Ronnie O'Sullivan v Bulcsu Revesz: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Ronnie O’Sullivan is motivated by illustrious events in China and the seven-time world champion will be determined to secure more silverware in the inaugural Xi'an Grand Prix.

The Rocket whitewashed China’s Wang Yuchen 5-0 in his heldover qualifier and he is unlikely to have too many problems in the first-round proper against Bulcsu Revesz, who only won his place on the World Snooker Tour earlier this year, becoming the first ever professional hailing from Hungary.

Revesz sealed his place in Xi'an with a 5-0 victory of his own against David Grace in qualifying, but this looks a daunting prospect for the world number 111 against a player widely regarded as the best there has ever been.

O’Sullivan can sometimes be vulnerable when distracted but a first prize of £177,000 is likely to ensure he is fully focused from the off and, in what should be a pretty one-sided contest against his inexperienced opponent, he will want to finish matters as quickly as possible. 

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Bulcsu Revesz betting tips and predictions

Ronnie O’Sullivan -3.5 frames on the handicap - 1/2

Anything other than an easy O’Sullivan victory would be somewhat of a surprise and, given inexperienced players often crumble in his presence, the Rocket should be fancied to comfortably cover the handicap.

O’Sullivan brushed aside home talent Wang Yuchen 5-0 in his held-over qualifier at this venue and that was despite having breaks of only 72 and 52.

The problem is that young players can often be like a rabbit in the headlights and given O’Sullivan’s popularity in China and around the world, there will be plenty of eyes on him in this contest.

Revesz wouldn’t have had many if any experiences like this before and playing on a TV table only adds to the pressure, something which will take him time to adjust to.

But you don’t get time to relax against the Rocket, who is likely to get a number of scoring chances in every frame and is going to have to miss a lot of balls for his opponent to stay competitive.

Revesz, the world number 111, is a main-tour debutant and although he defeated Grace 5-0 in qualifying, he was since beaten 5-2 by Pang Junxu in attempting to qualify for the Wuhan Open.

In the Championship League, the Hungarian suffered 3-1 defeats to Jordan Brown and Jak Jones before drawing 2-2 with Poland’s Antoni Kowasaki, another player light on experience.

So, especially this early on in his development, it is hard to see how Revesz can be competitive in a match of this magnitude and even an undercooked O’Sullivan should run out an emphatic winner.

Ronnie O’Sullivan to win 5-0 - 7/4

It may also be worth chancing another whitewash victory for O’Sullivan, who has recorded four of his record haul of 41 ranking title triumphs in China, as well as another four non-ranking tournament successes.

The Rocket rarely lacks motivation when travelling to East Asia and he won’t want to get embroiled into an early battle if he can avoid it, especially with tougher tests likely to be lying in wait.

Even when beating Grace 5-0 in qualifying, Revesz’s highest breaks were 64 and 59, while his latest 5-2 loss to Pang featured only one break over 50.

That suggests that he may lack the scoring power to put O’Sullivan under any real pressure and, if the Hungarian teenager can’t get an early frame on the board, then a 5-0 margin of victory for the Rocket would become increasingly likely.

Read more snooker betting tips and predictions on site.

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Bulcsu Revesz odds

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 1/40
Bulcsu Revesz - 16/1

View the full market and more odds for Ronnie O'Sullivan v Bulcsu Revesz on site.

Read Ronnie O'Sullivan v Bulcsu Revesz how to watch, TV channel, date, venue, head-to-head stats and more on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.