The draw for the 2021 UK Championship has been whittled down to 32 players with the third round set to commence on Monday in York.
Several heavy hitters bowed out at the previous hurdle, with the likes of former champions Mark Selby, Mark Williams, and Ding Junhui all exiting the competition on Sunday.
But there is still plenty of star quality on show with Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and John Higgins among those on course to land the £200,000 top prize this weekend.
Trump, a winner of this Triple Crown title a decade ago, remains the bookies favourite for glory and will next take on Matthew Selt for a place in the last 16.
Record seven-time champion O’Sullivan entertains Mark King while Higgins continues his bid to reach a fourth final in a row this season by facing Zhao Xintong.
Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson, Jack Lisowski, Stuart Bingham, and 2004 UK Championship winner Stephen Maguire are a few of the other notable names who’ll be contesting the third round in the draw.
UK Championship Third Round Draw
TOP HALF
Mark Joyce vs Jordan Brown
(Tuesday, 7pm)
Anthony McGill (16) vs Zhou Yuelong
(Tuesday, 1pm)
Ricky Walden vs Anthony Hamilton
(Tuesday, 7pm)
Luca Brecel vs Stephen Maguire (8)
(Tuesday, 7pm)
Kyren Wilson (5) vs Wu Yize
(Monday, 7pm)
Ben Woollaston vs Liam Highfield
(Monday, 7pm)
Noppon Saengkham vs Stuart Bingham (13)
(Monday, 7pm)
Mark King vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
(Monday, 1pm)
BOTTOM HALF
Judd Trump (3) vs Matthew Selt
(Tuesday, 1pm)
Barry Hawkins (14) vs Cao Yupeng
(Monday, 1pm)
David Gilbert vs Mark Allen (11)
(Tuesday, 1pm)
Andy Hicks vs Dominic Dale
(Monday, 1pm)
John Higgins (7) vs Zhao Xintong
(Monday, 1pm)
Sam Craigie vs Peter Lines
(Tuesday, 1pm)
Graeme Dott vs Jack Lisowski (15)
(Monday, 7pm)
Xiao Giodong vs Hossein Vafaei
(Tuesday, 7pm)
Live coverage of the UK Championship is on the BBC and Eurosport. Click here for other available options around the world.
Featured photo credit: WST
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Anyone know as to why Steve Davis and John Virgo are absent from the BBC coverage this year? Virgo has missed this event, on occasion in recent years, but I’ve never known Davis to be absent from a BBC event since he became a regular. McManus has clearly defected to Eurosport which is a big blow for the Beeb. He and Hazel Irvine (in New Zealand for this one) are the BBC’s trump assets. Joe Perry is doing a fair job, however, at softening the disappointment of no McManus.
I’m not sure to be honest. I haven’t been watching it on BBC. JV said a while ago that he’s being pushed out at the end of the season though.
Steve Davis is isolating. They mentioned it during commentary in one of the matches
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That could be a factor behind Virgo’s absence but he said Taylor was going out as well and the 1985 world champion has still been part of coverage.
I must look actually as to where countries outside Europe take their coverage from. World Snooker seem to publish a list for every event.
Thanks Jill. I’ve watched plenty but didn’t hear that.
Radzi has joined McManus in working for Eurosport at the Triple Crown events.