Day four from Wuxi and we are down to eight as the stage is set for the quarter-finals. Click below for a round-up of all of the results in Wuxi over the last couple of days…
In 2011 Mark Williams started the season with a final and a year on he remains on course to repeat that feat as he came back from 2-0 down to defeat Mark Allen in this morning’s opening session. By all accounts it was not a vintage performance from the Welshman, but through to his first quarter-final since the German Masters back in February, that his name remains in the draw is what matters.
Back in Germany Mark’s run was ended by Stephen Lee at that stage, but here in Wuxi it will be Lee’s conqueror Marcus Campbell who awaits Williams in the last eight, after he defeated Fergal O’Brien 5-2 today. Through to his first quarter-final since the 2011 PTC Grand Finals, Marcus will now try to make it to the last four of a full-ranking event for the first time in his 21-year career.
One man who won’t be in the last eight however is Judd Trump, after the reigning UK Champion lost out 5-3 to Robert Milkins today, having led 3-1 at the interval. Despite the disparity in ranking, I was not too surprised by that result, partly because of the form of Robert over the last 12 months and his impressive run in similar conditions are the Haikou World Open earlier this year, but also because I did not have overly high expectations of Judd at the start of the season. Make no mistake, Trump will win titles this season and could well give Mark Selby a run for his money in terms of the world number one ranking, but he took a few tournaments to get going a year ago and I have a feeling that it may be a similar story in 2012.
Take nothing away from Milkins however, he is in good form at the moment and provisionally at least, back inside the top 32 for the first time since the 2006/7 season. Awaiting him in the last eight will be Ricky Walden, who at 4-0 and 64-0 up against Joe Perry looked as though he would run out a comfortable winner in the evening session. After four hours and 45 minutes however, his victory proved to be anything but comfortable as he resisted a stirring comeback from Joe to win 5-4 on the final black. A former winner in Shanghai almost four years ago now, can Ricky repeat that triumph in 2012?
Elsewhere, world number one Mark Selby continued to brush aside the doubts concerning his neck with a 5-0 victory against Jamie Cope today to set up what promises to be a fascinating encounter with man of the moment Stuart Bingham, after the APTC1 champion hit a tournament-high break of 143 en route to a 5-4 win against Ken Doherty.
The winner will meet either Graeme Dott or Mark Davis, who today defeated Rod Lawler and Jamie Burnett respectively to make it through to the last eight.