There has been no shortage of drama at this season’s European Masters, with there having already been plenty of high-profile casualties, and there should be many more twists and turns to come as the last-16 stage gets underway on Thursday.

Big Names Tumble Out in Milton Keynes

Defending champion Mark Selby, world number three Judd Trump and fellow seeds Kyren Wilson, John Higgins and Shaun Murphy have already been sent packing from competition at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, leaving the door open for a potential shock.

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson, two of snooker’s brightest stars, may have something to say about that as they remain in the hunt, while Chinese sensation Yan Bingtao and former World Championship semi-finalist Anthony McGill are two viable contenders were either big gun to falter.

O’Sullivan Should Have Final Berth at His Mercy

The Rocket survived an almighty scare in the opening round as he edged out Zhang Anda in a final-frame decider, but a 5-1 win over Wu Yize in his second game was much more like it.

With Higgins and Trump falling by the wayside, the draw has opened up for Ronnie and world number 15 McGill would be the highest-ranked player he has to face before the final.

O’Sullivan faces Ali Carter’s conqueror Ashley Hugill in Thursday afternoon’s last-16 duel and he is 1/16 to come through that best-of-nine encounter.

A quarter-final clash with Fraser Patrick or Tom Ford will be the Rocket’s reward for surpassing that test.

It is, therefore, no surprise to Ronnie as short as 3/10 to come through that quarter of the draw.

Ford should also have few concerns seeing off Patrick after thrashing another Scot, Higgins, 5-0 in the last round.

He knocked in breaks of 127, 87, 83 and 68 in whitewashing Higgins, who has been one of this season’s form players, and another easy win looks like to follow against the world number 108.

The man they call Model T is 50/59 to cover a handicap start of -2.5 frames, which looks a bet well worth having. Bettors will collect if Ford wins 5-2 or better.

Tricky First Quarter May Go Brown’s Way

One of Graeme Dott, Jordan Brown, Ryan Day or Sunny Akani are guaranteed a place in the European Masters semi-final and at the current prices it is Brown that appeals most.

The Northern Irishman first announced himself as a player to keep on side when winning the Welsh Open last season and there have been signs of promise this season, too.

The Antrim ace reached the fourth round of the UK Championship and his 5-3 win over Selby in his curtain-raiser, which started with a break of 118, shouldn’t be considered a fluke.

Brown followed that up with a 5-0 demolition of capable Chinese cueman Xiao Guodong and he should have little to fear from Dott in Thursday’s last-16 encounter.

He defeated Dott 5-2 at the German Masters in January of last year and at 1/1 he should be backed to repeat the trick.

With Day wildly inconsistent and Akani inexperienced this deep in competition, Brown also represents value at 3/1 to win the first quarter and make the last four, where he could be faced with Robertson or Bingtao.

*All odds correct at time of writing.