Crucible Theatre
Ranking, Snooker Headlines, World Championship

A day of quarter-final drama in store at the Crucible Theatre

Wednesday will mark the last day of the two-table setup with the quarter-final stage of the 2024 World Snooker Championship to conclude at the Crucible Theatre.

On Thursday, the venue will transform into the most iconic setting the sport has to offer, when one table takes centre stage below the star-glistened lights.

Before that, though, what is frequently one of the most exciting days of any World Championship will take place.

Day 12 in Sheffield is when the excellent eight becomes the fantastic four, and the dream of becoming world champion can either prematurely end in despair or get that bit more real.

Four of the remaining eight contenders this year already understand what’s necessary to go all the way to glory at the Crucible Theatre.

Another player has reached a final, while only one of the quarter-finalists has never before featured in a semi-final.

Jak Jones may not boast the experience of the others left in the World Championship draw, but by reaching back-to-back quarter-finals in Sheffield, he is underlining a pedigree on the biggest stage.

The Welshman has produced a series of hardened performances to reach this hurdle, and he is in position to cause another shock after matching Judd Trump over 16 frames on Tuesday.

The latter has won five ranking titles this season and is one of the favourites for this year’s title, but Jones has nullified the world number two’s strengths.

At 8-8 it is anyone’s game, with Jones already proving his giant-killing ability at last year’s tournament when he knocked out Neil Robertson.

David Gilbert, meanwhile, currently looks like the most likely to book a spot in the last four.

The 42 year-old lost five out of the last seven frames to see Stephen Maguire storm back from 8-1 down, but at 10-6 heading into session three, Gilbert has his destiny in his own hands.

The other two quarter-final bouts only played one session on Tuesday, meaning Wednesday will represent a busy outing at the baize.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, who is playing in his 22nd Crucible quarter-final, could only draw 4-4 with Stuart Bingham after their opening exchanges.

Bingham famously beat the Rocket at this point of proceedings nine years ago en route to securing his own world title.

O’Sullivan will still be the favourite, but the longer it stays close, the more pressure there will be on the seven-time champion with history and his chase for a record eighth title weighing down on his shoulders.

Elsewhere, Kyren Wilson orchestrated a 5-3 advantage over John Higgins in a high-quality match that has all the hallmarks of going to a deciding frame.

There were breaks of 70 or above in all eight frames – including three tons – as the pair traded blows in entertaining fashion.

Higgins, of course, has already survived the distance in a best-of-25 frame fixture this week, outlasting Mark Allen with a remarkable clearance in a second-round deciding frame on Monday.

Whatever happens, it promises to be an enthralling day of snooker as the 2024 World Championship approaches its closing chapters.


2024 World Snooker Championship Draw

Round 1 (bo19)

Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian

Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) 10-6 Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams

Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui

Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-1 Jackson Page

Round 2 (bo25)

David Gilbert 13-4 Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire 13-9 Shaun Murphy (8)

Joe O’Connor 6-13 Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (13) 13-12 Mark Allen (4)

Judd Trump (3) 13-7 Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones 13-9 Si Jiahui

Jack Lisowski 11-13 Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day 7-13 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)

Quarter-Finals (bo25)

David Gilbert 13-8 Stephen Maguire
Kyren Wilson (12) 13-8 John Higgins (13)

Judd Trump (3) 9-13 Jak Jones
Stuart Bingham 13-10 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)

Semi-Finals (bo33)

David Gilbert 11-17 Kyren Wilson (12)
Jak Jones 17-12 Stuart Bingham

Final (bo35)

Kyren Wilson (12) 18-14 Jak Jones

Click here for the latest live scores and session times.


Featured photo credit: WST

One Comment

  1. Jay Brannon

    A significantly higher standard on table 1 than table 2 yesterday. Neil Robertson, who has now joined the BBC coverage, went out to look at the tables and thinks there’s definitely an added tightness about table 2. Yesterday’s century count was much more in keeping with the trends of the last decade.

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