We already know that Ali Carter is in the Players Championship final and on Saturday his opponent will be determined when Kyren Wilson takes on Shaun Murphy in the second semi-final of the second leg of the Duelbits Series.
These two men are no strangers to big matches and big titles so we should be in for a cracking clash with the reward for the winner a spot in the final where they will be the favourite to lift the trophy and walk off with the £125,000 first prize.
Kyren Wilson
Prior to this tournament, I think it was fair to say that the best form of Kyren Wilson this season had largely been shown at the beginning of it and while he wasn’t a sitting duck coming in here, there was a feeling that he would need to show more than what he had been if he was going to be a threat this week. He has done that and some and if he continues the form he has shown in Wolverhampton he is entitled to be a big runner in this semi-final.
Wilson has come past competent if not elite opponents in Zhou Yuelong and Gary Wilson for the loss of just three frames. We probably do need to point out that Gary Wilson didn’t really do his chances much good with his reaction to some poor shots but that isn’t anything Kyren Wilson should worry about. Wilson is scoring very well but he will need his long game to be in good order because he doesn’t want to leave too many chances for a form opponent.
Shaun Murphy
Unlike Wilson, Shaun Murphy arrived at this tournament with his form in excellent order and you sensed he was ready to win again. He was a match away from doing it at the Welsh Open last week and he has seemingly picked up where he left off there. You got a sense that he just ran out of juice at the end of a hectic week in Llandudno but he has no issues in that regard here having played every other day this week.
Murphy is hitting the ball as well as anyone in quite some time. We know he has a wonderful cue action but balls are going in the heart of the pocket and it must be dispiriting to play against. Ryan Day certainly found it that way in the quarter final as he bowed out without winning a frame having sat and watched Murphy open the match with three successive centuries. That followed on from making a maximum last week so ‘The Magician’ is scoring like a dream at present.
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Head-to-head
These two men have met on 10 previous occasions with Shaun Murphy leading the way 6-4 but his domination comes in the frame totals where he leads 49-38 which suggests his wins are pretty emphatic ones. This will be the second Duelbits Series event in succession which they have met each other in. Murphy won 4-2 in the World Grand Prix last month. Wilson actually won their first two meetings but Murphy has won six of the last eight which includes their previous semi-final which was at the World Championship in 2021. He also won their only past meeting over the best of 11 frames which was in this tournament four years ago.
Betting
Those who followed me in from the start of the week are already in a nice position going into this match because we are effectively on Shaun Murphy at 5/1 in this semi-final courtesy of backing him before a ball was hit. I’m not going to make out that I’m not concerned by the form of Kyren Wilson because he looks right on it but so does our man and I thought if he carried that form from the Welsh Open into this week he would take a lot of beating and I still think that.
Given the way Wilson is playing though this doesn’t feel like a semi-final that either is going to run away with. It has the feeling of one of those where one will bring the best out of the other and we are treated to a high quality semi-final between two men who are no stranger to this stage of a big tournament and who know if they win here they will be favourite to win the final. This is probably a bigger match for Murphy as he isn’t nailed on for the Tour Championship yet. Hopefully that added incentive leads him to a victory but I would be surprised if this one doesn’t go beyond 9.5 frames given that both are fresh after two comfortable wins this week and both look in fantastic form.
Tips
Back Over 9.5 frames for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with Betfair
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