The opening round of the Players Championship comes to a close and the first quarter final takes place on another exciting looking day of snooker in Wolverhampton on Wednesday as the middle Duelbits Series event continues at a pace.
We’ve already seen a number of surprises in the tournament and some big names will be hoping they are not among them throughout the course of the play across the two sessions of action on Wednesday.
Afternoon Session
Luca Brecel vs Jack Lisowski
The match on the main table in the afternoon session sees two of the most watchable players in the game battling it out for a quarter final spot where Joe O’Connor awaits the winner between Luca Brecel and Jack Lisowski.
These two will have watched on and will know that after they have faced each other there won’t be another player in the top 14 of the world rankings in their way until they get to the final so there is a massive chance for one of these two to go deep in this tournament. That might make this a more tense affair that we might have expected but it might also focus their minds. I think Lisowski is the one to be on here. I just think he has more poise and comfort in these huge events. Brecel has gone well in what I would call the lower tier events but these are big tournaments and he never quite convinces me in them. Lisowski hasn’t won a tournament yet but last month he made the last four at The Masters and a couple of months prior to that he was a semi-finalist at the UK Championship so he is beginning to perform at the big events and I think he’ll come through here and have a little bit to spare by the end of this one. I’ll go with the more reliable and consistent Lisowski in this one.
Ding Junhui vs Gary Wilson
The final match of the tournament on table two sees the UK Championship finalist Ding Junhui going up against the Scottish Open winner Gary Wilson for a place in the quarter final where Kyren Wilson will be waiting for the winner.
Ding had a brilliant week at the UK Championship where he made it into the final before going down to Mark Allen but that is something of a strong event for him and either side of it he hasn’t really got anything going so you would have to say he is vulnerable in this match. The problem is that since Wilson won the Scottish Open he hasn’t really done anything either. You would imagine whoever starts this one the best will pull away and win with a bit in hand. The value is probably with Wilson but I’d have liked him to be in better form in order to part with some hard earned cash on him so I’m happy to leave this one alone.
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Evening Session
Robert Milkins vs Ali Carter
The opening quarter final of the tournament is a repeat of the German Masters semi-final from earlier in the month when the Welsh Open champion Robert Milkins takes on the man who triumphed in Berlin in Ali Carter.
Both men had to come through deciding frames in their first round matches on Tuesday evening but there is no doubt that the one Carter had to endure would have been a whole lot more mentally taxing than the one which Milkins came through well over an hour earlier. That said, we know that Carter will give his all, especially as he will notice the route through to the final which doesn’t include a player in the top 10 in the rankings. Milkins is on something of a high at the minute so I’m expecting a close contest here. When they met in Berlin it went to a deciding frame and I wouldn’t be surprised if they go the distance here too. Whoever wins I don’t see this being won easily so over 9.5 frames which gives us 6-4 or 6-5 either way will do me.
Tips
Back J.Lisowski (-1.5 frames) to beat L.Brecel for a 3/10 stake at 2.15 with Coral
Back R.Milkins vs A.Carter – Over 9.5 frames for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Boylesports
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