It is quarter final day at the English Open in Crawley on Friday with all four matches being played out over the two sessions of action. It did look like we were going to have a real stellar line up in the last eight but a few big names fell foul of the season match on Thursday.
Despite the number of shocks over the two rounds of action on Thursday we still have a bunch of established tournament winners on show in the quarter finals as well as a couple of the new generation. Three of the matches are on the main table so we are set for a big day.
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Afternoon Session
Stuart Bingham vs Ali Carter
The pick of the quarter final matches is the first one which sees the Essex pair of Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter doing battle for a place in another major semi-final, a round where both men are experienced in reaching.
Bingham has played very well to reach this stage. He has only dropped three frames in his four matches thus far and they were all in the same match. Aside from his battle with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh he has not lost a frame yet. Carter has come through the draw nicely himself although he has been made to battle on a couple of occasions. I’m hoping and expecting Bingham to win as I’m on him outright but Carter is enough of a challenge to avoid another bet on Ballrun.
Ryan Day vs Mark Davis
The other match in the afternoon session sees the Welsh player Ryan Day taking on the home man Mark Davis for a place in the semi-final where Ronnie O’Sullivan could be waiting for the winner of the contest.
Day has looked very good on the occasions we have seen him. He made two centuries against Judd Trump in the last 16 on Thursday and looked to be cueing very nicely indeed. Davis should be buzzing after his win over John Higgins in the last 16 but we are getting to the stage of the tournament where he can often stop delivering.
I think Day is the one to be with here. I think he has the lot. He has the scoring power, the tactical nous and the confidence to come through this one. Davis is solid enough but he is someone who I always see as getting to this stage but not having the sustained scoring power to go further. I’ll take Day to win this a shade comfortably.
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Evening Session
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Luo Honghao
The quarter final on the main table on Friday evening sees the defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan looking to make it back into another English Open semi-final when he takes on a Chinese player Luo Honghao, who is in his first ranking quarter final.
Honghao had a great day on Thursday. He initially took care of Anthony McGill and then he overpowered Neil Robertson in the last 16 but he’s up another gear entirely here. I wouldn’t say O’Sullivan has been at his brilliant best this week but his B and C game is enough to win a number of matches. It would be a monumental surprise if O’Sullivan doesn’t win this but the handicap looks about right so I’ll leave this one alone.
Noppon Saengkham vs Stephen Maguire
There is only one match on the streamed table on Friday and it is this quarter final between Noppon Saengkham and Stephen Maguire. Both men have already been in a major quarter final this season and will be looking for a place in the last four.
It has been something of a battle for both to make it to this stage but both know they are only three wins from winning the tournament so I’m sure they will find enough to make sure they have what is needed to win here. Maguire is the other one of my outright bets who is through to this stage and I’m happy to ride that in the hope he can set up a semi-final against Bingham and guarantee some outright returns.
Tips
Back R.Day (-1.5 frames) to beat M.Davis for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Coral
Back him here:
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