UK Championship 2024 - Day 8

Saturday November 30th 2024

Judd Trump V Kyren Wilson 13:00

The World's top two meet this afternoon in what can only be described as a mouth-watering, heavyweight clash between two players at the peak of their powers at the moment.

The pair have already met this year in two ranking event finals with Wilson coming out on top in both the Xi'an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open. There's no doubt a rivalry is brewing. 

In overall head-to head's, Trump leads but Wilson has had the better of recent meetings between the pair. In 6 Triple Crown meetings, Trump hold a 4-2 lead over Wilson.

To get to this stage, world number 1 Trump came through tight, cagey affairs with both Neil Robertson and John Higgins before blowing away Zhang Anda with 4 centuries in yesterday's quarter-final.

If re-producing that form today, it's hard to see Wilson stopping him from claiming a place in his 4th UK Championship final.

On the other hand, World Champion Kyren Wilson has only dropped 5 frames on his way to today's semi-final, he has been clinical in seeing off Stephen Maguire, Chris Wakelin and Michael Holt in pursuit of his first UK Championship title.

In a match that is very hard to call, we are in for a treat as the world's top two go head-to head with a winner very hard to call, I think Trump might squeeze through.

Prediction: 6-4 Trump

Barry Hawkins V Mark Allen 19:00

A top class clash awaits for the chance to play Judd Trump in tomorrow's final. Head-to-head in triple crown events favours Hawkins (3-1) with their latest meeting a 6-0 whitewash victory for the Hawk in Alexandra Palace in 2023.

To say the world number 20 has had a tough draw to make this stage is an understatement, he has had to come through against defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, David Gilbert & Shaun Murphy.

He has looked composed throughout however and even after coming through the qualifiers, will fancy his chances of reaching his first UK Championship final. The 45 year-old has already booked his place in the masters after Christmas following his brilliant run this week.

Facing Hawkins is world number 3 Mark Allen, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions for the Northern Irishman so far this week. He was disappointed with his performance in the opening round against Jackson Page but played excellently in spells during his 2nd round against Wu Yize and last night's 6-3 victory over Jack Lisowski.

He is yet to put the complete performance together but may be peaking at the right time. The Hawk has been so impressive this week but it's hard to look past the 2022 champion Allen as he nears his best.

Prediction: 6-3 Allen

UK Championship 2024 - Day 7

Friday November 29th 2024

Barry Hawkins V Shaun Murphy 13:00

Both players have spent over 20 years on tour and won multiple ranking events, they know what it takes to make the latter stages of Triple Crown events.

It's an intriguing match-up between two of the most well-respected players in the game. Murphy defeated Hawkins in the semi-final on route to his sole World Championship title in 2015.

To get to this stage, Hawkins showed his quality and has seen off challenges from defending Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and David Gilbert.

Murphy has come through 2 final frame deciders against both Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui and there is the feeling today's match may go in that direction too.

Hawkins reached the semi-final here in 2021 and he will no doubt have his sights set on making the last 4 again this year.

There's very little to separate the pair and the result will come down to fine margins, we are siding with Murphy to come through a very closely fought contest. 

Prediction: 6-5 Murphy

Judd Trump V Zhang Anda 13:00

Both players came through their last 16 ties following final-frame deciders. They were both hugely impressive however, for different reasons.

Trump made a break of 106 in the decider following an intense, tactical battle with John Higgins while Anda roared back from 5-1 down to defeat Stuart Bingham.

Understandably, the players will come into today's match brimming with confidence but will feel they both need to up their game if they are to go further in this year's UK Championship.

World number 1 Trump leads 5-3 on head-to-head but it is Anda who has the most recent victory between the pair, winning 5-3 at last years Scottish Open.

Having reached the semi-final of this event last year, Trump will no doubt want to go at least one step further. Anda has never been past the quarter-final in York and faces an uphill task of changing that stat this year.

For experience alone, I feel Trump will hold the edge on his Chinese opponent today and progress to the final four.

Prediction: 6-3 Trump

Michael Holt V Kyren Wilson 19:00

Michael Holt's fairytale run undoutedly faces it's biggest test tonight. Reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson has been very clinical so far in coming through against Stephen Maguire (6-0) and Chris Wakelin (6-2).

While Holt recovered from 5-2 down to come through a final frame decider with Jak Jones last night.

It looked likely that we were going to get a repeat of this year's World Championship Final until qualifier Holt began to take over with three breaks of 50+ in the final frames to close out a historic win.

Tonight's match is a free hit for the 46 year-old with all the expectation on his opponent. That mentality will be dangerous and Wilson will need to be at top of his game but the form he has shown this year, I feel will be too strong tonight.

Prediction: 6-1 Wilson

Jack Lisowski V Mark Allen 19:00

A repeat of the UK Championship semi-final in 2022 which the Northern Irishman came out on top in a deciding frame victory.

Lisowski has produced some of the best snooker this week in victories over Mark Selby & Ali Carter. Has he finally found the formula to land his first title?

He has been known to be criticised for his tactical play when matches get scrappy but showed at times during his 2 victories that he can now mix it with the best.

His opponent tonight Mark Allen had an eye-catching 6-4 victory over Wu Yize in round 2. If he plays like he did from 4-2 down, there is very few in the world that will compete with him.

Considering that form, I think he will have too much for Lisowski tonight.

Prediction: 6-2 Allen

UK Championship 2024 - Day 6

Thursday November 28th 2024

Judd Trump V John Higgins 13:00

A repeat of the 2019 World Championship final. The pair have played against each other a huge 51 times with the Scotsman holding a slight advantage over his younger opponent (26-24 Higgins 1 draw).

That said, Trump is on a four-match winning streak against Higgins as he hopes to make it 5 in a row in today's last 16 tie.

He started his UK Championship campaign with a 6-3 victory over Australian Neil Robertson, but it wasn't until the latter stages of the match where he began to show his real class. After trailing 3-1 at the interval, the world number 1 came out fighting and won 5 frames in a row including a break of 126 that emphatically sealed his place in the next round.

Higgins had a much more comfortable first-round match as he comfortably defeated He Guoqiang 6-0. He looked composed from the outset with his Chinese opponent unable to land a blow on the 4-time World Champion.

I have no doubt Trump will have to play better from the beginning today as Higgins will take advantage of any opportunity given but I do feel the recent record between the players will be playing on the mind of Higgins.

I expect a close match with plenty of high breaks but Trump to pull away when he gets sight on the finish line.

Prediction: 6-4 Trump

Zhang Anda V Stuart Bingham 13:00

Maximum man Zhang Anda comes into this afternoon's last 16 tie with Stuart Bingham full of confidence.

Despite losing the opening 2 frames to fellow countryman Lei Peifan, Anda controlled the rest of the match and looked the likely winner from early on. His 147 in the 4th frame oozed class and was an illustration of how comfortable he is on the big stage.

He went on to win 4 of the following 5 frames as he closed out the match with relative ease.

His opponent today Stuart Bingham came through a final frame decider with recent Champion of Champions winner Mark Williams. Despite trailing 4-1 and staring elimination in the face, Bingham battled hard and showed real quality to get himself back in contention to win the match.

The victory will no doubt boost his confidence but he has very little success in this event in recent years. He leads the head-to-head with Anda 3-1 but I feel the form the Chinese player showed throughout his first-round match may be too much for Ballrun to handle today.

Prediction: 6-4 Anda

Jak Jones V Michael Holt 19:00

Can Michael Holt continue his incredible run? He has impressively won 5 matches and now faces World Championship runner-up Jak Jones for a place in the last 8.

After having a quiet season on tour, this inspired run has come out of the blue for the former shoot-out winner.

A convincing 6-1 defeat over an off-colour Gary Wilson in the previous round was a sign that the Hitman is feeling good about his game.

On the other hand, Jak Jones came through a deciding frame with former world champion Luca Brecel. From 5-3 down, the Welshman rallied to win the final 3 frames and even made a match-winning break of 66 in the decider to book his place in the last 16.

He hasn't had the ideal season on tour with wins hard to come by but will see tonight as a huge opportunity to make another triple crown quarter-final.

As remarkable Holt's run has been, I feel tonight's match might be a step too far with Jones to progress.

Prediction: 6-3 Jones

Chris Wakelin V Kyren Wilson 19:00

Wakelin will have to improve significantly from his 6-4 victory over Matthew Selt if he is to compete with the World Champion tonight. With only two 50+ breaks between the pair in the 10 frames played, the standard left a lot to be desired.

Since winning his first ranking title in 2023, Wakelin's career has been on the up and reaching this month's International Championship final only confirmed that.

Since winning the World Championship, Kyren Wilson seems like a different animal. He has added a clinical edge to his game that makes him very hard to beat.

He showed how sharp he was coming through the first-round 6-0 with relative ease against Stephen Maguire.

He will have identified tonight's match as a huge opportunity to reach the quarter-final. With the possibility of a match-up with Jak Jones or Michael Holt to reach the final 4, the Warrior will have his sights set on another deep Triple Crown run.

Prediction: 6-2 Wilson

UK Championship 2024 - Day 5

Wednesday November 27th 2024

Barry Hawkins V David Gilbert 13:00

Both players came through their first-round matches where they understandably would've been the underdog.

From 3-1 down, Hawkins staged an impressive comeback to defeat defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-6. It was the first time since 2016 that Hawkins had defeated O'Sullivan in a match greater than best of 5.

An achievement he will no doubt be proud of but his attention quickly turns to a very promising opportunity of going deep in this years UK Championship. The tables have turned today though, he will have to contend with going in as favourite as he faces another player brimming in confidence in Dave Gilbert.

The Angry Farmer came through round 1 impressively against one of the players of the season in Xiao Guodong, having been pegged back to 4-4 he pressed for the finish line and came out victorious on a scoreline of 6-4.

He dominated Guodong making five 50+ breaks throughout, showing how dangerous he can be when getting opportunities to score but he will know he will have to improve to compete with Hawkins today.

Today's match also has an added incentive for both players, with the loser out of the running to reach the Masters in Ally Pally after Christmas.

With plenty of positive's for both players today's match is a tough one to call but I feel the experience of reaching the semi-final of this event in 2021 may stand to Hawkins in the end.

Prediction: 6-4 Hawkins

Shaun Murphy V Ding Junhui 13:00

The tie of the round in my opinion. Two of the most attacking, eye-catching players on tour with the high possibility of a classic in today's clash.

Both players have picked up the title and know exactly what it takes to make it to the latter stages of this event. Having made the final in the last 2 years, Ding Junhui will be hoping for a similar run this year.

Murphy has had a quiet season to date compared to his opponent who will be feeling confident following his victory in Nanjing at the beginning of the month.

Both players scraped through deciding frame victories in round 1. There were contrasting fortunes for the pair with Murphy looking in control throughout but being pegged back by the composed Xintong while Ding was on the backfoot from the start against Milkins.

After long, successful careers, it's the Englishman that holds the head-to-head advantage with 14 wins.

On all statistics, there's very little to separate the pair, and a deciding frame is a major possibility today.

Prediction: 6-5 Murphy

Jack Lisowski V Ali Carter 19:00

After Lisowski's inspired win over Mark Selby in round 1, can he follow that up with a victory against Ali Carter?

Carter came through 6-4 against Ryan Day, without playing spectacularly, but he was efficient and clinical throughout.

There is no doubt Lisowski will not have it his own way tonight, Carter is known for being very tactically aware and will know that is the best way of hurting Jack.

Carter has had very little luck getting victories in York in recent years, but will see tonight's match as a huge opportunity to progress to the quarter-final.

Throughout his career to date, Lisowski has always received criticism for his lack of consistency, he can be outstanding at times but backing that up is were he has fell down when expectations begin to rise.

He also has the qualification for the Masters looming over tonight's match, ranked 21st at the minute, a victory and a spot in the quarter-final would do wonders for his hopes of gaining a top 16 place ahead of the 2nd Triple Crown event of the year.

Following his victory over Mark Selby, expectations will have significantly ramped up for Liswoski. Majority of snooker fans would be happy to see him make it further in the competition but I think Carter will have too much tonight.

Prediction: 6-4 Carter

Wu Yize V Mark Allen 19:00

World number 3 Mark Allen was admittedly very disappointed with how he was playing in his first-round victory over Jackson Page. But getting through 6-4 against the in-form Welshman was big. It feels as though he isn't far away from his best form however.

It hasn't been Allen's most successful year to date but a deep run this week could be the spark that ignites his season.

Wu Yize defeated fellow Chinese player Si Jiahui 6-4 on Sunday evening and got only his 3rd win at the Barbican. It's been an impressive few months for the youngster on tour making the Wuhan Open final and getting to the final four in Saudi Arabia.

The pair have only met once before with it resulting in a 4-1 victory for Allen in the 2023 English Open. I fear tonight's match may follow a similar path and the Northern Irishman may have too much for the 21-year-old.

If tonight lives up to similar drama that we saw in York this afternoon we are in for a treat.

Prediction: 6-3 Allen

UK Championship 2024 - Day 4

 Tuesday November 26th 2024

John Higgins V He Guoqiang 13:00

The pair have only met once with Higgins coming through comfortably (4-1) in last years Scottish Open. To be honest I can see today's match taking a similar pattern with the Scotsman having too much for his Chinese opponent.

Credit to Guoqiang however, he has come through 3 tough qualifiers to get to this stage against Robbie McGuigan (6-2), Anthony McGill (6-5) & Stan Moody (6-5).

He will have to have taken confidence especially after defeating seasoned pro Anthony McGill. He also dug deep in the final round of qualifying to come through a decider with Stan Moody when the youngster had all the momentum.

These results have come off the back of very little form on tour where he has struggled to put wins together at times.

For that reason, I think the experienced Higgins will have too much for Guoqiang today.

Without picking up any silverware, Higgins has gone about his business efficiently this season with an appearance in the British Open final a highlight.

He will also take confidence from his fellow class of 92 compatriot Mark Williams picking up the Champion of Champions title last week.

The Scotsman may not be at the peak of his powers but is still a tricky draw for anyone on tour.

Prediction: 6-2 Higgins

Judd Trump V Neil Robertson 13:00

A repeat of the 2020 UK Championship final that the Australian took after a decider. (10-9).

After last week's Champion of Champions quarter-final between the pair, Trump wasn't pleased with the luck Robertson had during the match and wasn't shy in airing his frustrations after the match.

There may be a rivalry brewing between the pair.

Up until last week's victory for Robertson (6-4), he was on a 4 match losing streak against the world number 1, a stat that won't sit well with the Aussie.

It's been well-documented how poor his 2023/24 season was but since then he looks to be the force he once was, winning the British Open while also making deep runs in the Champion of Champions & Northern Ireland Open.

As was his form last season, Judd Trump has threatened to dominate the World Snooker Tour again this season. He has picked up ranking titles in Shanghai and Saudi Arabia while also taking the runner-up prize in the Northern Ireland Open and Xi'an Grand Prix.

Deservedly he is top of the World Ranking but there is the feeling he needs to add more Triple Crown titles to his cv. He also made his 1,000 century at this years British Open, a fantastic achievement for the 35 year-old.

I feel Trump's frustration with the manner of last week's Champion of Champions loss may be the catalyst for him to put down a marker in today's match.

If both players play to the standard we know they can, we could be in for a classic.

Prediction: 6-4 Trump

Mark Williams V Stuart Bingham 19:00

In over 25 years in the professional game, the pair have met 20 times but the head-to-head gives us very little clue as to who will come out on top tonight, the score is level at 10-10.

Their most recent meeting was in Saudi Arabia in September with Williams winning 6-2.

The Welshman comes into tonight in great form after picking up the Champion of Champions title last week having defeated Xiao Guodong 10-6 in the final.

Having moved up to 6th in the world, he will have his eyes set on a deep run in York this week.

However he has a tricky first assignment tonight in former World Champion Stuart Bingham.

He's had very little success in York and a run to the semi-final in 2018 has been his best run in recent years.

It's been a quiet few seasons for Bingham that has seen him drop to 25th in the world rankings. He is definitely a better player than the rankings show but with the quality on show lately, it's no surprise he has dropped so low.

The way both have been playing lately, it's hard to look past Williams progressing but if Bingham can gain some momentum we know he can reel frames and high breaks off in the blink of an eye.

Prediction: 6-3 Williams

Zhang Anda V Lei Peifan 19:00

Since Zhang Anda's rise up the rankings in the 2023/24 season and his first ranking title, things haven't really gone to plan for the 32 year-old. 

He has found it difficult to regain that form this season and has yet to make a semi-final of a ranking event this term.

Being tipped as China's next World Champion may have weighed heavily on the shoulders of Anda. 

Fellow Chinese player Peifan came through 3 qualifiers against Hammad Miah (6-2), Tom Ford (6-5) and Ben Woollaston (6-2) to make this stage as he aims to gain his first victory in 3 attempts at the Barbican.

Especially in his judgement day victory over Woolaston, he showed his quality in making 2 century breaks (131, 129) on his way to a comfortable victory.

But tonight's match may be a step too far for the 21-year-old, the experience and composure of Anda may overpower the impressive youngster.

The winner will play whoever comes through between Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham.

Prediction: 6-2 Anda

UK Championship 2024 - Day 3

Monday November 25th 2024

Chris Wakelin V Matthew Selt 13:00

Coming into today's match, it would be very easy to write off Matt Selt's chances. He has had a very quiet season, making only 1 quarter-final during 6 events.

Compared to his opponent today Chris Wakelin, who is having his best season on tour and is up to 15th in the World rankings, the highest of his career.

His defeat over in-form 9-8 Xiao Guodong in the semi-final of the International Championship has had to be a huge boost of confidence coming into today. To come out on top of arguably one of the most in-form players in the World at the moment in his home event can only be a positive for Wakelin.

Ever since his first and only ranking event title (shootout in 2023), his career has been on an upward trajectory and it seemed to give the Englishman a renewed sense of confidence that he can compete at the top level.

That said, he will not have it his own way today. Even though Selt has struggled to put results together at times this season, his 6-3 final-round qualifying victory over Zhou Yuelong was very impressive. He made five 50+ breaks throughout and completely dominated his much-fancied opponent.

Is he coming into form at the right time? Head-to-head between the pair favours Selt (4-2) but they haven't met in a longer format similar to today's clash before.

The winner will play whoever comes through between Kyren Wilson & Stephen Maguire.

Prediction: 6-5 Wakelin

Kyren Wilson V Stephen Maguire 13:00

The reigning World Champion begins his UK Championship title bid with a tricky tie against a former winner.

Stephen Maguire picked up the title 20 years ago as he cruised to a 10-1 victory over David Gray in the final.

In recent times, the Scotsman has had very little success in York, he failed to qualify for the event in the last 2 years and hasn't featured in the latter stages of the tournament since 2019 (Final defeat to Ding Junhui)

That said, he knows he has the ability and experience to make a deep run in this years first triple crown but faces a huge task to come through against a much-improved Wilson.

Since his world title victory 6 months ago, Wilson has only gone from strength to strength. He seems to have taken the title of World Champion in his stride and looks formidable in each event he competes in.

Up until this year, Wilson seemed to be the 'nearly man', getting so far in a tournament without being able to get across the line and pick up silverware.

That has changed and he has already added to his list of ranking titles this season picking up the Xi'an Grand Prix and Northern Ireland Open.

Both players will know a win today will be huge in terms of possibly going deep in this years event. As the section they find themselves in is far from the strongest in my opinion.

Kyren is a different animal this season, I expect him to come through.

Prediction: 6-1 Wilson

Luca Brecel V Jak Jones 19:00

Since his incredible run to the World Championship title in 2023, things on the table haven't gone to plan for Luca Brecel.

His form has been patchy to say the least, with very few wins to his name, he even faces the possibility of falling off the World Snooker Tour if his form doesn't improve over the next few months.

Hard to believe after picking up the biggest prize in the sport 18 months ago. It's going to be difficult this evening against world number 17 and world championship runner-up Jak Jones.

Jones comfortably came through qualifying against Ian Burns (6-2) and Fan Zhengyi (6-3) displaying some of his excellent break building skills making 10 breaks over 50 in the 2 matches.

He hasn't had the best season so far with the highlight being his run to the quarter-final of the British Open in September. His tactical, hard to break down style of play makes the Welshman hard to defeat.

The winner will play whoever comes through between Gary Wilson and Michael Holt.

Prediction: 6-4 Jones

Gary Wilson V Michael Holt 19:00

In Michael Holt's first appearance in York since 2021, he faces a tough assignment in world number 10 Gary Wilson.

Credit to Holt who came through 4 matches against Steven Hallworth (6-3), Ishpreet Chadha (6-5), Joe O'Connor (6-3) and Liu Hongyu (6-2) to reach the main draw. 

Having made early exits in nearly all tournaments this season, it is hard to see him making a deep run this week.

Wilson's form has been patchy over the last few months and he's struggled to pick up wins but will expect to come through tonight against Holt in a relatively weak section of the draw.

An intriguing match up but I expect Wilson to have too much for Holt tonight.

Prediction: 6-2 Wilson

UK Championship 2024 - Day 2

Sunday November 23rd 2024

Mark Allen V Jackson Page 13:00

An intriguing match. Allen will have to play better than he has been recently to compete with the eye-catching Page.

The Welshman has yet to win a game at the UK Championship in 4 attempts, will today be the day he gets his first victory? 

He impressively came through qualifiers against Jamie Clarke (6-5) and Hossein Vafaei (6-2) to get here showing some excellent scoring throughout both matches.

Allen on the other hand has been tinkering with his style over the last few months, caught in between the slow, gritty play and the fast, eye-catching way we are used to seeing the Northern Irishman play.

The result of today's match depends on which style of play the world number 3 chooses to play, we know Page will show up with his attacking, high-scoring game but how Allen reacts is the big question.

I have been very impressed with Page throughout qualifying and with the uncertainty surrounding Allen at the moment, I think he could be turned over today.

The winner will play the winner of Si Jiahui & Wu Yize.

Prediction: 6-4 Page

Ali Carter V Ryan Day 13:00

The pair have met over 20 times during their careers with very little to choose between them (12-10 Carter).

Both players have had unconvincing seasons on tour with little to note in regards of deep tournament runs.

Day comes into today's match following qualifying victories over Louis Heathcote (6-3) and Sanderson Lam (6-2).

Carter comes in after an early exit in last week's Champion of Champions, going down 4-3 to Neil Robertson. There is no shame in that and the Australian made a brilliant break of 67 in the decider to progress.

Head-to-head gives very little clues as to who will progress from today's match but I feel like Carter has pushed on over the last few years whereas Day's career may have stagnated.

The winner will take on the winner of Mark Selby & Jack Lisowski.

Prediction: Carter 6-2

Mark Selby V Jack Lisowski 19:00

Lisowski comes into tonight's match on the back of a 4 match-losing streak against Mark Selby. A record that will concern fans ahead of the 2023 semi-finalist’s opening match.

He convincingly came through 6-1 against Women's World Champion Bali Yulu in the final round of qualifying.

He can be very dangerous when he gets momentum reeling off frames in the blink of an eye but the possibility of Selby letting his opponent get ahead of steam in tonight's match is slim.

2-time winner of this event, Selby comes into tonight's match off the back of a decent season. He was narrowly defeated 6-5 in last week's Champion of Champions by eventual winner Xiao Guodong.

But has put in some very impressive performances this year, winning the British Open and reaching the semi-final in Shanghai.

As brilliant as Lisowski can be, he can be equally as careless at times and I feel Selby will have his number especially in safety battles.

The winner will play Ali Carter next.

Prediction: 6-3 Selby

Si Jiahui V Wu Yize 19:00

A rematch of last year's World Championship qualifier with Jiahui coming out a convincing 10-4 winner.

But there has been a considerable improvement in Yize in the last 12 months, as he got to the English Open final in Brentwood only to be narrowly edged out 9-7 by Neil Robertson.

Jiahui's career has been on an upward trajectory since his brilliant run to the Crucible semi-final in 2023. 

Making the final in his native Wuhan was a particular highlight this season only to be defeated by in-form Xiao Guodong.

Two up and coming Chinese players, it’s guaranteed to be a close match with possible fireworks throughout.

The winner will play Mark Allen / Jackson Page next.

Prediction: 6-4 Jiahui

UK Championship 2024 - Day 1

Saturday 23/11/2024

Ronnie O'Sullivan V Barry Hawkins 13:00

A repeat of the World Championship Final in 2013. 

Apart from avoiding good friend Mark Selby, Hawkins among the majority of qualifiers would have been hoping to avoid the reigning Champion O'Sullivan as his record against Ronnie is terrible (18-3 O'Sullivan)

I would've envisaged a deep run this week for the Hawk after impressive victories against Wang Yuchen & Alfie Burden, until the draw was made.

He was totally outclassed in his 6-2 defeat to World Champion Kyren Wilson in Nanjing and I can see a similar outcome today.

World number 5 O’Sullivan has had a quiet season so far, apart from his early exit in the Champion of Champions last week, he has limited his play to China & Saudi Arabia, much to the frustration of fans.

However, he has to take some sort of confidence from his class of 92 compatriot Mark Williams picking up the title last week. 

With Ronnie holding a landslide lead in the head to head with Hawkins, it may be an uphill task for the Hawk to progress through to the last 16.

Prediction: 6-2 O'Sullivan

Shaun Murphy V Zhao Xintong 13:00

How will the Barbican crowd react to the return of Zhao Xintong following his ban?

The way he has played throughout qualifying will be a concern to Murphy who will have his hands full against the talented Chinese player.

However, this is the sort of environment Murphy thrives in, he knows there will be extra eyeballs on this match and that brings the best out of the Magician.

I expect him to put on a commanding performance and to progress with the winner of Ding / Milkins up next.

Prediction: 6-1 Murphy

Ding Junhui V Robert Milkins 19:00

Having lifted the International Championship in front of his home fans in Nanjing just a couple of weeks ago, Ding comes into today's match with endless amounts of confidence.

The same can't be said for Milkins who managed to produce an excellent victory to come through against Xu Si on Judgement Day.

His performance did little to exemplify the struggles he has faced this season with a well-fancied Si left in shock at the quality of his opponents play.

Ding has had a steady season and the 3-time winner of this event usually produces his best form when he comes to York.

He has reached the final for the past 2 years only to be defeated by both Ronnie O'Sullivan & Mark Allen, the world number 8 will fancy his chances of making another deep run this year but will have to get through the Milkman first.

Prediction: 6-2 Ding

Xiao Guodong V David Gilbert 19:00

This is a real head-scratcher. Gilbert is one of the best players on tour when on form but Guodong seems to have turned a corner over the last few months.

Lifting the Wuhan Open title while getting to the final of last week's Champion of Champions and narrowly losing out in the semi-final in Nanjing. He is arguably the most in-form player in the world right now.

By his own high standards, Gilbert's had a far from productive season to date, unlike his opponent, he has struggled to string wins together that would see him feature in the latter stages of tournaments.

Despite admittedly not playing his best, the Angry Farmer defeated Xing Zihao and Julien Leclercq to get here.

But world number 16 Guodong poses a different threat and will be sure to capitalise on any opportunity given by Gilbert.

On form alone, it should be a straightforward victory for Guodong but the experience Gilbert has amassed over his career will play a part in the result.

Prediction 6-3 Guodong

UK Championship Qualifiers 2024 - Judgement Day 2

Lei Peifan V Ben Woollaston 13:00

It's been a quiet season for both so far with little to report in terms of either making latter stages of ranking events. The pair have only met once with Woollaston coming out on top 4-1 in the Scottish Open in 2021.

Peifan is one of 3 players (Holt & Xintong) left in the draw who has had three victories to get to this stage.

Both players came through nervy deciding frames to reach today's judgement day with Woollaston advancing after a re-spotted black with Joe Perry.

Following his victory over Tom Ford in round 3, Peifan's confidence will be boosted ahead of today's clash as he made a match-winning 107 break in the decider.

The momentum Peifan brings into this match is what tips the scales in his favour in my opinion.

Prediction: 6-4 Peifan

Zhou Yuelong V Matthew Selt 13:00

It's been a very disappointing year for both Yuelong & Selt with deep tournament runs proving hard to come by.

Selt's run to the quarter-final of the Xi'an Grand Prix looks to be the best form the pair have produced in a very low-key season for the pair.

He will intend on extending his impressive run of being at the UK Championship every year since 2012 but Yuelong will have something to say about that.

He comes into today's match with a superior head-to-head record over the Englishman (4-1). That will give him confidence along with his impressive round 3 result against Marco Fu (6-3).

For these reasons, I feel he will build on his quarter-final appearance at last year's UK Championship and come through this tricky tie.

Prediction: 6-3 Yuelong

Ricky Walden V Zhao Xintong 13:00

The progression of Zhao Xintong seems to be on all snooker fans' lips as he enters his first professional event since returning from his ban.

It seems as though he was never away as he has seamlessly progressed to the final round of qualifying for the tournament he won in 2021 with convincing wins over Sunny Akani, Jiang Jun & Noppon Saenghkam.

Today he comes up against a 2-time UK Championship semi-finalist in Walden and he will be keen to return to the Barbican after missing out on the last 2 years having been beaten in qualifying.

Walden has struggled with consistency at times this season and against an in-form, confident Xintong, he faces an uphill task in overturning the Chinese player.

Prediction: 6-4 Xintong

Julien Leclercq V David Gilbert 13:00

Probably one of the toughest draws Leclercq could've gotten at this stage. Gilbert has played in the UK Championship 10 times compared to the Belgian who is yet to appear at the Barbican having only turned professional in 2022.

The pair played in round 3 of qualifying 12 months ago with Gilbert convincingly coming out on top (6-1), Leclercq will be determined to reverse that result this year.

It will take a big effort to overturn that result but the Belgian Beast has improved significantly since last season, has he improved enough is the question?

He has found it tough to get wins on tour so far this season but the experience will add to his ever-growing stature in the game.

It's been an impressive season so far for Gilbert, making quarter-finals in both the Xi'an Grand Prix & British Open only to be edged out by Mark Selby in deciders in both. He is guaranteed to want to avoid the Jester from Leicester if he makes it into tomorrow's main draw.

I have been hugely impressed with the development of Leclercq since he arrived on tour in 2022 but I think Gilbert will have too much quality for the Belgian today. 

Prediction: 6-2 Gilbert

Robert Milkins V Xu Si 19:00

Si comes into tonight's match with by far the better form on paper. His run to the semi-final in Nanjing a few weeks ago was particularly impressive considering Milkins has picked up minimal positive results this season.

Si is looking to reach the Barbican for the 7th time in his career compared to former quarter-finalist Milkins hoping to make his 21st appearance in this season's first triple crown event.

To get to this stage, Milkins came through against Ross Muir 6-3 making three 50+ breaks while Xu Si defeated in-form Chris Totten in a decider.

This match has the feeling it could go the distance with both players hard to separate.

The winner will play Ding Junhui.

Prediction: 6-5 Xu Si

Stan Moody V He Guoqiang 19:00

From 3-0 down, He Guoqiang produced some excellent snooker on Tuesday night to claim a deciding frame victory over former UK Championship quarter-finalist Anthony McGill.

The progression of 18-year-old Stan Moody over the last 18 months has been phenomenal, he has picked up a number of impressive victories this season including against Jak Jones, Tom Ford & Zhang Anda among others.

To get to this evening, he defeated world number 26 and rising star Pang Junxu making an impressive break of 138 in frame 2.

The pair are well matched and a late finish is a major possibility.

The winner will play John Higgins.

Prediction: 6-4 Moody

Liu Hongyu V Michael Holt 19:00

You would do well to find a snooker fan that isn't rooting for Michael Holt tonight. However, the 46-year-old has found it difficult to string a number of wins together on tour this season but seems to have saved his best form for this week.

He has won 3 consecutive matches against Steven Hallworth, Ishpreet Chadha and world number 31 Joe O'Connor to reach this stage and faces another tough challenge tonight against Liu Hongyu.

Hongyu had a brilliant victory against Lyu Haotian to get here, making 3 50+ breaks against his fellow Chinese player.

But the momentum Holt brings into tonight along with the form he has shown over the last 4 days mean I am siding with him to reach the Barbican and make his first UK Championship appearance since 2021.

The winner will play Gary Wilson.

Prediction: 6-3 Holt

Matthew Stevens V Neil Robertson 19:00

World number 18 Robertson was close to being knocked out as he came through a deciding frame with Oliver Lines in round 4 with Lines on a break of 44 in the decider only to miss a straight-forward pot that let the Aussie in.

Stevens battled to a 6-3 victory over a determined Martin O'Donnell and will hope to reach the main draw for the 25th time in his career having lifted the UK Championship in 2003. 

Despite being on the tour for 20+ years the pair have managed to avoid each other since the Riga Masters in 2016, which Robertson won 4-1.

If Robertson plays the way he has been in the last 6 months, I think he will have too much for Stevens tonight.

Two legends of the game battling it out for a place in the main draw, let's hope both perform and we get a match to savour.

The winner will play Judd Trump.

Prediction: 6-3 Robertson

UK Championship Qualifiers 2024 - Judgement Day 1

Jak Jones V Fan Zhengyi 13:00

The players have met on two occasions with both meetings going to a deciding frame, I can see today's match going in a similar direction with very little to separate the pair.

Both players came through their round 3 matches in convincing fashion, Jones won 6-2 against Ian Burns while Zhengyi defeated Florian Nussle by the same score.

On paper, this will be decided by a toss of a coin with the prospect of a very close, interesting match but I feel the Welshman's experience over the last 12 months (where he reached a World Championship final) will get him over the line.

Prediction: 6-5 Jak Jones

Elliot Slessor V Stephen Maguire 13:00

The players have only met once with Maguire coming out on top 4-1 over 10 years ago (2014 Welsh Open).

Since then, Slessor has developed into a more than capable top 32 player, making a semi-final in this year's Northern Ireland Open a particular highlight.

Maguire has continued to fluctuate up and down the World rankings and has yet to make a deep run in a tournament as of yet this season. He can be quite unpredictable at times and banking on what form the Scotsman will produce is like picking the lotto numbers.

For that reason, I am siding with Slessor to come through.

Prediction: 6-4 Slessor

Stuart Bingham V Jimmy Robertson 13:00

Bingham has a commanding 4-1 lead over Robertson in head to head's between the pair over the years with Robertson's victory coming over 10 years ago against Ball-run.

Former 3-time UK Championship semi-finalist Bingham fell at this stage in last years qualifying so will be determined not to let that happen again.

But Bingham's performance on Monday night defeating Oliver Sykes 6-3 to reach this round was very encouraging, his all-round game looks in good shape and he was clinical in coming through against his young opponent.

Despite both players having relatively quiet season's to date, Robertson's run to the quarter-final of the Saudia Arabia Masters is the stand-out form between the pair this year.

He also came through a late night deciding frame victory over Daniel Wells on Monday that will give him a huge boost of confidence ahead of today's match.

But it's hard to look past the experienced Bingham, he seems to produce his best at triple crown events and I can see him coming through a closely fought contest today.

Prediction: 6-4 Bingham

Jackson Page V Hossein Vafaei 13:00

Two of the most eye-catching, attractive players to watch on tour battle it out this afternoon with a place at the Barbican at stake.

Semi-finalist in this event last year, Vafaei will no doubt fancy his chances of repeating the impressive run but will have to come through the in-form Welshman who is having his best season since his arrival on tour in 2019.

The Iranian has found it difficult to gain any momentum on tour this year with a number of early exits the story of his season so far.

The same can't be said for Page who came runner-up in the Championship League at the beginning of the season and reached the quarter-final in Nanjing in the International Championship only to be defeated by one of the players of the season Xiao Guodong.

Going on form alone, it may be advisable to side with Page in this one.

Prediction: Page 6-3

Wu Yize V David Lilley 19:00

Yize will hope to qualify for the UK Championship for only the 2nd time in his career as he faces David Lilley as the pair face-off for the first time.

His run to the English Open final in Brentwood is by far the best result of his career, unfortunately for him he was narrowly defeated 9-7 by Neil Robertson.

It's been a quiet season for Lilley but his 6-3 defeat of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh yesterday was very impressive. Un-Nooh can be very dangerous when he finds his rhythm and to come through that test with plenty to spare will set him up nicely for a tough assignment in Yize.

What we have seen over the last 12 months shows that Yize is a potential up-and-coming star in the game and I fancy him to come through today's test and book his place in York.

Prediction: 6-2 Yize

Barry Hawkins V Wang Yuchen 19:00

A nightmare draw for Yuchen, having played brilliantly to win three matches (V Ullah, M Davis, R Williams) to get to this stage, he faces an uphill task to overturn world number 20 and seasoned-pro Barry Hawkins.

Making two centuries in a 6-4 defeat of Robbie Williams was an impressive way to reach this round as  he hope to make the UK Championship for the 3rd time in his short career. 

In my opinion, Hawkins is still a top 16 player and can defeat anyone on his day and if getting through today's match with Yuchen will be a name the majority of top 16 players will want to avoid in Thursday's draw.

Having reached the semi-final in York in 2021, The Hawk will have his sights set on emulating if not bettering that result this year.

After making quarter-finals in both the British Open and Xi'an Grand Prix this season, Hawkins will have aspirations of making a deep run in the first of this season's Triple Crown Events.

Prediction: 6-2 Hawkins

Ryan Day V Sanderson Lam 19:00

The pair have only played once before with Day coming out on top in 2016 at the Indian Open (4-0).

Since then, Day has added two winning records to his CV with the 2022 British Open and 2021 shoot out with a quarter-final at the 2023 Scottish Open Lam's best run.

It has been a relatively quiet season for the pair so far as they have struggled to find consistency and string a number of good results together.

But tonight's match presents a big opportunity for both, this is why I feel it will go the distance.

Prediction: Lam 6-5

Jack Lisowski V Bai Yulu 19:00

The performance's of Women's World Champion Bai Yulu to get to this stage have been nothing short of Phenomenal.

In defeating Farakh Ajaib, Jamie Jones and Scott Donaldson, she has shown glimpses of her class and is only one win away from making history within the sport.

Going into all three matches, Yulu was a resounding underdog but came through each test with flying colours as she continues to represent the Women's game with huge pride on the biggest stage.

Tonight she faces her biggest task though as Jack Lisowski stands in her way of reaching the UK Championship main draw.

The world number 21 has flattered to deceive at times over the past few years but is a dangerous opponent for anyone on his day.

To reach this round he defeated Rory Thor 6-4 making 1 century (123) in the process.

His season to date has been largely disappointing with very few appearances in the latter stages of tournaments as he aims to win his first ranking title.

A Yulu victory would be huge for the sport as a whole but I feel it may be a step too far for the impressive 21-year-old.

Prediction: 6-2 Lisowski