The quarter finals of the English Open take place on what looks like being a tantalising Friday inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes as many of the best players in the world battle it out for places in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Six top 16 players have made it through to the last eight including all of the top five in the world rankings so the quality should be very high, especially now that we move up to the best of nine frames offering the players slightly longer to settle into their match.
Afternoon Session
Judd Trump vs Mark King
The action begins on Friday afternoon with the defending champion Judd Trump in action when he goes up against one of the few men who have a Home Nations title to his name in the form of the former Northern Ireland Open winner Mark King.
Trump will be well aware that he departed the Northern Ireland event at this stage last month and will be determined to ensure that doesn’t happen again here. He might well face a battle against King though because the veteran has found some real form in the last couple of weeks and doesn’t back down for anyone. He is also one of those who rises to the big occasion so he is entitled to play well here but you’ve got to think Trump will come through. Whether he does it by enough to cover a handicap remains to be seen though.
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Luca Brecel
The pick of the afternoon matches is the second one to take place when Ronnie O’Sullivan takes on Luca Brecel in a battle of two flamboyant players who are very good to watch and who both look to be playing well this week.
In fact I would suggest O’Sullivan is playing somewhere close to his best. You can always tell when O’Sullivan thinks he is at it because he starts playing the fool in his interviews and detracting the attention away from how well he is playing. The last time he won the worlds he spent the fortnight babbling on about cue actions and this week he has been yapping about his tip. He knows what he’s doing. He will need to play well here though because Brecel looked good at the start of the week in beating Mark Allen. The Belgian has scored well since then but you wonder whether his safety will be tight enough to create chances to score here. I think O’Sullivan wins this but the odds and handicap lines are about right.
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Evening Session
Kyren Wilson vs Neil Robertson
There is one match on the main table on Friday evening and it is the battle between fourth and fifth in the world rankings when Neil Robertson meets Kyren Wilson in what looks like a very tasty tussle between two very competitive players.
Wilson made a few headlines earlier in the week when he suggested he should be on the main table more and he has the chance to show why he feels that is the case here when he competes on it. Robertson has largely gone under the radar this week. He has only been on the main table once and looked a little flat in beating Sunny Akani when he was on it. We probably shouldn’t be fooled by that because Robertson builds his way into an event but I’m yet to be convinced by him I have to say. Wilson has had spells of quiet in one or two of his matches but in the main he has scored pretty well. He has won the last three against Robertson and knows the formula to beat him in terms of keeping it tight, testing the patience of the Australian and feasting on the safety errors which will come. Akani did the first two things against Robertson earlier in the week but didn’t have the long game to take advantage. Wilson does and he looks a big price to send a not quite at full tilt Robertson packing.
John Higgins vs Yan Bingtao
The one quarter final which takes place over on table two sees two more class acts on show when John Higgins takes on Yan Bingtao for the right to face the winner of the O’Sullivan and Brecel match in the semi-final on Saturday.
These two started the year by meeting in the final of The Masters and then they met again in the semi-final of the Northern Ireland Open last month. Bingtao won their first meeting while Higgins won in Belfast so this one will complete their trilogy of big matches in 2021. Higgins made a huge statement earlier in the week when he said he was hitting the ball as well as he ever has in his career. We’ve heard no soundbites from Bingtao but the fact he has beaten Dave Gilbert and Mark Selby in the last two rounds is a sign of how well he is playing. This looks like a cracker which is one to watch rather than bet on, especially as those following us all week have an interest in the Chinese star as we are on him outright.
Tips
Back K.Wilson to beat N.Robertson for a 3/10 stake at 2.30 with 888sport
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