Ali Carter is delighted with his form as his strong season continued by beating Judd Trump in the Players Championship on Wednesday.
The Captain, who lost to Trump in the Wuhan Open final a few months ago, edged a tight affair with his fellow Englishman to win 6-4.
By reaching the semi-finals of the ranking event in Telford, Carter has put himself into a strong position to qualify for the lucrative 12-player Tour Championship in April.
The Captain, a runner-up at last month’s Masters, is also provisionally ranked as the world number eight.
If he were to hold onto that status following this week’s action, the 44 year-old would gain an invitation to the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker next month.
“I felt really good, probably a little unlucky not to win 6-3,” Ali Carter told the World Snooker Tour.
“I was on 40-odd and went into the pack off the black, split the reds lovely, and was in the middle of them.”
“Not only did I not get on a red, I put myself in probably the only position where I had no safety shot.
“Red was over the middle pocket, and we played cat and mouse for ages. He clawed that back, and then I made a 40-odd again in the next and missed.
“I probably pushed the boat out and went for one too many – the red in the middle. But I made a really good clearance in the end, I’m delighted to get through.
“I’m very close (to being at my best). I think I can still improve, to be honest. I’m working on all the right things.
“I think I can still improve and get better. I’m 45 this year and I’m in the top eight in the world, which is not bad.
“We’re going to keep searching for improvement and trying to keep getting better and winning.
“Tonight was probably a really big match to get me in – I think that’s probably guaranteed me my Tour Championship spot, which is great.
“Saudi Arabia is a bonus event really. If I’m in that, great. If I’m not, there’s a lot of snooker to be played being in the Tour, obviously the World Open in China, and then the World Championship.
“I’m playing, I’m winning, I’m earning money. Saudi is a bonus – I’d love to be in it, but there’s plenty of other opportunities.”
Carter awaits the winner of the second quarter-final encounter on Thursday afternoon between Mark Allen and Gary Wilson.
On Thursday evening, world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan returns to the fray in a mouthwatering showdown with Mark Selby.
The fourth quarter-final takes place on Friday afternoon between 2021 Players Championship winner John Higgins and tournament debutant Zhang Anda.
2024 Players Championship draw
Round of 16 (bo11)
Judd Trump 6-2 Chris Wakelin
Tom Ford 2-6 Ali Carter
Mark Williams 3-6 Mark Allen
Gary Wilson 6-4 Hossein Vafaei
Zhang Anda 6-5 Noppon Saengkham
Ding Junhui 4-6 John Higgins
Barry Hawkins 3-6 Mark Selby
Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-2 Zhou Yuelong
Quarter-Finals (bo11)
Judd Trump 4-6 Ali Carter
Mark Allen 6-4 Gary Wilson
Zhang Anda 6-4 John Higgins
Mark Selby 6-0 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Semi-Finals (bo11)
Ali Carter 3-6 Mark Allen
Zhang Anda 6-5 Mark Selby
Final (bo19)
Mark Allen 10-8 Zhang Anda
Featured photo credit: WST
The captain rising through the ranks again.
In all meetings O’Sullivan leads Selby 21-11. It’s 16-11 taking out best of 5 or less. Their first meeting was at the 2002 China Open, Selby winning on that occasion. The Jester is also 6-3 up in final meetings between the pair.
Carter is traveling the world & doing what he loves so congrats to him because can’t say that👏