The last 16 of the UK Championship gets underway on Wednesday inside the Barbican Centre in York as we get closer to crowning the winner of the first Triple Crown event of the season over the upcoming weekend.
A number of big name players have bit the dust already but plenty are still around to ensure quality everywhere we look over the course of two more tasty looking sessions of play in York on Wednesday.
Afternoon Session
John Higgins vs Stuart Bingham
The main match in the afternoon session is the one which involves former winner John Higgins and Stuart Bingham, who will be eyeing up a big title to get himself right back in the upper echelons of the rankings once again.
Both these men have played very well thus far and have barely been troubled. Higgins has only dropped one frame to this point, despite playing nowhere near his best, although I sense he is waiting to be tested to the full, whereas Bingham has seen off Martin Gould and Zhao Xintong in the last two rounds so he looks in decent touch.
The bet I actually like here is for over 1.5 centuries. These two met fairly recently in the World Open where Higgins won 5-2 but Bingham knocked in a couple of tons and the Englishman already has four of them this week. Higgins has bagged a couple himself and we know how well this main table is playing. Two heavy scorers can combine for a couple of centuries in this the pick of the last 16 clashes.
Mark Allen vs Kurt Maflin
On the other table on Wednesday afternoon the twice former finalist Mark Allen will be on show when he takes on the Norwegian top dog Kurt Maflin, who almost under the radar is having a pretty decent season it must be said.
We haven’t seen Allen at his absolute best this term, but he keeps on stressing a big week isn’t far away and I’m always interested when a sportsman says that as it takes a bit of guts to say and put pressure on themselves. Maflin has come through some good matches so far this week and I don’t think he’ll fear Allen. You’ve got to think the Ulsterman will come through here but this is becoming a tournament of surprises so I don’t really want to get involved here.
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Evening Session
Yan Bingtao vs Neil Robertson
The main attraction in the evening session sees Yan Bingtao, the Chinese star who could yet pip a couple and make it to The Masters, meeting the Champion of Champions winner from earlier in the season in Neil Robertson in a tasty looking battle.
Bingtao had a good win over Jack Lisowski in the previous round, although in truth it wasn’t the youngster at his best, which you would think he would need to be if he is to beat someone of Robertson’s class. In saying that, Robertson hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders either in this tournament so he might not take much beating. He tends to get stronger the longer he is in a tournament though which puts me off opposing him. I’ll just sit this one out although I’m cautiously believing Bingtao might cause an upset here.
Li Hang vs Liang Wenbo
On the other table in the evening session we have an all-Chinese clash as Li Hang looks to make it into his first Triple Crown quarter final when he goes up against a man who has been to the final of this tournament before in Liang Wenbo.
Both these men have delivered good displays to make it this far in the tournament but I do think it is quite telling that Wenbo hasn’t made a century in the event yet. Usually when he is winning matches at his best he is a decent scorer and he isn’t scoring that well here. Hang certainly is though. He had a couple of centuries in the opening round and two more in defeating a Marco Fu who banged in a pair of tons himself. I watched that match and the Chinese player served it out pretty well from 4-4 when many may have thought he would wilt. Scoring is the game these days and given that it is Hang doing most of it this week, he’s my selection in this one.
Tips
Back J.Higgins vs S.Bingham – Over 1.5 centuries for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Bet365
Back L.Hang to beat L.Wenbo for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with Coral
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