The two semi-finals of the World Open will be played out in China on Saturday as we find out the identity of the two men who will pay for the bumper first prize and everything that comes with it in the final on Sunday.
We have three players who you could expect to be at this stage of the competition and one who has made the semi-final of a ranking event for the first time. Two of the four players need to win the title to qualify for further tournaments this season which adds to the semi-final tension.
Morning Session
Judd Trump vs Jackson Page
The opening semi-final has a bit of a David vs Goliath feel about it as Judd Trump, who has already won a mountain of silver this season, goes up against Jackson Page who has never been this far in a ranking event in his career before.
Page might just have set a spot in the final up perfectly for Trump given that he took out arguably the two biggest dangers in the top half of the draw in Mark Selby and John Higgins. Page has scored brilliantly well though but in his first semi-final you would imagine there will be some nerves on his part. Trump hasn’t played brilliantly well throughout his matches this week but as he has done so often this season he has played well when he has needed to and done enough to come through the draw. We’ve seen this movie a few times this season and then when he gets to the business end of a tournament and the one-table setup he comes alive and finds his best stuff. He might not need his best stuff to win this unless there is no drop off from Page but the fact we don’t really know what we’re going to get from the youngster this feels like an easy match to leave alone.
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Afternoon Session
Ding Junhui vs Neil Robertson
The second semi-final is very much the pick of the two as two genuine class acts meet when the Chinese superstar Ding Junhui goes up against the Australian ace Neil Robertson, for whom so much is on the line here.
Robertson needs to win this tournament else he will have to qualify for the World Championship. If he wins the tournament he will go into the Tour Championship next month and all of a sudden he would have completely turned his fortunes around because as it stands if he loses here he will be out of the top 16. Ding was in this position in the past but he has come out of the other side and he is flourishing now. He has played well this week but one or two opponents have also made him look a little better than he is. There is something about Robertson this week. He is scoring brilliantly and it is like we’ve gone back in time a couple of years. When the Australian was in his pomp he would be close to unbeatable in the final weekend of a tournament and he is playing well enough to make me think we are at that stage again. I’m never completely comfortable with Ding in pressure situations these days so I think Robertson is the one to be on here.
Tips
Back N.Robertson to beat D.Junhui for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Betway
