Snooker
Masters: Mark J Williams vs Ding Junhui Odds, Tips and Prediction
Two of snooker’s most successful players go head-to-head in London at the Masters in January. Will Ding produce the goods, or will Williams prevail?
Ding Junhui//Getty Images
This hugely anticipated first-round match at the Masters between Mark Williams and Ding Junhui looks set to be one of the most exciting fixtures in the draw. Both players have won TV titles in the 2024/25 snooker season and are previous competition winners. Can either add another triple crown event to their tallies?
SportsBoom has provided a detailed preview of this enticing encounter as both players will face off at the Alexandra Palace on the 13th of January at 1 pm.
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Match Details
Date: Monday January 13th
Start time: 1 pm local time
Venue: Alexandra Palace, London
Last Meeting: 1st December – 2023 UK Championship, Quarterfinals, Ding won 6-5
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Current odds are even for this one.
Mark Williams: 10/11 (1.91) – 52.4%
Ding Junhui: 10/11 (1.91) – 52.4%%
*Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-To-Head
Despite both players being on the tour for over two decades, with the Welshman Williams turning professional in 1992, they have faced each other on 24 occasions since 2003. Ding has won 14 times, compared to Williams, who has only won eight, with the final two meetings ending in draws.
Ding and Williams played each other three times in 2023, but their previous meeting was held seven years beforehand in 2016, despite both players holding positions at the top end of the rankings year after year. The Chinese star has a favourable record overall but edges out Williams in their last five meetings, winning three. Williams won two matches in 2023, both in the last 16, but narrowly missed out on the semi-finals of the UK Championship that same year.
The duo has previously played at the Masters before, but never at the Alexandra Palace venue. Ding won 6-4 against the three-time world champion in the last 16 before winning his only Masters title at the Wembley Arena later that week.
Last Five Matches
| Tournament | Stage | Score line |
| 2023 UK Championship | Quarter-final | Ding Junhui 6-5 Mark Williams |
| 2023 British Open | Last 16 | Mark Williams 4-2 Ding Junhui |
| 2023 World Grand Prix | Last 16 | Mark Williams 4-0 Ding Junhui |
| 2016 World Chamionship | Quarter-final | Ding Junhui 13-3 Mark Williams |
| 2016 European Tour – Event 6 | Last 128 | Ding Junhui 4-1 Mark Williams |
Player Career Timeline
Mark Williams
- Ranking Seed: 6
- Masters Champion: 1998 and 2003
Mark Williams kicked off his 2024/25 season one potted black away from winning the inaugural Saudi Arabia Masters. Still, he added another title to his collection by conquering the illustrious non-ranking event, the Champions of Champions.
Williams has only lost in the first round all season on two occasions, but he has progressed to the third round or further in the rest. The Welshman is known for not thinking beyond his game at that moment, but can he achieve his first Masters win in 22 years?
His last five-year record at Ally Pally has seen him bow out in the first round three times, but he reached the semi-finals in 2022 before nearly completing a comeback against Judd Trump in the 2023 final. A win against Ding and he could face Trump once again, but his longevity remains a key strength in his game.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 UK Championship – 1st Round
- 2024 International Championship – 3rd Round
- 2024 Northern Ireland Open – Quarterfinalist
- 2024 English Open – 1st Round
- 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters – Finalist
Last 5 Masters Appearances Runs:
- 2024 – 1st Round
- 2023 – Finalist
- 2022 – Semi-finalist
- 2021 – 1st Round
- 2020 – 1st Round
Ding Junhui
- Ranking Seed: 9
- Masters Champion: 2011
Earlier in the season, Ding Junhui won his first ranking event in five years at the International Championship in his native homeland, winning eleven years after his first. Despite this success, he has only participated in four ranking events throughout the season and has decided to skip participation in the Home Nations Series events.
After Ding’s success in 2011 when the tournament was held at Wembley, his record since the tournament’s move to Alexandra Palace is concerning. In 2017 and 2019, he had inspired runs to the quarterfinals and semi-finals, respectively. Despite those three overall wins, he hasn’t progressed further than the first round in all his other years of participation.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 UK Championship – 2nd Round
- 2024 International Championship – Winner
- 2024 Wuhan Open – 3rd Round
- 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters – 5th Round
- 2024 World Championship – 1st Round
Last 5 Masters Appearance Runs:
- 2024 – 1st Round
- 2021 – 1st Round
- 2020 – 1st Round
- 2019 – Semi-finalist
- 2018 – 1st Round
Ding Junhui of China//Getty Images
Value Bets
Centuries Betting – Mark Williams to hit at least 1: Williams, dubbed “The Welsh Potting Machine”, has successfully crafted 23 century breaks throughout the 2024/25 snooker season. SportsBoom predicts that Williams will compile at least one century break, as eleven frames could potentially be played in this first-round encounter.
Total Frames Even/Odd – Even: Three of the last five meetings have finished with an even number of frames, but both Williams and Ding have played over a variety of different formats. The format isn’t new to either player, but it is unfamiliar when both haven’t had multiple games against each other in this format in recent times.
Total Frames – Under 10.5: This matchup has the potential to be a close game, but potentially not go all the way. The last time both played each other in a best-of-11 frames contest it went all to a decider, which arrived at the Barbican Theatre at the 2023 UK Championship.
Prediction: Williams to Win 6-4
SportsBoom predicts a 6-4 win for the Welshman, Williams. Despite Ding’s capabilities and ending the five-year wait for another elusive ranking title, the Welshman has had more deep runs in this tournament in recent years, making him a marginal favourite. This game can potentially be a very close tie, but Williams will keep his cool and book his place in the quarterfinals.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.