The qualifying competition for the European Masters continues on Thursday when the second day of action takes place. As with Wednesday, another 24 players will look to win the one match which will secure their place in the main draw next year.
We saw some big names on Wednesday and some more take to the baize on Thursday, although Mark Williams, who was due to be one of them, won’t be in action after he was forced to withdraw from the event due to testing positive for Covid-19.
Morning Session
We have to wait until later in the day for the bigger names to come to the party but in the morning session we have Zhao Xintong on show first up on one of the main tables. He takes on the Irish youngster Aaron Hill for a place in the main draw. The other main table will see Jamie Jones looking to kick his season into life when he takes on Tian Pengfei in what looks like a pretty even match given the form of the two.
There are two matches on the outside tables on Thursday morning with Robbie Williams the highest ranked player on show. He takes on Fergal O’Brien in what could be a tough match for the man from Liverpool. The other match offers up a good chance for two men who could do with a decent run in a tournament to make it through to the main draw when Fan Zhengyi goes up against the veteran player Rory McLeod.
Afternoon Session
This is where the first of the bigger names come to work when Kyren Wilson looks to book his place in the main draw. The regular ranking event winner takes on the Chinese talent Lyu Haotian on one of the main tables. There is an all-Scottish clash on the other main table when the former world champion Graeme Dott is on show. He faces a Scott Donaldson whose rise through the rankings has come to a halt over the last 12 months or so.
Luca Brecel is pushing hard to get back to the higher ranks he once resided in on the ranking list. He can help himself in that cause by making it through to the main draw. In order to get there he needs to take on Barry Pinches, who will be buoyed by qualifying for the German Masters earlier in the week. Mark Williams was due to meet the Chinese ace Yuan Sijun. Instead the man from China will take on Williams’ replacement Mark Lloyd.
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Evening Session
Shaun Murphy is the headline attraction on a stacked evening session of action. He’ll be on one of the main tables when he takes on a Michael White whose amateur status is still a mystery to a number of people. The other main table will see Stephen Maguire on show. The Scot cruised through to the final stages of the German Masters last week and he’ll be looking to do likewise when he takes on Ashley Carty on Thursday evening.
This session is full of talent to the extent that Barry Hawkins can only make it on one of the outside tables. After failing to qualify for the German Masters he’ll be eager to qualify for this tournament. In order to do that he has to beat the Ukrainian youngster Iulian Boiko. The other table sees David Grace, who missed out on the German Masters by one frame, taking on the talented Welsh player Jackson Page.
Betting
I’ll go with the one bet over the course of the day and it comes in the evening session where Jackson Page takes on David Grace in a match I believe the Welsh ace can win. Page lost to Ricky Walden in the first round of German Masters qualifying last week but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad result because Walden is in decent touch at the minute. Prior to that Page beaten Noppon Saengkham and Jack Lisowski at the Northern Ireland Open, the latter he beat 4-0 which is very good form.
Grace played well in defeat in German Masters qualifying but couldn’t get over the line against Dave Gilbert and apart from one frame where he nearly made a maximum, he didn’t score overly well. Prior to that, in knockout tournament play the only players he has beaten this season has been Jimmy White and an amateur. Grace hasn’t done a huge amount since the Northern Ireland Open last season and if he doesn’t get off to a good start then Page could get in front and stay there. I’ll take him at a decent price.
Tips
Back J.Page to beat D.Grace for a 3/10 stake at 2.30 with William Hill
Back him here:
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