The quarter finals of the World Championship get underway on Tuesday with the incentive for the eight players taking to the baize being that they are one win away from progressing to the famous one-table setup inside the Crucible Theatre.
In terms of frames required to win the tournament we reach the halfway mark at the end of the quarter finals and given who is left in the draw we have a very interesting last eight line-up which should ensure plenty of drama and quality.
Day 10 Recap
Three matches took place at the Crucible Theatre on Monday. Si Jiahui had a few wobbles but eventually wrapped up a 13-7 win over Robert Milkins, which was the same score which Mark Selby saw off Gary Wilson by in the evening session. The other match went slightly closer with Jack Lisowski threatening a comeback but Anthony McGill eventually put a stop to that when he came out the winner with a 13-8 score.
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Luca Brecel (Tuesday 10am, Tuesday 7pm & Wednesday 2.30pm)
The opening quarter final to get underway on Table One will see Ronnie O’Sullivan continuing the defence of his world title when he takes on a rejuvenated Luca Brecel who is tasting the last eight of this tournament for the first time.
If this match comes down to experience then O’Sullivan will win with a session to spare. Thankfully for Brecel, what has been and gone is largely irrelevant here if he can play to the same level that he did against Mark Williams in the previous round. I think it is fair to say that he might need a slight improvement on that effort to win this one because Williams’ long game wasn’t in great order, but if the Belgian can get in early in this match, especially if he can win a frame or two off of O’Sullivan mistakes, then it could easily get interesting. There is a suspicion that Brecel is a perfect opponent for Ronnie though because he is so open and probably has the needle on the side of going for more than he should rather than the other way around. That was certainly the case at The Masters earlier in the year where O’Sullivan thrashed Brecel 6-1. The bet I like in this match is for Brecel to make more than 1.5 centuries. He has scored really well in this tournament and the one frame he won at Ally Pally he did with a century break. Brecel can’t win this match if he doesn’t get the balls open and clear them up so I’ll back him to do that on a couple of occasions.
Mark Allen vs Jak Jones (Tuesday 10am, Tuesday 7pm & Wednesday 10am)
The first of the two quarter finals on Table Two sees the player of the season so far in Mark Allen going up against the debutant who is having the tournament of his life in the form of Jak Jones, who will be looking to add to the scalps he has taken so far in the event.
Allen hasn’t really been tested so far in this tournament with neither Fan Zhengyi or Stuart Bingham really turned up against him but the Northern Irishman has started scoring which is a big thing because he had gone into his shell over the last couple of months or so. Jones has seen off the challenges of Ali Carter and Neil Robertson and has looked very good in doing so. You wouldn’t think he is done with this tournament yet unless he suddenly realises where he is but Allen is probably the best all-round player he has played so far and you would imagine he’ll win either by outscoring Jones or by grinding him down. If Jones can start well though the expectation on the shoulders of Allen could come into play. This is one of those quarter finals to watch the early stages and then assess the situation later.
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for this tournament! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
Anthony McGill vs Si Jiahui (Tuesday 2.30pm, Wednesday 10am & Wednesday 7pm)
We are guaranteed a qualifier in the semi-final because the second quarter final on Table One sees the former semi-finalist Anthony McGill taking on the Chinese player Si Jiahui who is having a debut to remember so far.
McGill has seen off two very talented cueists to reach this stage and now faces another one. The Scot will be expected to win this match but he will know he can’t take Jiahui lightly because the head to head between these two surprisingly sits 3-0 in favour of the Chinese player. There is a risk and reward element to the Jiahui game. He goes for a lot of long pots which can overwhelm players but when they don’t go in it can leave him incredibly vulnerable. They have gone in so far but you just wonder at which stage they will stop. While McGill hasn’t beaten Si Jiahui, their three meetings have all been in lesser events whereas we know the Scot raises his game for this venue and I don’t see him coming unstuck here. The Chinese player has been fantastic but I think McGill will be too smart for him. I expect him to cover a 1.5 frame handicap.
John Higgins vs Mark Selby (Tuesday 2.30pm, Wednesday 2.30pm & Wednesday 7pm)
The pick of the quarter finals is the second one to begin on Table Two as two men with eight world titles between them will battle it out when John Higgins meets Mark Selby with a return to the one-table setup the prize on offer.
Higgins has just delivered a near flawless display against Kyren Wilson in the second round and will be full of confidence heading into this quarter final. Selby overcame the other Wilson in the tournament, Gary, with no fuss but I think it is fair to say he was nowhere near as impressive as Higgins and the English Open and WST Classic champion might need to raise his game if he is going to come through here. We know he has that in him though because he is a class act with a tremendous record in this tournament and in this venue. If Higgins can maintain his form he is going to be tough to beat but if anyone can bring a player down a peg or two it is Selby. This is a fascinating one and I think it is one to watch the early stages of rather than get stuck into from the off.
Tips
Back L.Brecel – Over 1.5 centuries for a 3/10 stake at 2.25 with Coral
Back A.McGill (-1.5 frames) to beat S.Jiahui for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
Back him here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
