We have reached the quarter final stage of the China Championship out in Guangzhou which means that the remainder of the tournament from here on in will be played on the TV tables, which adds to the profile and the spotlight of the final stages of the event.
The big names have slowly started to depart the tournament now so we are left with a few stars mixed in with some seasoned campaigners who could be three days away from a major breakthrough in the game in an intriguing quarter final line up.
Morning Session
Mark Williams vs David Gilbert
The main match in the morning session is the one between the former world champion Mark Williams and the man who was only two steps from having that crown currently in the form of Dave Gilbert.
These two met in the World Championship in April with Gilbert ending the reign of Williams so the Welshman might have revenge in his mind. In saying that, Williams denied Gilbert in the final of the World Open last season. That went to a deciding frame but Gilbert was 9-5 up so you could argue Gilbert has the upper hand between the two at the minute. That suits me fine because I’m on him outright and this bottom half has opened right up if he sees off Williams. That is all the interest I need in this one.
Hossein Vafaei vs Joe Perry
The winner of that first match will face off against either Hossein Vafaei or Joe Perry in the semi-final as they battle it out in the other morning quarter final at the same time. Perry moved back into the top 16 with his win over Judd Trump on Thursday while Vafaei will be in and around the top 32 with a win here so ranking wise this is important for both men.
It is hard to differentiate between these two. In many ways they have similar games. Both are adept at the safety and are very underrated scorers so that could lead to us having a tight match here. If I had to pick a winner I guess on experience grounds Perry would be the one but he has flattered to deceive in the latter stages of events recently. I can’t say I’ve got much of a view either way so I’m happy to leave this one alone as well.
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Afternoon Session
Mark Selby vs Barry Hawkins
The pick of the quarter finals in the afternoon session sees the defending champion Mark Selby face the toughest challenge of his title defence so far when he goes up against a Barry Hawkins who is going a lot better than he usually does at this stage of a season.
Selby has come through the draw in efficient manner rather than a flashy one but this is very much the hardest opponent he will have come across. To be fair to Hawkins he has had a couple of testing matches already this week. Zhao Xintong was always going to take a bit of beating and Liam Highfield isn’t the easiest opponent either. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Hawkins. He has scored well in the main and looks like he is ready to make a big impression. Selby has the capability to up his game in the latter stages of tournaments but he doesn’t have that air of invincibility about him any longer. That makes me think Hawkins can win this at 5/4.
Kurt Maflin vs Shaun Murphy
The real surprise package of the tournament is Kurt Maflin but he is only a win away from a second semi-final in what has already been a wonderful season for the Norwegian. In order to get there he must beat the form horse that is Shaun Murphy.
You have to give Maflin a lot of respect. Anyone who beats Graeme Dott and John Higgins in the same week is clearly playing some decent stuff but I haven’t seen anyone performing better than Murphy so far this week and I fancy that will be important in the final reckoning here. Against Matt Selt in the previous round, Murphy looked like he was potting into buckets and was going to clear up every time he was at the table. That pressure can tell on weaker opposition and given that I’m on the Magician outright too I hope that is the case here. I’ve enough interest in this one without chasing short prices.
Tips
Back B.Hawkins to beat M.Selby for a 4/10 stake at 2.25 with Betway
Back him here:
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