We have reached the quarter finals of the Scottish Open which means that we have left the best of seven sprints behind us and get stuck into a best of nine with an interval and only two tables in operation inside the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
Only one match takes place on the second table too. Three of the four encounters go off on the main table and with some big names having escaped the bunfights of the earlier rounds there should be plenty to enjoy throughout the day.
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Afternoon Session
Sam Baird vs Shaun Murphy
The first match of the afternoon sees Sam Baird and Shaun Murphy colliding for the third time this season with Baird knowing full well he already has 6-0 and 4-2 wins over the Magician. Murphy, and those who followed me by backing him outright, will hope it is third time lucky for the former world champion.
Baird came through against Ali Carter in the previous round so he clearly has some form up his sleeve but to be fair to Murphy we have seen some of his best snooker this week, especially on this main table where he has taken care of Michael Holt and Kyren Wilson in good fashion in particular. Baird will look good value here given the previous two meetings but I think Murphy gets his number this time. I hope he does anyway. My outright bet on him is enough here.
Alfie Burden vs Mark Allen
The second quarter final of the afternoon session sees Alfie Burden looking to continue an insane record in this tournament and make it into the semi-final but he will have to overcome last week’s UK Championship finalist Mark Allen to do that.
To say Burden has lived a charmed life in this tournament would be a complete understatement. Twice he has been 3-0 down in the earlier stages and came back to win 4-3. He certainly took advantage of his fortune in the last 16 to dump out the local hero John Higgins in one of his best results in a while. Allen has battled his way through this week but to be fair he has had a couple of tricky draws to overcome, not least a determined Liang Wenbo in the first round.
Both men are playing good snooker this week but the lives of Burden has to run out soon. I actually really like Alfie and hope he does well in the game and it is good to see him having the sort of event which will keep him on the tour when topped up with other money but Allen beat him 6-0 in the International Championship recently and I’m expecting a fairly similar victory here. Marco Fu and Zhang Yong couldn’t convert from 3-0 up against Burden but Allen will. He can cover a 2.5 frame handicap.
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Evening Session
Stuart Carrington vs Judd Trump
The evening quarter final on the main table is the one featuring the man who is searching for successive Home Nations titles in Judd Trump. He takes on Stuart Carrington who has been playing some extremely good stuff this week.
To say both these men deserve to be here is an understatement too. Both have been century machines in this tournament. Trump has barely lost a frame in the competition and has scored emphatically but Carrington is scoring nicely in this tournament too and I fancy he’ll give Trump his closest challenge.
Given how well both men are scoring here the over 5.5 50+ breaks looks worth supporting. It might only be 8/11 but if this does end 5-3 or 5-4 there is enough ground to have a scrappy frame or two and still get it covered. I don’t anticipate many of them though so as long as this isn’t 5-0, and Carrington will get chances so it shouldn’t be, this should cover.
Ryan Day vs Daniel Wells
The one match on the day that is not on the main table sees Ryan Day taking on Daniel Wells in a match which guarantees a Welsh semi-finalist. It is something of a surprise that Day has never won one of these Home Nations events but he has a genuine chance this week. We are approaching unchartered territory for Wells now.
Day has been in decent enough nick this week and dumping Ding Junhui out in the last round was no mean effort. Wells has come through almost unnoticed. He should have played Ronnie O’Sullivan in the first round, had a right touch when the Rocket pulled out and has taken full advantage. He has been hovering on the side tables though so it is hard to judge how he is playing. The lines and odds don’t really open up a bet so I won’t bother with one.
Tips
WON – Back M.Allen (-2.5 frames) to beat A.Burden for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Coral
Back him here:
WON – Back S.Carrington vs J.Trump – Over 5.5 50+ breaks for a 4/10 stake at 1.73 with Betfair
Back it here:
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