't either. The long and arduous challenge in Sheffield is a contest of its own.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) Mark Allen has attained three ranking titles this season so far and is atop the one-year list
The lineup at the Tour Championship this year is unique, as it will be the first with no member from the Class of '92, including O'Sullivan, Higgins, and Mark Williams, and is missing Robertson and Judd Trump for the first time in its four-year existence.
Making their debuts are Robert Milkins, Ryan Day, Ali Carter and Ding Junhui. The Chinese star has qualified before, but pulled out due to the pandemic in 2020, allowing Maguire to take his place and subsequently win the title.
Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy are anticipated to perform well at the Tour and World Championships. Long-format matches, just prior to the Crucible, are only available to the top eight players in the one-year rankings; the Tour Championship appears to be the ideal situation for a potential world champion to demonstrate their skills, but does it guarantee success? The answer is no. Over the last four years, no Tour Championship victor has gone on to attain the world title by the conclusion of the season, or even come close to doing so. Neil Robertson's 2021 win followed by a quarter-final run at Sheffield represented the best showing of a reigning Tour champion at the Crucible. Moreover, there has yet to be a Tour champion to make it to the World Championship final or win the title in the following few weeks.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) Mark Allen, with three ranking titles under his belt this season and topping the one-year list, is likely to be the headliner of the tournament at the start, however this does not appear to be much of an indicator of success at the Crucible either. Judd Trump and Zhao Xintong, who were the top seeds for the Tour, did not reach the final and could not make it past the quarter-finals of the World Championship. It is peculiar that good form immediately prior to the Crucible does not equate to success, but neither does more consistent form over the season. The long and arduous battle in Sheffield is unquestionably a one-of-a-kind occurrence.
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