Quarter-finals time at the World Championships

After some cracking last 16 matches have taken place over the last 4 or more days at the Crucible in Sheffield, it's time for possibly the best 2 days of snooker at the World Championships - the quarter-finals and this years draw will certainly live up to a top top billing.


The last 16 has seen the defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan pushed all the way by one of the better players of the season in Joe Perry, while the likes of Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Dominic Dale and Alan McManus all had pretty comfortable victories while Mark Selby and Barry Hawkins complete the quarter-final line-up after their wins against Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins respectively.


Last 16 Results:


Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-11 Joe Perry
Shaun Murphy 13-8 Marco Fu
Barry Hawkins 13-11 Ricky Walden
Dominic Dale 13-4 Michael Wasley
Mark Selby 13-9 Ali Carter
Alan McManus 13-8 Ken Doherty
Judd Trump 13-7 Ryan Day
Neil Robertson 13-7 Mark Allen


Quarter-Final Draw and Preview: (Picks in bold)


Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs Shaun Murphy - The top quarter-final of the draw here sees the brilliant 5 times world champion and the winner of the last two World's in Ronnie O'Sullivan take on one of the few men in the draw that won't fear him in 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy. O'Sullivan wasn't at his best for the first 2 sessions of his match in the last 16 against Joe Perry, but the snooker he produced from 11-11 to win 13-11 in that match was truly sublime. The way this match goes will simply depend on how the Rocket plays. If he plays for the whole match like he did in the opening 2 sessions against Perry, Murphy will have a great chance to cause an upset, while if he can bring his best snooker out like he did at the end against Joe, Shaun Murphy will probably have too much to handle. Murphy won't fear Ronnie as I have mentioned, and will certainly not be afraid to play his own aggressive brand of snooker that won him the title in '05, and more recently the 2014 World Open in Haikou. What Murphy will have to do though is take his chances and win more frames in one single visit than he did against Marco Fu, but with an improved safety game Shaun may have a small sniff. It could well be a close one, and if Ronnie can produce when it matters he'll probably go through.


Barry Hawkins Vs Dominic Dale - This match has the look of another very close game, and probably the match most likely to produce a winner which wouldn't be one of the favourites. Dominic is the outsider in this game, but so far he hasn't used up too much energy with a comfortable 10-5 win against Mark Davis and a crushing 13-4 win against Michael Wasley. Dominic looks confident this year and has all the capabilities of winning this game and making the 1 table set-up at the Crucible, especially as he's been scoring well this week so far. Meanwhile, Barry Hawkins played very well in his first round win against David Gilbert, while his 13-11 win against Ricky Walden in the last 16 really should've gone the other way. Hawkins wasn't at the races for the most part and Walden just couldn't take complete charge of the match, otherwise he'd be in the quarter-finals. In fact, Hawkins has had at least one "off-session" in both of his 2 matches so far, but his opponents have been unable to capitalise. If Dom can here he has a great chance, but I can't get away from the fact that having not been at this stage for several years, Dale will be incredibly nervous if the winning line comes anywhere near close to him. Hawkins may just edge this one.


Mark Selby Vs Alan McManus - The first thing that jumps at you about this match is it will certainly be one for the purists out there, with Angles McManus taking on Satnav Selby if you like. Both are excellent safety players and their battles could take a long while to sort out. Where this match will be won and lost is whether the players can score heavily enough after working hard to get their chances. Selby has played well so far in tough games against Michael White and Ali Carter, his match play has been superb, while his scoring has been of a good enough level, a level that if maintained for this match should be enough for him to clinch 13 frames against McManus. Alan played well in round 1 against Higgins, though Higgins was very poor, he didn't have to play very well at all in the Last 16 against Doherty who will be gutted if that match turns out to be his last at the Crucible given his dire display. How much help will Alan have from his opponent here? Probably not enough for him to capitalise on and make the semi-finals.


Judd Trump Vs Neil Robertson - The final match of the quarter's at the World Championships here, has all of the makings of a big hitting classic. Both players are incredibly aggressive and score for fun. I think that shows this up best is that Neil Robertson has smashed the centuries record this season, and is one century away from 100 centuries for the season. Who's record did he smash? Judd Trump's from last season. In this event, Neil Robertson has looked at his world class best in a 10-2 thumping of debutant Robbie Williams and in the last 16 with a 13-7 win against Allen, where Mark was helpless to do anything as Robbo twice fell short of the ton of tons, missing a black for it on 94 and a red needing red and black on 92 to clinch the match. In terms of the safety game, Judd's has had to have been pretty good in his 2 wins as he hasn't quite been scoring as well as he'd like, and he's looked much improved in those departments both through the season and in his wins against Ford and Day. He'll need to be on top notch scoring and safety form here, and he'll need to be on form with his long potting to create chances as well, because he won't get too many handed to him by Robertson who looks a great shout for the title. It should be a quality and very close encounter, but if Neil keeps up the form he's showed this year, he'll be a very strong favourite to pinch the semi-final place.


Whatever the outcome of these quarter-final matches is, we've already had some brilliant snooker, plenty of classic matches and all round one of the better World Championships so far for a number of years. With the draw we have for the remainder of the Championships, you could say that we're going to have possibly one of the best World Championships ever. Overall, there should be plenty more classics to come before 2014 at the Crucible is over.

Last 16 at The Crucible

Yesterday saw both the conclusion of the first round at the 2014 World Snooker Championships and the beginning of the Last 16 at the Crucible with some fantastic games in prospect. The Last 32 saw 5 of the seeds exiting the tournament Stuart Bingham, Stephen Maguire, John Higgins, Mark Davis and one of the tournament favourites in Ding Junhui all taking an early bath this year, with 4 deciders taking place seeing Ding lose in a late night classic to Michael Wasley, Mark Selby beating Michael White, Ryan Day holding on to beat Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy seeing off Jamie Cope, all under the extreme pressure that the Crucible brings.


These are the Last 32 results in full for you:


Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-4 Robin Hull
Joe Perry 10-7 Jamie Burnett
Shaun Murphy 10-9 Jamie Cope
Marco Fu 10-7 Martin Gould
Barry Hawkins 10-4 David Gilbert
Ricky Walden 10-7 Kyren Wilson
Dominic Dale 10-5 Mark Davis
Michael Wasley 10-9 Ding Junhui
Mark Selby 10-9 Michael White
Ali Carter 10-8 Xiao Guodong
Alan McManus 10-7 John Higgins
Ken Doherty 10-5 Stuart Bingham
Judd Trump 10-8 Tom Ford
Ryan Day 10-9 Stephen Maguire
Mark Allen 10-4 Michael Holt
Neil Robertson 10-2 Robbie Williams


Just a quick word then on the Last 16 matches already underway:


Mark Selby 5-3 Ali Carter - The first session of this best of 25 match here saw high quality snooker brought out by both players, with Ali Carter making centuries to start and finish the session, and Mark Selby playing as well as he has done for a long time there. Selby did lead 5-1 there, but both players will be happy with their sessions work and it's certainly game on for the final 2 sessions being played today. I fancied Carter before the match, but if Selby continues playing the way he did today you have to fancy him to win.


Joe Perry 5-3 Ronnie O'Sullivan - A brilliant sessions work in this one by Joe Perry as he takes a session lead against Ronnie O'Sullivan who was quite under par for the best part of the session, particularly in the first 5 frames after which he found himself 4-1 behind. Perry did what he had to do though, scoring well and taking his chances, with a particularly good break of 99 in the last frame making sure he finished the session with a lead and deservedly so, especially with Ronnie coming back at him after a century in the sixth. If Ronnie improves and is back to his old self today and tomorrow he'd probably still be favourite for this match, but Joe has the confidence and belief in his game and there's no reason why he can't carry this one through from here.




Time now to Preview the 6 Last 16 matches yet to start: (Picks in bold)


Barry Hawkins Vs Ricky Walden (First session Friday 25th at 10am) - This one sees a repeat of last years semi-final where Hawkins was the victor after Walden collapsed in the last 2 sessions of that game. Since then the 2 have played at the Masters in a much shorter format, but Hawkins was the man to collapse there losing 6-5 from 5-2 ahead. In this event so far, Hawkins has played some brilliant snooker in round one, winning 10-4 against David Gilbert having been 2-4 down, and he certainly looked to be playing some of the same snooker that got him to last years final. Walden also played some good snooker in parts of his first round win against Wilson, though that one turned quite scrappy as Walden neared the winning line there. I think really that Barry is confident and a huge favourite here, and still would be if he's behind after 2 sessions because I could just see Ricky stuttering again if he neared the winning line. Should be an entertaining and fairly close game though.


Ken Doherty Vs Alan McManus (First session Friday 25th at 2.30pm) - The first thoughts that come into your mind when you see this match up is that it will be a really good battle, in which you don't think that either player is going to give the other one an inch. It's going to be a match that could well take some time to sort itself out, both because it's a potential 13-12er in the making and because it's sure to be a match filled with tactical prowess. McManus probably played the better of the 2 in the opening round, though the pair both had some help from their respective miss-firing opponents. Alan's tartan trousers seemed to bring him some luck against Higgins as he went into an early 6-1 lead, and he held on well at the end with Higgins coming back at him. Doherty though came from 5-3 down to beat Bingham 10-5 in the opening round in a win that meant so much to him and saw him get very emotional at the end. Ken's not had a great season but that win would've given him so much and I really fancy him to edge this one in the end.


Judd Trump Vs Ryan Day (First session Saturday 26th at 2.30pm) - This has the look of another tight match up here, with both players coming through what were tight opening encounters. Judd was well below par in his win against Tom Ford, but it was one of those matches that the winner was always going to be pleased just to get through, with each one dragging the other down, and it's a case now of Trump just moving on to the next game, feeling positive and giving it 100% once more. As for Ryan Day, he played some very good snooker against Stephen Maguire and will be full of confidence coming into this one, both with his own game, but also having seen how Judd played in the Last 32. One thing you can guarantee in this match is that it will be very open, and that both players will go for their shots and be positive. I think here though that Judd will call upon some of the good form he brought into this and just be glad to have made it through after a titanic tussle with Ford, and that could well pay off for him.


Dominic Dale Vs Michael Wasley (First session Saturday 26th at 7pm) - Both of these two have beaten seeded opposition in the opening round. Wasley on his Crucible debut against player of the season Ding Junhui, and Dominic Dale winning his first Crucible tie for 14 years against Mark Davis. Despite this, there'll be even more pressure on these 2 lads in this match now, because the pair will sense an opportunity is there to make the quarter-finals. Wasley played sublimely in the opening round, but the question now is, with the eyes of the world on him, can he re-produce? Meanwhile, Dominic played as well as he had to against Mark Davis and has stayed in Sheffield since the qualifiers to practice on the match tables and his form has been good in the latter parts of the season. Dom has been able to go under the radar a bit (not too much with his taste in shoes though) and I think that'll give him a slight advantage here in yet another tight game.


Marco Fu Vs Shaun Murphy (First session Sunday 27th at 10am) - If Shaun Murphy's track record is anything to go by, this match will probably go to a deciding frame as it is another close encounter that this 2nd round draw has set us up. Shaun Murphy managed to scrape through in the first round 10-9 against Jamie Cope, and Murphy cued well under pressure but wasn't quite at his very best otherwise in a very tense match. He has had 6 full days off since then so he could go away, relax, practice and come back fresh for the big slog that will be needed if he is to go far in this event. Fu though played some of the best snooker of the first round, making a very tricky match against Martin Gould look pretty easy to be honest. If he keeps that form up he'll be a slight favourite, but the problem with Marco sometimes has been the consistency with his performances, and as good as his season has been, that has been evident at times throughout it. These 2 always play great matches, such as their Masters encounter where Shaun came from 1-4 down to win 6-4 as Fu collapsed. It will surely be close as well, and having already come through a tight and pressured first round game, but also having plenty of time to recover, I just give Shaun Murphy that slight edge in this one.


Neil Robertson Vs Mark Allen (First session Sunday 27th at 10am) - Finally, we have a match that always brings out some brilliant snooker, and will definetly do so again. These 2 have played in the Masters 3 years running, with Neil winning the last 2 of those in deciding frames showing how closely matches these 2 are. Both men also had quite easy and convincing first round victories, even though there was quite a difference in their performances. Robertson was probably the best player of the opening round, with not only the biggest first round win, but also 4 centuries to put him only 3 away from the ton of tons. It was really the complete performance, with Neil showing very good form, looking and then sounding very confident after the match as well. He certainly thinks he can win this this year. Mark will post a formidable challenge to any such thoughts of this from Neil though, even though he didn't play as well as he could've done in a 10-4 first round win against Michael Holt. Allen's best always seems to come out in these games against the top players though, and I think this match will certainly spur him on to a better performance. However, this will be a high pressured and very close match but you can't ignore Neil's first round performance, so the slight edge goes to him.




One thing we do know about these second round games is that we will have some crackers to look forward to and a lot more close finishes as this brilliantly dramatic tournament speeds along. From what we've seen so far, everything is there for me to stand by my comment that this will be the best World Championships for a large number of years. I hope you're all enjoying it as much as I am, and please keep an eye out for another update before the Quarter-Finals.

World Championship Q&A with 2005 Champion Shaun Murphy

Shaun Murphy has done a few pieces for the blog this season, both at the start, then again after a tough few months on the table, and then again ahead of the Masters. Since his last piece, it's been a rollercoaster ride full of ups and downs for the 2005 World Champion with talk of doing something else after the Masters event, before going on to win the Gdynia Open a month after that, and then winning his first ranking title for 3 years at the Haikou World Open. Here's what he had to say about the last 3 months, and some other interesting questions posed by a mate of mine (@TungstenDarts on Twitter) all of which were taken in the right spirit:

Hi Shaun, it would be fair to say that it’s been a mixed season for you, with things certainly turning up for you in the last few months. How would you sum up the whole season as we head into the World Championships?

Definitely right with word mixed. Been a strange really - a lesson in life maybe. I've been working really hard for 12 months but it's taken 9-10 for the hard work to start paying off. So the lesson must be to never give up.

Since we last spoke, you reached the semi-finals of the Masters, with great performances against Ding Junhui and Marco Fu, but then suffered a bad and upsetting defeat against Mark Selby. You said afterwards that you may never win a big event again, and may have to start looking for something else as well as snooker, did you really mean that?

What I should've said was that it might be time to look into doing something as well as playing snooker. Something that when it goes wrong doesn't hurt as much. To be fair I was very upset and annoyed with the way I played that day and found it hard to make sense of it afterwards. I’m lucky to have good people in my life who wouldn't let me spiral.

In February you went on to win the Gdynia Open, you’re first title of any kind since the 2011 Brazil Masters. How did that feel after all of the work you’d put in, and how much of a confidence boost was that win?

Well they say it gets darkest just before the dawn and I think in my case that was true. A matter of days before Poland I was talking about moving on and doing other things so it couldn't have been much worse to be honest. The sense of achievement to come through that and win again was unreal. I'm still buzzing about it.

You also made your 3rd competitive 147 in the Gdynia Open against Jamie Jones, but your first in front of a crowd. Was it nice to finally get one in front of a crowd, and how did you feel afterwards?

Yeah it's a funny one as the other two I'd made like you say were more private affairs. One in a snooker club during the B & H championship, and the other at Crondon in front of no one. I can honestly say that the nerves I felt making that break in front of the crowd was the most nerve racking few minutes of my snooker life to date. I was shaking clearing the colours and for about 30 minutes after!

You then went on to win the 5th group of the Championship League quite comfortably, did the Championship League allow you to build to up some form, confidence and valuable match practice?

That event has become essential I believe to a players form once the New Year turns. It’s a great chance to play yourself into form, something that I think I managed to do this year.

You came into the Haikou World Open having not won a ranking event for a whole 3 years, so did you have high hopes coming into it and what were your feelings when you did win it?

Well having not won one as you say for so long my feelings beforehand were pretty normal. I knew I was playing well having one in Poland and then at Crondon so I had some confidence but that means nothing really until you win something. I'd felt good at other times in the last 3 years and come nowhere so I just got on with it.

How nice was it to see the rewards for your hard work on and off the table pay off both in Gdynia and Haikou, as well as getting some revenge on Mark Selby for a few recent defeats, none more than the Masters defeat back in January?

Yeah it was very personally rewarding to win those events and win them well playing some good snooker throughout. After all that’s what we play for and I'd almost started to think my winning days were gone.

Is it fair to say you had the most luck there you’ve ever had in an event, winning 2 matches on black ball “flukes” so to speak?

Well the fluke I had against Graeme to win 5-4 was nothing more than embarrassing. I didn’t know where to look as it dropped or afterwards for that matter. It had been such a good match up to that point so win it that way left me with mixed feelings. But the "in-off" of Mark Allen to win 6-4 wasn't really anything to do with me I guess. I just felt bad for him as he's a good mate of mine on and off the table.

How much do you owe to your manager, coach and all of your family around you for keeping you going in some of the darker years on the table?

In a word - everything. They've all been there for me in different capacities over the years and I know there will be times I'll need their support again. That's the ups and downs of playing sport for a living. You're not in direct control of how it turns out and sometimes that’s quite hard to come to terms with.

What are your confidence levels like ahead of your bid to win your second World Title then?

Yeah pretty good. It's good to know I’m playing well again and I’ve prepared well for this year’s tournament. Of course I’ve won it already so I’m not under the pressure of a Ding or a Selby who many would say should've already won there so I can go and give it my all without being bang under it I guess.

What would it mean for you to become a multiple world champion, especially after winning your first at such a young age?

Winning it again would be unreal to tell the truth. Winning it once changed my life completely so I've no idea what a second one would mean. But it'd be nice to find out.

Last year’s world quarter-final between you and Judd was one of the classic matches of 2013, was it disappointing not to reach the semi-final having led 8-3 or was it just one of those matches you were proud to be a part of?

It was a funny one really because I don't really feel that I lost it so to speak. I felt he won it. I was of course very upset to lose and miss out on the one table setup which is our ultimate stage but that’s how it goes. He played really well when it mattered at fair play to him for that.

Would you have preferred not to qualify for the China Open to give you greater time to prepare for the World Championships and leave you fresher for the big one, or do you think that’s irrelevant?

No for me it’s all in the mind. Snooker isn't a strenuous sport and if you can handle the mental pressures then I believe you can if you want to, play in everything. I know we talk travelling to the Far East and how tiring it all is, but really, how hard is it getting on a plane?

If you could go back in time to “that” Christmas. Would you rather have the Steve Davis snooker table or the computer which you’d asked for?

No I think I definitely got the right present. I'd have got bored with the computer as I have done with my Xbox and the still unwrapped games I’ve had for 3 years. With snooker, I'm still and always will hooked by it and love it.

If you could re-live any frame, which frame would it be?

I guess the obvious one would be the frame I played to win the world title in 2005 but I think if I’m honest i'd like to go back and have another crack against Stephen Hendry at 4-1 ahead in The Masters in 2000 I think it was. I looked at the score board, thought that can’t be right me 4 and him 1! I scored about 20 points after that in the whole game and lost 6-4. It wasn't a great journey home I can tell you.

Which young snooker player from outside of the UK do you think will be a big hit in years to come?

Very hard to say to be honest. There are the Europeans that are coming with Luca Brecel being the shining light so far but I think there will be some very very good talents from China in the years to come. There are some frightening videos on YouTube of young kids playing snooker to a high standard already.

If you could go onto any TV game show, which one would it be?

Deal or no Deal. I absolutely love the show. In fact my friend and I used to watch it every day together come what may. I did apply for it years ago but I'm still to hear haha.

I'd like to thank Shaun for taking part in this Q&A at this busy time of year for snooker players (and us bloggers too) and for his continued support of the blog this season, both through the good times and  the bad times as well. Good Luck to him in his bid for a 2nd world title.

On a personal note, I hope you've enjoyed all of these interviews and look out for more features throughout the 17 days.

World Championship EXCLUSIVE Interview with Joe Perry

One of the players of this season has to be Joe Perry, a player that has made the latter stages of events throughout the season and has really been competitive throughout the season from start to this point. What would he give to finish the season off in style with a run in the World Championships that would equal his current Crucible best of the semi-finals? Find that all out and more in my interview with the man they call "The Gentleman" right here:

Firstly Joe, this has been a brilliant season for you reaching the latter stages of a lot of ranking events this season, and winning one of the Asian Tour events at the very start of the season. Would you put it down as one of your best ever seasons since turning professional?

This has probably been my best ever season as a professional.

I mentioned it briefly there, but how pleasing for you was it to win your first ever ranking event of any kind (this being a minor ranking event) at the Yixing Open, and did this give you the confidence to achieve what you have done in the rest of the season?

It was a fantastic feeling to finally win a ranking event and I think it had a big impact on my season, it gave me some self-belief which has always been missing.

This season you have reached the quarter-finals of the Players Championship, Wuxi Classic, German Masters and Australian Open, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Welsh Open and the International Championship. Which one of those would you say was your best performance, and are do you feel that you should’ve won any of those events?

I'd say the International was my best performance as I played well in every match but I do feel that the PTC finals was probably my best chance to win one.

Onto the World Championships then, how do you rate your chances of having a good run at the Crucible this year, after a nice confidence boosting year?

Who knows, the field is so strong this year and it really is one match at a time.

Your best performance in Sheffield is the semi-finals in 2008, do you believe you can better this this year, or at least before your career is over, and do you think you will ever win a World Championship?

It will be tough because I'm in the same section as Ronnie O’Sullivan but hopefully I will have a few more cracks at it.

Having not qualified for the China Open, do you think that extra week off to prepare will give you a better chance, or do you think that it’s irrelevant?

I don't think it makes a difference to be honest.

A lot of players have complained in the past about being burnt out when the World Championships have come around. Do you think it is possible to be burnt out from all of the playing and travelling, or is it just a myth?

I'm not sure it's burnout, probably more due to a loss of form at the wrong time, it's hard to play at the top of your game all season long.

You practice a lot with world No.1 Neil Robertson these days, he’s said on a few occasions how much that has helped his game. Do you think that has also helped your game considerably, and do you and Neil spur each other on?

Yes it has helped and I do think we both want each other to win even if we don't always show it.

Is there a lot of Football banter between you and Neil, given the fact that he is a Chelsea fan (or a Man Utd fan depending on who you ask) and you’re an Arsenal fan?

Yes the only time we argue is when we talk about football.

Who are your other big friends on the tour who you socialise with most at tournaments?

My main friends on tour are Barry Hawkins, Gerrard Greene, Mark Davis and Holty (Michael Holt) but I pretty much get on with everyone.

What do you enjoying do most when you are away from the snooker table?

Spending time with my family and the odd game of golf with my oldest friends.

Do you still have high hopes of winning a full ranking event?

Yes I still believe I have a win or two in me, I'd find it hard to carry on if I didn't.

You’re managed by the brilliant On Q promotions player management company, who are also involved with a lot of young players. Who do you think the brightest of their young players is, and who do you think are the brightest young prospects in the game currently?

I'd say Michael White is the best young player they have but Shane Castle looks an exciting prospect.

What do you aim to achieve in the remainder of your career (other than to win a major ranking event as I mentioned) and what do you want to do when you finish playing?

I just want to stay competitive and keep enjoying snooker. I'm currently building a property portfolio so I'll probably go into that if I can win enough money!

You’re 39 now, reaching the Big 40 in August (like you need reminding) so how long do you think you have left in the game, and when will you know that it’s time to retire?

I have no idea, I'm not worried about the new players coming through, more concerned with how much longer I will love playing snooker, once that day arrives then it's time to stop. Hopefully a long time yet.

I'd like to thank Joe a lot for taking part in the interview and I would like to wish him the best of luck in his World Championship campaign.

Stay tuned here for more interviews and features as we run through the World Snooker Championships for 2014.

The Big World Championship Preview

It's that time of the year once again here, as we head towards 17 days of stunning snooker at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield as the World Snooker Championships get underway in less than 2 days time as Ronnie O'Sullivan begins the defence of his World Crown, which he has held now since 2012. So can anyone beat him? Well, player of the season Ding Junhui will certainly fancy his chances of winning his 6th ranking title of the year, while Neil Robertson could probably think of no better way of winning the World Title by making his 100th century of the season, and there are plenty of others like Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins that will fancy a crack at taking out the Rocket at some stage in the tournament.


But can anyone really stop him this time around? Well it's time to have a look at what I think:

Quarter 1

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs Robin Hull
Joe Perry Vs Jamie Burnett
Shaun Murphy Vs Jamie Cope
Marco Fu Vs Martin Gould


5 times and defending World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is the stand out name in this quarter, but don't be fooled about O'Sullivan. I certainly think that this year, unlike the last 2 years that he's won it, O'Sullivan will have a lot more expectation on his shoulders to win the title, and there are also a lot more challengers in his way this year, so don't be drawn into thinking that this is his title to win. However, he should really be breezing past Robin Hull in the opening round without any problems, even though Hull impressed beating the likes of Peter Ebdon in qualifying. Joe Perry is O'Sullivan's probable Last 16 opponent this year, and that won't be the easy match that everyone would expect it to be. Perry is coming to the end of the best season of his career, and it would only get better if he could claim the Rockets scalp and go anywhere near his Crucible best of the semi-finals. His opening round opponent Jamie Burnett has plenty of experience, but I can't see the Scot getting to close to Joe there, and I have to say I'm confident it will be a Ronnie/Perry Last 16 match. Who wins? I have to favour Ronnie, though Perry will have just as much confidence, and if O'Sullivan isn't firing on all cylinders he better watch out.


Shaun Murphy is certainly one of my dark horses for the World Championships, though the term dark horse may even be a bit harsh on Murphy who will secretly consider himself one of the favourites. His loss of form in the beginning of the season was well documented, but his later return to form winning the Gdynia Open and World Open puts him in a good position to go far here, and his confidence will be even higher than when he won it 2005. Shaun's first round opponent Jamie Cope is starting to re-build his confidence brick by brick, and he'll offer up more of a test here for Murphy than he did at the China Open earlier this month. However, I still expect Shaun to come through the test with merit and he certainly won't fear anyone, match that with his confidence and Crucible experience than he could push Ronnie all the way if they both made it to the quarter's. Marco Fu meanwhile has had a good, but also heavily inconsistent season, and he's really not as good playing in Britain and British conditions as he is in Asia. If he can play well and consistently than he will give Shaun Murphy and then maybe Ronnie a big push in this quarter, but he has probably the toughest round 1 tie going. He faces Martin Gould in round 1 yet again this season, with Gould having previously played and beaten Marco Fu in the 1st round at the Crucible on 2 previous occasions, and it's fair to say that Martin has a brilliant chance of victory here after a solid showing in the qualifiers. I don't fancy many of the qualifiers to beat their seeded opponents in the first round this year given the first round draw we have, but one man I do fancy to win is Gould here.


Overall, this quarter is one of the highlights of the draw, and could be an exciting case of "Who can stop the Rocket?" Their are a lot of Prime suspects here, but will any of them be found guilty of killing O'Sullivan's chances this year? If I had to pick one man that could do so it would certainly be Shaun Murphy. He has the experience, the confidence in his game, a great Crucible record and he would relish the challenge of trying to beat Ronnie, rather than some of other players who may back away and go into their shells. Like I say, there's no chance that O'Sullivan will walk to the title this year.


Quarter Winner: Shaun Murphy

Quarter 2

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Barry Hawkins Vs David Gilbert
Ricky Walden Vs Kyren Wilson
Mark Davis Vs Dominic Dale
Ding Junhui Vs Michael Wasley


Ding Junhui is this quarters stand-out player, despite his obvious lack of a world title, no-one else in this quarter has one either so in that respect it's wide open. However, Ding has won 5 ranking event titles and reached the final of another one at the Welsh Open so he is in fantastic form and this is probably the strongest he's ever looked with his all-round game ahead of a World Championships. His domination of the tour this season speaks for itself, and it has to be said that he looks a cut above every other player when O'Sullivan isn't around. I predicted him to win it 2 years ago, and I have to say that I think I was 2 years too early, looking at his game now. The Chinaman is one of my favourites for the title. Ding's first round opponent is Michael Wasley who beat Robert Milkins on a re-spotted black in the final round after winning 4 qualifying matches and he's clearly a good young player. On his Crucible debut though, I think it will all be a bit too much of an ask for him to beat a player of Ding's stature. Ding's last 16 opponent would be either Mark Davis or Dominic Dale. Mark's season started off nicely but has really tailed off badly since the UK Championships and unfortunately for him it hasn't really picked up since, so Dominic will really fancy his chances here of getting into the Last 16. Dale has had a confidence boosting few months since his Shoot-out win, and he's always really relaxed which seems to stand him in good stead most of the time, and if he isn't feeling the pressure as much it could certainly provide a good edge for him in this even contest.


In the upper half of this quarter, we have last years runner-up Barry Hawkins who is playing David Gilbert in the opening round. Hawkins will like his chances of another good run this year, and he'll certainly be thinking of getting to the quarter-finals and seeing how it goes after that. After his successes here last year, Hawkins found it difficult to motivate himself for the start of this season, coming around so quickly after his big breakthrough. He'll be really excited for this year though and there's no doubt that he proved himself with his run last year. His match against Gilbert will be a tough one, but he'll be ready for the prospect and the extra edge the last 2 seasons have given him should be enough to see him to victory. As for Ricky Walden, I don't think he'd challenge for this quarter at all, and I don't really fancy that he will be challenging Hawkins in the Last 16 if they both made it. Ricky has had another inconsistent season, and inconsistent is too easily associated with Walden's game which is a shame because he is a great player when he does play well. His opening round match against Kyren Wilson will be a very tricky one because Wilson played brilliantly throughout the qualifiers, though the fact that he is a Crucible debutant gives Walden the slight edge.


After a brilliant season though, I think Ding owes it to himself to give this a really good go this year, and it's tough to see passed him failing to win this quarter and therefore making at least the semi-finals.


Quarter Winner: Ding Junhui

Quarter 3

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Mark Selby Vs Michael White
Ali Carter Vs Xiao Guodong
John Higgins Vs Alan McManus
Stuart Bingham Vs Ken Doherty


On different days, you could really pick any of the 4 seeds in this quarter to win it and make the semi-finals. The fact is that only 1 man can. In fact the way the form has gone this season it's tough to even pick a favourite. However, there are some great first round matches starting with Ali Carter against Xiao Guodong. Guodong is an exceptionally talented young player, with a ranking final already to his name. However, this is his Crucible debut and what people should remember before jumping on the Guodong wagon is that that brings a lot of pressure with it, and he is up against a very experienced man in twice former world finalist Carter. Carter has gone about his business fairly quietly this season after health problems upset his early season, though there are certainly signs that he could be coming back into form with his run to the China Open semi-finals. I think he will just sneak this tight early encounter, and he is certainly one of my favourites for this quarter with his Crucible record. One man that has had an indifferent season is Ali's possible Last 16 opponent Mark Selby who plays Michael White in the Last 32. Starting with White, he had a brilliant run to the quarters last season, but that now means the pressure on him will double for this years tournament as people expect him to reproduce that form, something he hadn't really done this season up until the qualifiers for this event. Selby's scalp though is one that certainly isn't beyond him. Mark has had 3 finals this season in the UK, Masters and Haikou World Open but while getting to those finals, once again he hasn't played his best snooker which is frustrating for snooker fans that know of his great potential. It's almost as if Selby's so called "B Game" has become his main game and mode of attack, and when that doesn't come off he has nowhere else to go. That for me is why I can't see him having a run again this year.


John Higgins run into this event has been pretty strong in my opinion, making the quarters of a fair few events since the New Year, and with his massive amounts of Crucible experience, his name looks very big in this quarter. He's been a man that has changed certain aspects of his game around this season, but I hope he has managed to stick with things in the run up to this because the signs were that he was building up to this event nicely and that he can certainly have a run. His opening round opponent is fellow Scot Alan McManus, a man of as much experience as John, and the man that overcame Mark Williams in qualifying which came as a huge surprise to me. With that under his belt, he will certainly provide Higgins with some early problems this year, especially after picking his form back up in the earlier parts of the season. However, Higgins should edge that game out and I fancy that him and Ali Carter will be the 2 quarter-finalists in this quarter.


Someone that will have a massive say about that is Stuart Bingham. Stuart is a player that I'm a fairly big fan of, and was incredibly impressed with in his runs to the Champion of Champions Final and the UK Championship semi-finals. He made the quarter-finals last year and certainly has the capabilities to get there again. Although, his season has tailed off since Christmas with a number of things being at the source of that, but I really hope he can put all of that behind him now and have a good run here. He has Ken Doherty in the opening round, and Ken has had a few troubles with his own game this season, struggling desperately to put any wins together at all, so it was nice to see him beat Poomjaeng and reach the Crucible, but like when he was there last, 2 years ago against Neil Robertson in the first round, I don't think he will provide much of a challenge and Stuart should be in the Last 16 comfortably.


It's Ali Carter that I like most in this quarter though, I think his game is well suited to the World Championships, and if he can keep everything going for 17 days then I don't think it's beyond him to get the world title that he and everyone in this tournament will be craving so badly.


Quarter Winner: Ali Carter

Quarter 4

Last 32 Draw: (Picks in bold)
Judd Trump Vs Tom Ford
Stephen Maguire Vs Ryan Day
Mark Allen Vs Michael Holt
Neil Robertson Vs Robbie Williams


This certainly looks like the quarter of death to me here with both some very top seeds and some incredibly qualifiers to offer up some tasty opening round clashes here. Not one name jumps out at you, because all of the seeds in this quarter know what you have to do to have a run here. Neil Robertson has been one of the big names of the season though, and the 2010 World Champion has made 93 century breaks this season, smashing the old record on his way to winning the UK Championships and Wuxi Classic, while also making the China Open final. The big thing for him, and a few certain others in the draw will be that he's won a world title before which really should take most of the pressure off compared to guys like Ding who would be winning their first if they did so this year. Neil's form has dipped slightly ahead of this although he did suffer from a virus and still made the China Open final which was a much needed boost ahead of this. His first round game against Robbie Williams looks pretty routine affair for Neil, who demolished him previously in the UK Championships. Of the Crucible debutants, if there was one candidate who could really buckle and crash it looked like Williams, and even more so now.


Mark Allen hasn't won a match at the Crucible in the last 2 years, losing 2 first round matches that you would back him to win. His form hasn't been great this season, with a semi-final at the Haikou World Open, followed by a quarter-final at the Players Championship after winning 2 Euro Tour events, certainly being a highlight, but that certainly isn't basis to build a Crucible campaign upon. His Crucible triumphs are equally limited and he looks like one of the weaker seeds in this quarter. His first round opponent Michael Holt will probably fancy his chances, but after the drubbing that Walden handed out to him last year, he will certainly be more cautious with any optimism he has this year you might think. However, some confidence boosting results over the season in the Shanghai Masters and some of the AT events this year mean that he has every right to be optimistic. I think Holty will push Mark all the way, but unlike the last 2 years, I think Allen will just come through, but I don't fancy that he'll go much further.


Judd Trump sits in the other half of this quarter, and his first round game against Tom Ford will certainly be a big hitting contest between 2 very aggressive and heavy scoring players. For me Judd Trump has really started to find a balance between the big hitting game that got him to the 2011 World Final, employing a more stable tactical game that helped him on his way to last years semi-finals. It hasn't been an easy year for Judd, his game has not been in the right places at times, while he hasn't had much luck at other points, but if he can put that behind him (which I have no doubt that he would've done) then he has a great chance of going one step further this year and capturing his first world title. Ford is a very inconsistent player, and no greater have these inconsistencies come out than this year. If he can put 2 consistently good sessions together against Judd than he has a real chance of making it a great and interesting game, otherwise I think Judd might prove a bit too much for him.


Trump's possible Last 16 opponent should he get through would be either former semi-finalist Stephen Maguire or Ryan Day. Stephen has had an average season, but with complaining of back problems at the Welsh Open, and then pulling out of the China Open with the same complaints, it will be interesting to know both how fit he is for these World Championships and how fit he has been for the rest of the season. If he is fully fit, Maguire certainly has the game to forge a challenge for the games biggest prize, but with a tough overall draw like his, it will also be about staying fit for the whole 17 days. Ryan Day though has had a good season by my reckoning with a semi-final place at the German Masters and winning the 7th group of the Championship League which is a very good tournament for the players to build form and confidence. He has good Crucible memories to build upon, reaching the quarter-finals as recently as 2012 including a good comeback to beat Ding in round 1. I have to say I've been looking for reasons to tip Day here, but I can't think of one big enough to carry it through, but this has the look about it of a possible first round decider, and I hope that that is true.


As I say it is a very tough quarter to call, but I like the look of how Judd's season has gone and if he can get everything together for this event, he's come along so much since the 2011 final that he really does have a brilliant chance to go far this year in my opinion.


Quarter Winner: Judd Trump




Tournament Runner-up: Judd Trump


World Champion: Ding Junhui


Whatever the outcome is of the upcoming 17 days at The Crucible, I believe this will be the best World Championships for the last few years with so many players in form that can win the title, and for me, Ronnie O'Sullivan doesn't look unstoppable this time around, I think this years World Title could really go to any of about 6-8 players. Strap yourselves in ladies and gentlemen for the 17 day rollercoaster that is the World Snooker Championships. I cannot wait, and will be here every step of the way.

World Qualifiers: Final Round Preview

Since my last update, the 64 players starting out in round 2 have been whittled down to just 16, that will join the players seeded 17-32 to battle for the 16 qualifying places for the Last 32 of the World Championships at the Crucible Theatre, which is not too far down the road from Ponds Forge where the qualifiers are taking place, so for the players battling for qualification, the prize is literally within their sites.


But who will the 16 qualifiers? Well over Tuesday and Wednesday this week we'll find out, but if you want an idea of who they are likely to be, this is my preview of the final 16 qualifying matches:


Last 48 Preview: (Picks in bold)




Ken Doherty Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng - This should be a very interesting game between Ken Doherty, who's form hasn't been great all season, but he certainly would've been working hard to improve his form for this match. Meanwhile Dechawat has been playing some good snooker this week, and he qualified this year, so even though Ken has had enough time to work on his game before this, it's Dechawat who has the form behind him.


David Gilbert Vs Jimmy Robertson - Jimmy Robertson hasn't really been scoring that well this week, and that is the clear strength of his game, and the strength of Gilberts game as well. David has played really well this season, and his form was particularly good at the start of the season. Meanwhile, I was surprised to see Jimmy Robertson beat Anthony McGill in the last round and his form has hardy been sparkling this season so I certainly fancy David to qualify, especially after his run in the Championships 2 years ago.


Graeme Dott Vs Kyren Wilson - This is probably the match of the entire round here between an in form Kyren Wilson and a former World Champion. Dott has played some great snooker in the weeks leading up to these qualifiers, so he will be full of confidence. Wilson though has also played some great snooker, especially in the last 2 rounds with 2 very easy wins and he will be full of confidence that he can beat Graeme and qualify for the Crucible for the first time. This one will go down to the wire, so I have to side with Dott because of his incredible experience, particularly in the World Championships.


Dominic Dale Vs Andrew Higginson - This will be another very good match between 2 guys that haven't always been in great form ahead over the season. In fact, Higginson wasn't in very good form at al coming into the qualifiers, yet he's pulled out some brilliant results particularly to beat Kurt Maflin by such a big margin. Higginson has also played some great snooker along the way, while Dale's form has slightly dipped in the last couple of events leading up to the event, so I think Andrew will be confident and he should have the slight edge here.


Mark Williams Vs Alan McManus - This one could very well be a non-event because, despite the experience of McManus and 2 very good wins he's had so far, he's not scored heavily enough and will have to rely on a lot of frames to go tactical to have any chance, and that probably wouldn't be anywhere near enough given Williams still brilliant all round game, and results leading into these qualifiers haven't been too bad for Mark so this should be a routine win for him.


Michael Holt Vs Jamie Jones - A week ago I would've said that this wouldn't have been a very close match, but things seemed to have turned around a touch for Jones, coming from 9-4 down to beat Walker in round 2, while he the came out and played well to beat Aditya Mehta in round 3, and he'd hardly been playing badly this year. He still has been far from his best, and Michael Holt has been improving well over the last few years and now I wouldn't expect him to lose this match, even if Jones was close to his best, just because of his certain ability and greater experience.


Mark King Vs Jamie Cope - This is a tough little match to call, because it seems that Cope's game has slightly improved in these qualifiers than his dire showings across the rest of the season, where he'd do well to have taken 5 frames off of someone like King in a match like this. King though is a player that's always consistent and has plenty of experience and coming into this having some good results in China he'll be confident of making the Crucible.


Matthew Stevens Vs Tom Ford - This should be a very interesting game because, even though these 2 are obviously very good players on their day and have high capabilities, they can also be incredibly inconsistent and very erratic at times so anything can happen here. Stevens has struggled at times this season for a number of reasons, but if he's up for this match he'll be the clear favourite. Ford though didn't always seem at his best against James Cahill, though he had a nice win in round 3 against Brecel, though it seemed as though Luca wasn't really switched on and continued to give Ford chances. The problem here is, you wouldn't expect Ford to get as many chances here.


Robert Milkins Vs Michael Wasley - Onto Wednesday's games now, and Robert will be the stand out favourite on paper for this match, but don't be fooled. The pair should know plenty about each others games, and Wasley has played very well in his 3 wins so far, so he should provide a good test for Milkins here. The Milkman (couldn't resist) hasn't been at his best in 2014, seeming to slip from one bad result to another, so a Wasley win here isn't out of the question here, though this would be the worst loss of Milkins season given the circumstances you'd feel, and after his results last season he should bring his best out for this one.


Fergal O'Brien Vs Robbie Williams - Fergal O'Brien will be another good favourite here to beat Robbie Williams as the Irishman is always consistent it seems and always seems to pull off the wins whilst not being noticed that much, which is how in many ways he ended up in the Gdynia Open final in February, but make no mistake Fergal shouldn't slip under the radar when it comes to Crucible qualifiers. Williams however, has had some good wins so far, but I'm not sure how he will respond to the much different pressure of actually being a game away from World Championship qualification.


Peter Ebdon Vs Robin Hull - They don't get more experienced than the brilliant Peter Ebdon. Some people hate his slow play, but many can look past that and love what Ebdon adds to the World Championship, and I for one think the World Championships would be far worse without his presence. Hull has played very well in these qualifiers and he will certainly put Peter under a lot of pressure with some of his high scoring that he's produced in the qualifiers so far, but Ebdon just doesn't go away and you fancy him to hang on and qualify.


Liang Wenbo Vs Martin Gould - This encounter is a certain contender for a deciding frame finish on Wednesday night between 2 incredibly good players on their day. For much of the season, it hasn't been Martin Gould's day, but his form has greatly improved in the last couple of matches, only dropping 2 frames against Travis and Figueredo put together, if that isn't the form of a man who can qualify for the Crucible (with improvements to his scoring form added in) I don't know what is. Wenbo meanwhile has played very well this season also, and will provide Gould with a brilliant contest with his confidence very high after a season including some brilliant results. Think Gould is too good for some of the results he's produced this season and Crucible qualification will be a good boost for him.


Ben Woollaston Vs Jamie Burnett - This tie will be interesting, simply because neither of these players have had very good seasons at all, Woollaston qualified last year for the first time, but has suffered the same curse as many by not doing much since. Burnett meanwhile has also had some poor results this season, probably even worse than Woollaston at times, I don't think Burnett has even played that well to get this far, and with Ben having ample time to build up some confidence in practice, I just have to favour him for the job.


Ryan Day Vs Stuart Carrington - Ryan has played well in this back half of the season and it was very hard to see him losing out on Crucible qualification even before the qualifiers started, and with the results and confidence boosters he's had of late, it's as hard to see him losing to Carrington. Stuart has had 3 very good wins though, playing some decent snooker even though I think he's been aided by an easier draw, but I think Stuart can still offer Day a bit of a challenge here.


Michael White Vs Matt Selt - Before the qualifiers began, given White's season to date, I just couldn't see the young Welshman qualifying for the Crucible and repeating his success of last year. This year he has no results of note to call upon for any confidence or momentum coming into this, and I think the only thing this season has offered for White is a learning curve, and it's all about whether he can come out the other side, working harder and a better player. A similar thing has happened to Selt, but evidence both this week (in a crushing win against Un-Nooh where the Thai man barely had a chance) and in Gdynia in February, suggest he has come out stronger and working harder (probably because he has better people around him), and I think it will pay off for him with Crucible qualification.


Xiao Guodong Vs Li Yan - Here we have a guaranteed Chinese qualifier, and Xiao will be the enormous favourite to be that man in this match. Li Yan has had some good results so far with 3 nice wins, but he certainly hasn't had 3 brilliant performances to go with them, and he is probably the worst player left in the qualifiers. On the other hand, Xiao Guodong has been brilliant at times this season and this should be a very comfortable win for him.




No matter what the result, it will be a tense 2 days of snooker, and we will certainly have 16 qualifiers that deserve to make the Crucible. With only 5 days to go, excitement is reaching new highs in my household, and I hope it is in yours as well.

World Championship Qualifiers: 2nd Round, Day 1 Preview

After 2 days at the World Qualifiers we've had some fantastically tense finishes both on Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon which just sums up what these matches are all about and just gives us a flavour of what to expect in the remaining 6 days at Ponds Forge.


There are some very important matches coming up in round 2, with the likes of 6 time World Champion Steve Davis having to win to keep his tour place, amongst others. So, here's a quick preview of the matches taking place, or at least starting on Thursday:


2nd Round of Qualifiers: (Picks in bold)


Dechawat Poomjaeng Vs Zhang Anda - Zhang Anda played very well on Tuesday beating Andrew Pagett 10-2 and he has a great chance here against Dechawat Poomjaeng, with Poomjaeng not quite being as consistent this season.


Steve Davis Vs Craig Steadman - There's a lot of pressure on Steve Davis to win this to keep his hopes of staying on tour alive, but this won't be an easy game against Craig who battled well in his final session on Tuesday. You still have to make Steve favourite though.


Jimmy Robertson Vs Liam Highfield - Liam Highfield played some decent stuff yesterday in an easy win against Abumdas, but he'll probably need to improve a bit to beat Jimmy Robertson who's had another average season.


Anthony McGill Vs Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon - Thanawat finished well yesterday with 2 brilliant breaks from 8-8 against Sanderson Lam in what was not an easy match, and he'll need to take the form of the final 2 frames there into this one against McGill who is a very good youngster who I've tipped to qualify.


Alfie Burden Vs Barry Pinches - Barry Pinches played well yesterday against Hammad Miah in a convincing win, and he will give Alfie Burden a very good game there, but Burden is a decent and consistent player and I expect him to win.


Rod Lawler Vs Kyren Wilson - Kyren Wilson had a good win yesterday against Chris Norbury who was also playing well, and he had a very good first session in that match. Rod's season has tailed off a bit since the German Masters, and Kyren has a brilliant chance to beat him here.


Andrew Higginson Vs Martin O'Donnell - Martin O'Donnell demolished Shane Castle yesterday 10-1 with 3 centuries and 2 other contributions of 90+ so he was clearly playing brilliant snooker there, some of his best since joining the tour. Higginson has had quite a poor few years, losing a lot of games that he really should be winning on paper, so Martin has a fantastic chance.


Kurt Maflin Vs Daniel Wells - Daniel Wells made a great comeback from 8-3 and 9-8 down to beat Ryan Clark 10-9 yesterday and he produced some good snooker from 8-3 to 8-8, but he will need to continue this way to have any chance against Kurt Maflin who I think should really qualify for the Crucible this year.


Peter Lines Vs Cao Xin Long -  Cao Xin Long had a nice win against Jamie O'Neill, and this match against Peter Lines could well be a very long and close match that could go long into the night.


Alan McManus Vs Paul Davison - Paul Davison just managed to hold out against Chris Wakelin in a decider on Tuesday with Wakelin coming back from 7-2 down. Paul will certainly need to tighten up tomorrow to beat the experienced McManus.


Aditya Mehta Vs Christopher Keogan - Keogan played well on Tuesday to beat Leslie, but Michael didn't play very well there it seemed and Mehta will provide a much bigger challenge for the clearly talented amateur in the 2nd round.


Jamie Jones Vs Joel Walker - Onto the afternoon starts and we start off with one of my tips to qualify in Walker, who reeled off 3 straight frames to beat Taylor 10-8 in round one. Jones hasn't had a great couple of years on the circuit sliding down the rankings, and I certainly think he's here for the taking for the talented young Walker.


Marcus Campbell Vs Alex Borg - Alex Borg came back from 8-5 to beat James Wattana 10-9 today, but I really don't feel like he played that well and the experienced and consistent middle-ranked Campbell will probably be a bit too good in this one.


Jamie Cope Vs John Astley - John Astley battled hard in a lengthy 10-9 win against Sam Baird, which is a very good win for him, and Cope certainly has struggled this year so he's very much there for the taking again. It could well be another decider for John, but this time I don't think he'll have the same luck if Cope can turn up and raise his game a bit.


Tom Ford Vs James Cahill - This will be a very close game between Cahill, who had a very good 10-4 win against Gary Wilson, and Tom Ford, who hasn't had a great season with his form and is there for the taking if Cahill can repeat his round one performance. Still fancy Ford's experience to pull him through.


Yu De Lu Vs Luca Brecel - Brecel has been suffering with flu this week, but he still managed to beat a poor Lee Page 10-8. However, De Lu has been in good form in the last month and if he can carry that on, I think he'll be too much for Brecel in round 2.


Mark Joyce Vs Chen Zhe - Chen Zhe had a good 10-8 win against Parsons in round 1, but he hardly looked convincing there, while Mark Joyce has been in decent form over the last month or so and I certainly expect him to beat the weaker Chen Zhe here quite comfortably.


Rory McLeod Vs Michael Wasley - Michael Wasley also didn't make it very easy for himself against Sydney Wilson and he had to scrape over the line. There have been signs meanwhile in the last month or so for Rory that his game is starting to improve a bit, having had a very poor season otherwise. His experience and calm streak might be a bit much for the young and slightly hot-headed Wasley.


Liu Chuang Vs Robbie Williams - Liu Chuang has had a simply awful season this time around and has been lucky that he will stay on tour via the AOoM route because he is well down on the money list here. Meanwhile, Robbie had a good win today against Lu Haotian and he's played a lot better this season than Chuang has, and will therefore be a big favourite to win.


Pankaj Advani Vs Li Hang - Li Hang played very well in the first session of his comfortable win against Yotharuck today, while Advani's second half to the season hasn't been brilliant and with Hang playing some good stuff in round 1 and at a fair few other points this season, I have a sneaky feelin that he can snatch a tight win here.


Tian Pengfei Vs Robin Hull - Finally, Robin Hull did play some good snooker to beat Tony Drago easily in the end, but Drago once again became his own worst enemy and didn't put any pressure on Hull at all. This match against Tian will be about 100 times harder by comparison with Tian being fired up in the back half of this season, playing good snooker and having some very good results to boost his money ranking position that will need one more win here to secure his spot for next season.




Either way, it's another superb day of snooker we have in store here with plenty of twists and turns as these fantastic best-of-19 frame World Championship qualifiers continue at Sheffield's Ponds Forge.

World Championship Qualifiers: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Kurt Maflin

The 2nd round of the World Championship qualifiers, starting tomorrow, will see big Norwegian Kurt Maflin begin his bid to reach the Crucible for the first time, taking on Daniel Wells. After a decent couple of years, I certainly think he has a fantastic chance of qualifying. Here though he is brutally honest about himself, what he's achieved and aims to achieve and has his opinions on some of the changes to the tour.

Thanks very much for agreeing to do this interview Kurt, firstly how would you evaluate your season so far as we head towards the World Championships?

I would say my season so far has been up and down, won some good matches and lost some bad ones. I don't feel like I have played well this season apart from a couple of matches.

In terms of your performances this season, you’ve consistently qualified for the venue, making 3 Last 16’ s in the International Championship, the Haikou World Open and the German Masters, is it pleasing for you that you’ve been more consistent this season?

Yes it is definitely pleasing but I need to be a lot more consistent, for me I will take it as a POSITIVE when I feel like I haven't played well this season really and I am ranked 34 I think from next season.

Your best ranking performance came in last season’s PTC Grand Finals where you reached the semi-finals, so how much of a disappointment was it not to qualify this season?

It was fairly disappointing, I really enjoyed it last year and was hoping to go two better this year + It’s a good chance to earn a few quid.

You’re up to 40 in the World rankings now (at the time of writing), so you’re very much an established pro. Do you think this reflects the hard work you’ve put in to the game?

Both yes and no i haven't really worked hard enough previous seasons excluding last season. I feel like sometimes ability has got me through.

The tour actually switches to a money list ahead of next season, where you are currently 33^rd (at the time of writing). Do you think this switch is for the benefit of the game and its players?

To be honest I don't really know time will tell.

You’ve never actually qualified to play in the final stages of the World Championship at The Crucible, so is this now a major goal of yours?

Yes it is a major goal. I think it’s every players dream as a youngster to play at the crucible and obviously win it.

You actually came relatively close to qualifying last season, losing 10-8 to Peter Ebdon in the final qualifying round. Did it hurt to come so close to playing at the Crucible, and are you confident that you can go one better this year?

Yeah it was painful losing 10-8 but I mean Ebdon is a great player and a very tough opponent, I had my chances and didn't take them earlier in the match. Yeah I'm confident I can go one better and hopefully kick on from there.

Despite this, is the World Championship still a very special event for you, and is it made even more special now by the fact that it’s longer format is not replicated anywhere on the snooker calendar?

Of course the Worlds has always been special for me and always will be, I haven't given much thought to it about being the only long distance format, It’s just a special tournament.

There have been a lot of changes recently to the tour, not least that all 128 players are in from the first round, but this is not so for the World Championships. Do you think that this is reward for the hard work of the players throughout the year, or that all players should start from an even playing field in the first round at The Crucible as well?

Yeah I think everyone should start in the same round if you’re going to have a money list, if its fair or not on the top boys I don't know, one thing that’s certainly not fair is I am in the top 48 and still have to play three matches and where the money list is concerned I start on 1000 pound where No. 32 starts on 8500 pound, for me that’s just idiotic. So after my little rant, money list if everyone starts in the first round if not leave the rankings as it is.

Do you ever think that, at times, your approach to the game is a little bit too aggressive or borderline reckless, because you know that you can score as heavily as you can, and you perhaps take on some shots which you shouldn’t do?

I really don't know how to answer that because I truly do believe I am going to pot every ball I go for and my % is pretty high on difficult or really tough shots but I suppose I could turn it down a notch or two.

Having never played in the World Championships at the Crucible, what is your favourite venue that you have played in?

I genuinely don't have one (yet anyway).

As the current Norwegian ambassador for snooker if you like, do you ever hear aspiring young players in Norway say that they look up to you, and do you ever feel any added pressure because of this?

Yes I have had fathers come up to me and tell me that their sons are great admirers of me and they would love to meet me and that I am their favourite player. Never feel any added pressure no.

Are there many up and coming plays in Norway, and what would say to any player now that’s thinking of going professional?

No, none that I have heard of yet, it’s just not big enough in Norway yet. I would say to any up and coming player that it’s very tough and demands all your attention, not to take it too lightly and stay focused and I am sure the rewards will come.

What has been your hardest ever defeat to take, and equally what in your mind has been your best ever victory?

Worst defeat would probably be losing to Ding 5-4 from 4-1 ahead in the china open 2010/2011 season live on Eurosport. Best victory apart from winning the world amateurs it would probably be beating Neil Robertson 4-3 from 3-0 down live on Eurosport.

Who are your favourite and least favourite players that you have ever played against and why?

My favourite players to play against are Jimmy White well because he's an absolute legend in the game good pal of mine and he's my hero and favourite player of all time. Graeme  Dott he is a great all round player and tough to beat we normally have a good game, least favourite players well I don't have any because that would just be showing weakness.

Finally, you’re 30 years old now, and your 31^st birthday isn’t far off, so what do you make of what you’ve achieved in the game so far, and what are your goals for the rest of your career?

I think personally I have under achieved massively, I have let myself down by not working hard enough on the table (and those around me), Goals: Be World Champion, win a few ranking events, make the top 16, make a few more 147´s and set up a life for my son and my retirement.

I'd like to say a big thanks to Kurt there for agreeing to do the interview, and for being so honest with a lot of his statements about both himself and the tour.

Stick around because before the World Championships gets under way at the Crucible I should have some more interviews to bring you from some of the World's top stars.

World Championship Qualifiers Preview

It's that time of the year again, now that the China Open is over in Beijing, the World Championships is well within sight now, starting with the qualifiers Ponds Forge starting on the 8th and running to the 16th of April before the doors open at the Crucible on April 19th. 112 men will turn up at the qualifiers over the next 8 days of play, with 16 spots on offer for the Last 32 of the World Championships, but who will those 16 men be?


It's time for me to try and predict who those 16 will be:

Section 1

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Zhang Anda Vs Andrew Pagett plays Dechawat Poomjaeng
Craig Steadman Vs Jak Jones plays Steve Davis
Winner plays Ken Doherty


This little section, like most of the ones in the draw will be, is crawling with players that need the wins for their places on the money list. Craig Steadman's form has gradually improved as the season has gone on, and if he can get over a short turnaround he'll be a big favourite to beat Jak Jones who has had a very poor season. Whoever wins that though, I'd still back Steve Davis to win that match, desperately needing a victory or 2 in this qualifying event after a poor year from the senior champion has seen him drop just outside the top 64. Zhang Anda and Andrew Pagett have both had fairly inconsistent seasons, with some good results along the way. I fancy Zhang to win that one, but I certainly think that Poomjaeng (one of last years qualifiers) will probably beat the winner of that one, and is probably most likely to end up in the final qualifying round, however determined Davis may be with a tour place at stake. In that final round, Ken Doherty hasn't had his greatest season ever, getting quite badly beaten up in a lot of matches this season, but he was very unlucky last year losing to Matt Selt having come from quite a long way behind, and that will make him more determined to qualify this year, and he certainly won't want to spend the entire of the 17 days with Hazel and the BBC pundits in the Winter Gardens.


Section 1 Qualifier: Ken Doherty

Section 2

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Liam Highfield Vs Khailed Abumdas plays Jimmy Robertson
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon Vs Sanderson Lam plays Anthony McGill
Winner plays David Gilbert


Liam Highfield looks to have a certain win in the opening round against our Libyan friend Abumdas, unless he's dramatically improved in the last month or so. Liam has put a lot of hard work in this season to try and keep his tour spot, but he's going to need some wins here to have any chance of surviving. However, if he plays well he will have every chance against Jimmy Robertson who you'd say has had another average season. Meanwhile, Thanawat also needs a lot of wins here, starting with a tough match against promising amateur Sanderson Lam, and I think that Lam will give that one a real good go to be honest. Meanwhile, I certainly fancy Anthony McGill to beat the winner of that opening round tie, and looking at the other mini section, I'd put McGill as favourite to make the final qualifying round because for me, McGill is a very promising young player who has consistently given the top players a challenge over the last year or 2, pulling off the odd good result. Meanwhile, in the final round will be David Gilbert, who hasn't had the most consistent back end to the season, and McGill will certainly give him a good match here. Gilbert will certainly have to improve on some of his recent form to have any chance, but McGill has played nicely this season so a Crucible spot is certainly within his grasp now.


Section 2 Qualifier: Anthony McGill

Section 3

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Barry Pinches Vs Hammad Miah plays Alfie Burden
Kyren Wilson Vs Chris Norbury plays Rod Lawler
Winner plays Graeme Dott


This section sees a lot of good players on their day battling it out for a place in the last qualifying round against former champion Graeme Dott. Barry Pinches has improved well as the season has gone on, and I certainly fancy him to beat Miah in the opening round, but Burden has also had a good season in parts so he should come through that into the 3rd qualifying round. Kyren Wilson has also had a very good season, and has showed time and time again why he is a promising young talent. I certainly think he will beat Norbury in the opening round, and from there he will give Rod Lawler a very good match, and it would be incredibly tough to call that one. Whoever does come through into the final qualifying round to play Dott, I don't see any of them really beating him, and has to be said that he's had a couple of good weeks in China making the quarters of the World Open and China Open, so a man with Dott's experience and decent seasons form shouldn't be losing here.


Section 3 Qualifier: Graeme Dott

Section 4

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Martin O'Donnell Vs Shane Castle plays Andrew Higginson
Daniel Wells Vs Ryan Clark plays Kurt Maflin
Winner plays Dominic Dale


Martin O'Donnell and Daniel Wells in this section both need brilliant runs this week to have any chance of staying on the tour, although Wells situation certainly looks like one which can't be salvaged so there will be a lot less pressure on him than will be on Martin O'Donnell. Martin O'Donnell probably has one of the worst possible draws in talented youngster Shane Castle, who certainly impressed me when he played Selby at the UK Championships. He's actually come very close to taking a big scalp a couple of times this season, and I have a sneaky feeling that he will get his scalp this time. Whether either O'Donnell or Castle could then beat Higginson is another question, however Higginson hasn't had the best couple of years and I don't see any way that he will qualify. Kurt Maflin is very dangerous in this section, having only just missed out last year, and having another good season to build up to the Crucible. I don't think he'll have any problems against Wells or Clark, and I'm pretty certain that he will make the final qualifying round. There waiting will be Dominic Dale who, despite his obvious experience, I make vulnerable as he isn't always the most consistent player, and can always throw in the odd bad session, which is no good in a best-of-19 match. I thought even before the draw came out that Kurt would be one of my players to look out for in terms of Crucible qualification, and there is nothing in front of him that makes me change my mind.


Section 4 Qualifier: Kurt Maflin

Section 5

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Jamie O'Neill Vs Cao Xin Long plays Peter Lines
Paul Davison Vs Chris Wakelin plays Alan McManus
Winner plays Mark Williams


The experienced face of Mark Williams would be very difficult to look past in any section for qualification, but this section looks particularly inviting for the former World Champion. Firstly, I fancy Jamie O'Neill to beat Cao Xin Long after improving his form in the last few months, especially at the China Open, and he would certainly provide a very big test for Peter Lines in the next round who is hovering around the 64 line in the end of season money list and will be under pressure to get the win. Paul Davison will also need a few wins this week, but certainly has a tough starter against Chris Wakelin, who has impressed me this year with some of his results, and I think he will get another good one here. Alan McManus has to be the favourite to make the last qualifying round here, especially with his experience and another nice season under his belt, he's also probably the only man in this section that has any chance of beating Mark Williams, but in the best-of-19 format I can't see the Welshman being beaten.


Section 5 Qualifier: Mark Williams

Section 6

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Michael Leslie Vs Christopher Keogan plays Aditya Mehta
Joel Walker Vs Allan Taylor plays Jamie Jones
Winner Plays Michael Holt


This qualifying section could certainly be looked at several different ways with some of the players in it, and with my choice of qualifier, it has to be said that I've taken a bit of a punt. Firstly, Michael Leslie hasn't had a very impressive 2 years on tour it has to be said, but I'd still expect him to beat Christopher Keogan. However, Aditya Mehta has had a very nice season making the final of the Indian Open and he will be a very hot favourite to dispose of Leslie or Keogan there. Meanwhile, Joel Walker's run to the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open (where he nearly beat Ding Junhui) along with some more good results in other events over the course of the season, and the fact that he comes highly recommended by Ronnie O'Sullivan and Shaun Murphy, gives me every confidence that it will only be a matter of time before he qualifies for the Crucible. His first round opponent Allan Taylor has had an average season with the odd good result, but not really a great deal to shout about, so I certainly fancy Joel Walker to beat him there. Next up for the winner would be Jamie Jones, who has admitted on a number of occasions that he has been struggling in recent months, and it has to be said that things have only gone downhill since his 2012 World Championship quarter-final. So, if Walker can bring out the game that got him to the Welsh Open quarter's, then there's no reason why he couldn't get into the final qualifying round. Waiting there would be Michael Holt, who's had another decent season but his former has also dipped a touch in the last few weeks so I certainly think that he will a little bit vulnerable, even though he has a lot of experience in the World Championship format.


Section 6 Qualifier: Joel Walker

Section 7

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
James Wattana Vs Alex Borg plays Marcus Campbell
Sam Baird Vs John Astley plays Jamie Cope
Winner plays Mark King


Looking at the opening qualifying round here, James Wattana's form has certainly improved lately and you have to fancy him to beat Alex Borg quite comfortably, given the fact that Borg hasn't really impressed at all this season. Meanwhile, Sam Baird is one player who has certainly impressed me at times this year, particularly in the ET events, so if he can transfer such form and ability into the longer format, I'd certainly back him to beat John Astley, who's had an average year himself, and then to beat the horribly out of form Jamie Cope, who has been suffering a bit over the last 2 years thanks to a tremor in his cue arm, seeing him drop rather quickly down the rankings, and you really do have to feel quite sorry for him. The experience of Marcus Campbell, who will play the winner of James Wattana and Alex Borg, and Mark King who is waiting in the final qualifying round, do stand out somewhat in this section, with both qualifying last season where Campbell was unlucky enough to get Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark King made it to the last 16 before losing to Ding Junhui. Campbell hasn't been in great form recently though, while Mark King comes into this fresh from a run to the quarter-finals of the China Open and another overall decent season. King is usually quite consistent when it comes to qualifying, and if he can keep his form up, I can't see anyone stopping him here.


Section 7 Qualifier: Mark King

Section 8

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Gary Wilson Vs James Cahill plays Tom Ford
Luca Brecel Vs Lee Page plays Yu De Lu
Winner plays Matthew Stevens


The stand out name in this section of qualification is former World Championship runner-up Matthew Stevens, and he will be one of the comfortable favourites to qualify here. Looking at the opening round you have to expect Gary Wilson and Luca Brecel to come through their matches. Gary has had a very good season so far, with a place in the Players Championship probably featuring as a highlight after a semi-final place in the 2nd Euro Tour event. His opponent James Cahill doesn't appear to have settled on to the tour particularly well so far this season, with nothing really to show for his seasons efforts, so Wilson will be a massive favourite to win there. Meanwhile, 2012 Crucible qualifier and 2012 UK quarter-finalist Luca Brecel will be another big favourite to beat Lee Page, who hasn't had a particularly sparkling first season of his 2 year tour card, despite beating Brecel in a ET event. Brecel hasn't had the most consistent season himself, but a run to last weeks China Open last 16 will provide him a much needed boost, just at the right time. Yu De Lu will be awaiting the winner of that match, and he's in some really good form at the moment making the China Open last 16 and the Players Championship quarter-finals, and I have to favour him to make the final qualifying round here, ahead of the likes of Gary Wilson and the out of form Tom Ford, who really seems to have struggled badly for results this season. De Lu would certainly be a surprise package if he qualified for the Crucible, and Stevens has struggled at points this season, but you'd think a man of Matthew's experience would just have a bit too much for De Lu and everyone else in this section.


Section 8 Qualifier: Matthew Stevens

Section 9

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Chen Zhe Vs Anthony Parsons plays Mark Joyce
Michael Wasley Vs Sydney Wilson plays Rory McLeod
Winner plays Robert Milkins


Once again, Robert Milkins is a massive stand out name in this qualifying section, with Mark Joyce and Rory McLeod looking like the only other players that could offer him a real challenge in this section. In the opening round, 2 good amateur players in SB Classic winner Anthony Parsons and SB Classic grand-finalist Sydney Wilson will certainly push Chen Zhe and Michael Wasley all the way. Chen Zhe hasn't had the best season, and seems pretty resigned to the fact that he will have to go through Q School to retain his tour place, and Parsons will certainly push him all the way there. Meanwhile, Wasley does seem to have been working really hard this season, and he should re-qualify for next year via the EOoM, and I think he will just have enough to get past Sydney in round 1. However, I do expect that both Mark Joyce and Rory McLeod will come through and meet in the penultimate qualifying round, and if so, Joyce would probably be the slight favourite especially after his run to the quarter's in Haikou in March, and coming back from 8-0 down to end up only losing to Michael Holt 10-7 in last years final qualifying round. Despite a recent dip in form since the new year, I still think Milkins should qualify for the Crucible, having had a lot of time off to go away and work hard for the World Championships, and he'll be full of confidence after beating Neil Robertson in the first round this year.


Section 9 Qualifier: Robert Milkins

Section 10

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Robbie Williams Vs Lu Haotian plays Liu Chuang
Li Hang Vs Ratchayothin Yotharuck plays Pankaj Advani
Winner plays Fergal O'Brien


If any qualifying section is going to see a lower ranked Asian player qualify, it is more than likely going to be this section, given the fact that 5 of the 7 players are from Asia. However, February's Gdynia Open runner-up Fergal O'Brien still leads this section, and will be a massive favourite to qualify for the Crucible once more. In the opening round we have a couple of decent games with Robbie Williams taking on young Chinaman Lu Haotian, and fellow Chinese Li Hang taking on Thailand's Ratchayothin Yotharuck. Firstly, both Robbie Williams and Lu have had good seasons, with Williams making the semi-finals of the Indian Open and a ET event, while Lu made the final of an AT event earlier on in the season. However, at such a young age, it will be interesting to see how Haotian goes in the longer format, which is why I make Robbie a slight favourite. His next opponent should he win would be Liu Chuang who has had a pretty poor season I can't see him winning his qualifying match whether he's playing Robbie or Lu. In the other mini section Li Hang is in slightly better form than Yotharuck who has just had the odd good result this year, and I don't think that that is enough of a basis for me to tip the Thai here. However, India's Pankaj Advani is probably my slight favourite to end up in the final qualifying round against Fergal O'Brien, having had a good first 2 years on tour, slight dropping off in the second half of the season, but I think this longer format suits his game a lot more than the other ranking events. Overall, Fergal O'Brien is certainly the experienced man of this section, and with some nice form to go with that and only one match to play to qualify, I'd be fairly surprised if we weren't seeing Fergal at the Crucible.


Section 10 Qualifier: Fergal O'Brien

Section 11

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Tony Drago Vs Robin Hull plays Tian Pengfei
Ian Burns Vs Fraser Patrick plays Jimmy White
Winner plays Peter Ebdon


It's quite tough to see past the highly experienced former world champion that is Peter Ebdon in this section, especially as he is far and away the best player in this qualifying section. Starting in the first round you have to think that Tony Drago will beat Robin Hull, while Ian Burns will probably have more of a match against Fraser Patrick, but one that I still expect him to come through. Ian was rookie of the year last year, but this year has been more of a struggle for him, although Fraser hasn't really done a lot of note all season, which makes it a little tougher for me to see him beating Burns. As for Drago, he's in more of a promising mood after skipping the China Open, feeling a bit pressured about tour survival and saying he was quite depressed. However, he went and had a practice with Ronnie O'Sullivan and says he's feeling a lot better about things now, which could be the boost he needs to beat Hull, who's not had much to shout about this season. You'd have to fancy Tian Pengfei to beat the winner of Drago/Hull and Jimmy White to do the same against Burns or Patrick. Jimmy had a good couple of results to make the China Open last 16, while Tian Pengfei has had a few good results in 2014 as well, which have massively boosted his standing on the end of season money list. I actually think that Pengfei will continue his form here and make it to the final qualifying round. However, I don't think he'll have enough to beat Peter Ebdon, who made the Last 16 himself in Beijing last week, after a mixed season for him.


Section 11 Qualifier: Peter Ebdon

Section 12

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Sean O'Sullivan Vs Mitchell Travis plays Martin Gould
Adam Duffy Vs Igor Figueredo plays Gerard Greene
Winner plays Liang Wenbo


This section could really go quite a few ways with some of the players involved, and the calibre of players on display. In the opening round though, I've got a feeling for another of the amateurs, Mitchell Travis this time who impressed beating Marco Fu and Kurt Maflin to get to the Last 32 of the UK Championships, and with him playing Sean O'Sullivan who hasn't really done anything to impress me over his 2 years on tour, I think Mitchell has a brilliant chance of victory. Meanwhile, Igor Figueredo is playing his first match of the season against Adam Duffy. I have no evidence here to say comprehensively that Igor has a great chance of victory so I have to go for Duffy. However, I have to think that the experience of Martin Gould and Gerard Greene will be battling out for the place in the final qualifying round against the equally experienced Liang Wenbo. Gould did qualify last year, but otherwise he hasn't really had a great couple of years seeing him slip from the top 16, to outside of the top 32 now. Meanwhile, Greene comes into this full of confidence off the back of his first ranking final in the Players Championship, and I have a feeling that he will be playing Wenbo in the final round. However, Liang has had a very good year this season winning an Asian Tour event and having decent runs in a few of the seasons ranking events such as a quarter-final place at the International Championship. It's tough for me to see past Wenbo for this one.


Section 12 Qualifier: Liang Wenbo

Section 13

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Noppon Saengkham Vs Vinnie Calabrese plays Jamie Burnett
Scott Donaldson Vs Ahmed Saif plays Cao Yupeng
Winner plays Ben Woollaston


This qualifying is one full of bright young talents such as Cao Yupeng, Scott Donaldson, Noppon Saengkham and Vinnie Calabrese, while Ben Woollaston qualified last year to make his Crucible debut. Scott Donaldson has had a brilliant season this season with good results in the Welsh Open, and the opening Asian Tour and Euro Tour events, and he feels he's played very well all season long. He should be a certainty to beat Ahmed Saif who's done nothing to impress all season. The match between Noppon Saengkham and Vinnie Calabrese will be a cracking game between 2 decent players in the first season of their 2 year tour cards. Vinnie has had a few good wins this season, and with guys like Neil Robertson and Joe Perry for practice partners he's hardly short of top class players to learn from up close. As for Noppon Saengkham, he's another from a long list of Thai players and he's had a lot of good results this season making the Last 32 at the World Open and UK Championship, and he'll certainly fancy his victory chances here. As for the guys waiting in round 2, Cao Yupeng qualified 2 years ago, but hasn't had a lot to shout about since some good early season form, and a match-up between him and Scott would be another great match which I think Donaldson might edge. Meanwhile Jamie Burnett is awaiting the winner of Noppon or Vinnie and his form hasn't been great either in the last year or so, so he may also be vulnerable to an early exit. In the final qualifying round Ben Woollaston is waiting, having qualified last year, and he'll be full of confidence and belief that he can do so again this season, but he doesn't have the similar good form to back it up as much in the ranking events, so he may also be vulnerable.


Section 13 Qualifier: Scott Donaldson

Section 14

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Stuart Carrington Vs Andrew Norman plays Jack Lisowski
David Grace Vs Ross Muir plays Nigel Bond
Winner plays Ryan Day


It's pretty difficult to see past either Ryan Day or Jack Lisowski for winning this qualifying section, especially is there isn't that much more convincing talent in this section from lower down the rankings. Stuart Carrington is a big favourite to beat Andrew Norman in my eyes in the opening round after seeing nothing for Norman to build from coming into this, while Carrington has had some decent ranking performances including the Last 32 at the UK Championships. In the other opening round match, Ross Muir hasn't had a great season with probably one of his best wins of the year being under investigation for match fixing at one stage, while David Grace has battled hard and looks more than likely of keeping his tour place via the European order of merit. Meanwhile, Nigel Bond has also not been terribly convincing over the course of this season, with no real massive results, continuing to chip away and get by on the tour in his elder years. It should really be Jack Lisowski playing Ryan Day for the place at the Crucible, but unlike last year, Jack doesn't come here with too much good form behind him and he hasn't really followed up his great performances that saw him get to the China Open quarter-finals. Meanwhile, I think Ryan Day has seen some big benefits from some time spent in the Championship league, playing himself into a bit of form, whilst making the German Masters semi-finals as well this season and putting on a very good show.


Section 14 Qualifier: Ryan Day

Section 15

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Mike Dunn Vs Rhys Clark plays Matt Selt
David Morris Vs Alexander Ursenbacher plays Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Winner plays Michael White


This section looks like it could be a very good one with some Crucible debutants of last year in Matt Selt and Michael White, lining up with some good young players in Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and David Morris also going for the Crucible spot. In the opening round we also have China Open semi-finalist Mike Dunn against amateur Rhys Clark, though given how recent that one is, Dunny may not go to far here if he is still having problems with Jet lag after the long flight home on Sunday. In the other tie, David Morris has been very impressive this year and a possible 2nd round qualifying game against Un-Nooh would be an absolute cracker. Morris has had a great season making the quarter-finals in Wuxi and the Last 16 at the UK Championships so his confidence will be high ahead of this one, and I can't see him losing first round to Ursenbacher who hasn't had any major results this season so far. Matt Selt said he's been struggling a tad since his Crucible appearance and his form isn't great ahead of this, so he may be struggling if he's hoping for a repeat performance of last season. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is the exciting player of this section, knowing what he can produce when he's on top form, which he isn't far off of at the moment getting some really good wins under his belt, especially in making the Last 16 at the World Open, and if he could make the Crucible, he could be one of the tournaments great success stories. Michael White was one of last years big success stories, but since making last years world quarter-finals he's struggled quite badly for form and he is probably one of the more vulnerable players in the 17-32 bracket.


Section 15 Qualifier: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

Section 16

Draw: (First round picks in bold)
Alex Davies Vs Joe Swail plays Anthony Hamilton
Li Yan Vs Elliot Slessor plays Dave Harold
Winner plays Xiao Guodong


This section is hardly jumping at me with stars, and Xiao Guodong is a massive favourite here to qualify for the Crucible, unless one of Anthony Hamilton or Dave Harold can grind him down in the final round. In the first round though we have a couple of very close games. Firstly, Alex Davies and Joe Swail have both had pretty similar seasons, with neither having very deep runs in events, but they have pulled out the odd good result every now again. This one could very well come down to experience and Joe Swail has a lot more than Alex which is why I think he'll just edge that. Meanwhile, there isn't much to separate Li Yan and Elliot Slessor either, neither one has had too many big results this season, although I do see a lot of potential in Slessor and I think a first round win here would be a good scalp for him. Meanwhile waiting in the second round is Dave Harold and Anthony Hamilton, with neither having too many good runs this season either, with them both just grinding out the odd result. However, I would say that Hamilton is probably the much better of the 2 and he should really make the final qualifying round, just as long as he doesn't give away another big lead like has done a couple of times this season. Xiao Guodong though is certainly the most consistent performer of all the players in this section, and he has consistently qualified for tournaments, making the Shanghai Masters final, the German Masters quarter-final and the last 32 of a number of different events. He's a massive favourite here.


Section 16 Qualifier: Xiao Guodong


Whoever does qualify for the Crucible at the end of these brutally brilliant qualifiers down at Ponds Forge, you know that they will be the 16 most deserving players of the spots and I really look forward to seeing if the older guard can get through, and what new faces we will be seeing at this years World Championships.