2020 Matchroom Championship League – Group Stage 4 Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
What is the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? The Championship League is a non-ranking event that has taken place since 2008 and, while being a sought-after title in its own right, also serves as a qualifier for the Champion of Champions.
It will be the first competitive snooker to take place since the tour was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic and there will be several safety measures in place such as social distancing and virus-testing.
When is the 2020 Matchroom Championship League taking place? The 2020 Matchroom Championship League will take place June 1-11.
Where is the 2020 Matchroom Championship League taking place? The 2020 Matchroom Championship League will take place at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England.
What is the prize fund for the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? The total prize fund amounts to £200,000 with all competitors guaranteed at least £1000 and the winner pocketing £30,000.
Who is taking part in the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? All 128 World Snooker tour card holders were invited to take part in the 2020 event, with the final line-up consisting of the top 64-ranked players from those who registered their interest. Many of the world’s top players are involved, although there are some notable absences such as John Higgins, Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy.
What is the format of the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? The 64 entrants will initially be split up into 16 groups of four. Those groups will be played in a round-robin format with two groups to be played to completion on each day from June1-8. Matches will be best of four frames, with three points for a win and one for a draw. If players are tied on points, then frame difference, head-to-head result and highest break will be the separators (in that order).
The 16 group winners will advance to the Group Winners’ Stage, consisting of a further four groups of four. These groups will take place June 9-10.
Those four winners will then compete in the final group – the Tournament Finals – on June 11 where the 2020 Matchroom Championship League winner will be crowned.
Where can I watch the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? Both ITV4 and Eurosport will be providing daily televised coverage from the event for viewers in the UK, with live streaming available on ITV Hub and Eurosport Player.
Free streaming is also available across the Americas, Asia and Africa on MatchroomLive – a new sports streaming platform.
Where can I get tickets for the 2020 Matchroom Championship League? No tickets are available for the event as it will be taking place behind closed doors.
When is the 2020 Matchroom Championship League Group Stage 4 taking place?
Wednesday 3rd June, 2020
GROUP STAGE 4
PLAYERS
Harvey Chandler
Sam Baird
Mark King
Joe Perry
FIXTURES
Joe Perry vs Mark King
Joe Perry vs Sam Baird
Joe Perry vs Harvey Chandler
Mark King vs Sam Baird
Mark King vs Harvey Chandler
Sam Baird vs Harvey Chandler
PREDICTION
Joe Perry and Mark King are two experienced campaigners and are likely to vie for top spot in Group 4, but debutants Sam Baird and Harvey Chandler will be keen to make their mark and shouldn’t be dismissed too easily, especially over such a short format.
Perry is a previous winner of the Championship League having lifted the trophy in its inaugural iteration in 2008 and you would have to fancy the Gentleman to navigate his way through this group. He just about has the upper hand when it comes to career meetings with King as he has won five of their eight encounters and one of those victories was in the 2019-20 version of the Championship League. We’re backing Perry to finish ahead of the pack here due to his greater consistency than the other three competitors.
BETTING TIPS
Joe Perry to win the group
Joe Perry to beat Mark King
Sam Baird to win the first frame against Harvey Chandler
