Reigning champion Kyren Wilson is among the contenders still in the hunt for six reds glory after the conclusion of the round-robin phase in Thailand.
The 2018 winner is in the last 16 line-up alongside other former champions Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Stephen Maguire, and Ding Junhui – who Wilson defeated in last year’s title decider.
Crowd favourite Jimmy White, ten years after he triumphed in this event when it was staged under a previous guise, also qualified for the first knockout round.
The recent world seniors champion will be looking to make it a quick global double and takes on Maguire in the last 16.
Wilson is set to duel with David Gilbert, a harder task after the Kettering cueist lost his final group match against Passakorn Suwannawat on Wednesday.
Of the other former winners, 2010 six reds king Selby meets Stuart Bingham, 2016 champion Ding encounters Graeme Dott, and the following year’s winner Mark Williams battles with Joe Perry.
The trio of Selby, Ding, and Williams have another thing in common this week as they are searching for the title that will gain them an invitation into this year’s lucrative Champion of Champions invitational.
Perry and Dott, meanwhile, were among five players to deny the home contingent progress beyond the opening hurdle.
James Wattana, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Noppon Saengkham, Akani Songsermsawad, and Kritsanut Lertsattayatthorn all had aspirations of reaching the last 16 but all lost on the third day of action to bow out.
The Bangkok crowd’s hopes now lie with only Suwannawat, who topped Group A with victory over Wilson.
Suwannawat, an amateur after dropping off the professional circuit in 2014, is up against Ali Carter.
Elsewhere, World Cup winner John Higgins faces the only other amateur remaining in the draw – Wu Yize.
Widely tipped as another star of the future from the vast nation, the chinese youngster was the only player to qualify for the last 16 with only one win from the three round-robin fixtures.
Wu’s countryman Yan Bingtao, a winner already this season after emerging with the Riga Masters crown in July, will face Gary Wilson.
The World Championship using the six reds format runs until Saturday with more than £100,000 at stake for the champion.
