The last-16 line-up at this year’s UK Championship is taking shape after a number of high-profile casualties in the early rounds.
The standard of play at the Marshall Arena has been brilliant and we have already seen two 147 maximum breaks compiled by Kyren Wilson and Stuart Bingham.
No Lift-Off for ‘The Rocket’ or Defending Champ Ding
Although it was world number one, Judd Trump, who entered this tournament as the outright favourite, Ronnie O’Sullivan is still the box office name in the world of snooker and much was expected from the current world champion and seven-times winner of this event.
After brushing aside Leo Fernandez 6-0 in his first match, O’Sullivan, who, as the current world champion lined up in the draw as the second seed, took to the green baize in the second round as a very short-price favourite against talented young Swiss player Alexander Ursenbacher.
A very poor performance from O’Sullivan, which included a number of missed pots and basic mistakes, enabled Ursenbacher back into the match and the 24-year-old showed tremendous bottle to come from behind to win 6-5.
Defending champion and seed one Ding Junhui was another to falter in the second round as David Grace won the final three frames to knock out Ding in a decider and come through 6-5 in their second round clash.
Top Trump Still the Man to Beat
Current world number one and undoubtedly the best player on the planet right now, Judd Trump, has dropped just four frames in his first three matches and has hardened as the outright favourite into 29/20.
Straightforward wins over Paul Davison (6-1), Dominic Dale (6-3) and Liang Wenbo (6-1) means Trump is now awaiting the winner of Mark Williams and Ricky Walden (who play tonight) in the last-16 later on this week.
The elimination of O’Sullivan has blown open the draw, leaving Trump the only player from the first four in the betting sitting in the bottom half of the draw and he is looking for a third title already this season after winning the English Open and the Northern Ireland Open.
Maguire Ready to Turn up the Heat
Stephen Maguire, who was runner-up last year, looks most likely to benefit from O’Sullivan’s loss and could be the player to progress from the fourth quarter.
The 2004 winner of this event is now the 2/1 favourite to win his quarter and 20/1 to land a second UK title.
Maguire landed the lucrative Tour Championship last season and is capable of beating anyone on his day, he produced a barrage of big breaks to win his first two matches and looks in decent form.
The experienced Glaswegian is in action tonight against Pang Junxu and is fancied to cruise to another win, with a play on the handicap (-2.5 frames) appealing most at 23/20.
Evergreen Higgins remains a force
Four-time world champion John Higgins is still one of the top operators on the green baize and is just 7/1 for a fourth UK Championship.
The 45-year-old Scot has barely been out of first gear in his first three matches and has cruised to wins over Fergal O’Brien (6-1), Gerard Greene (6-3) and Jak Jones 6-2).
His experience and sublime tactical play could prove the difference on Wednesday when he faces exciting youngster Zhou Yuelong. The ‘Wizard of Wishaw’ has won all seven previous meetings with the 22-year-old and is unsurprisingly chalked up at 2/5 to come out on top.
Giving up 1.5 frames, Higgins looks a great bet at 20/31 to comfortably see off Yuelong for the eighth time.
*All odds correct at time of writing
