The Tour Championship is down to the semi-finals stage with four contenders still vying for the title in Hull.
The penultimate round will take place on Friday and Saturday at the Bonus Arena, with two wins needed to claim the £150,000 top prize.
The remaining four players all boast pedigree on the big stage, so let’s take a look at both upcoming ties in the Tour Championship semi-finals.
Ding Junhui vs Kyren Wilson
Friday, 1pm and 7pm BST
Ding Junhui’s victory over Mark Allen in the quarter-finals, coupled with Ryan Day’s defeat to Mark Selby, ensures that the Chinese star will return to the top 16 in the world rankings.
The 14-time ranking event winner couldn’t have timed that much better, as it means he’ll be guaranteed an automatic spot at the World Championship next month.
Ding looked confident during his first-round victory this week, clearly in a buoyant mood following his success in the Six Red World Championship.
With a Crucible place assured, the soon-to-be 36 year-old (Ding’s birthday is on Saturday) may be able to play with the shackles off and show his true potential once again.
Kyren Wilson will represent another difficult opponent to overcome, of course.
The Kettering cueist comprehensively beat Ali Carter on Tuesday with a 10-4 scoreline, which was all the more impressive considering his personal concerns away from the table in relation to his ill son.
The 31 year-old possesses a 9-6 superior head-to-head record against Ding, including a 10-8 victory when the pair last clashed during the 2022 World Championship in Sheffield.
Mark Selby vs Shaun Murphy
Saturday, 1pm and 7pm BST
Before the tournament began, it looked like a safe bet that Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy would encounter each other in the Tour Championship semi-finals.
They were pushed in their respective fixtures against Ryan Day, who compiled a 147 break, and Robert Milkins.
But ultimately they emerged as winners to set up an all-English battle between two of the most in-form competitors at present.
- CLICK HERE: Mark Selby secures WST Classic title
Selby and Murphy recently crossed paths at the Players Championship when the latter prevailed with a 6-3 triumph.
However, there have been 44 prior showdowns between then duo in total and the head-to-head is close, with Selby having the marginal upper-hand on 24 wins.
Their most important duel was undoubtedly the 2021 World Championship title decider when the Leicester man came out on top 18-15.
Victory again for Selby on this occasion over his old rival would bear additional gifts, as it would mean his return to the world number one position in the rankings for the first time since last year.
Featured photo credit: WST
An interesting aspect of the Selby and Murphy head-to-head is the Leicester man leading 8-3 in semi-final and final matches.
Why wasn’t the Hull games on eurosport?
The ITV events are only shown by Eurosport outside the UK.