Wednesday will mark the final day of the two-table setup with the quarter-final stage of the 2024 World Snooker Championship to conclude on the Crucible Theatre.
On Thursday, the venue will remodel into essentially the most iconic setting the game has to supply, when one desk takes centre stage beneath the star-glistened lights.
Earlier than that, although, what’s ceaselessly one of the vital thrilling days of any World Championship will happen.
Day 12 in Sheffield is when the superb eight turns into the implausible 4, and the dream of turning into world champion can both prematurely finish in despair or get that bit extra actual.
4 of the remaining eight contenders this 12 months already perceive what’s essential to go all the way in which to glory on the Crucible Theatre.
One other participant has reached a closing, whereas solely one of many quarter-finalists has by no means earlier than featured in a semi-final.
Jak Jones might not boast the expertise of the others left within the World Championship draw, however by reaching back-to-back quarter-finals in Sheffield, he’s underlining a pedigree on the largest stage.
The Welshman has produced a sequence of hardened performances to succeed in this hurdle, and he’s in place to trigger one other shock after matching Judd Trump over 16 frames on Tuesday.
The latter has gained 5 rating titles this season and is among the favourites for this 12 months’s title, however Jones has nullified the world quantity two’s strengths.
At 8-8 it’s anybody’s recreation, with Jones already proving his giant-killing capability ultimately 12 months’s match when he knocked out Neil Robertson.
David Gilbert, in the meantime, at the moment appears just like the most certainly to e book a spot within the final 4.
The 42 year-old misplaced 5 out of the final seven frames to see Stephen Maguire storm again from 8-1 down, however at 10-6 heading into session three, Gilbert has his future in his personal palms.
The opposite two quarter-final bouts solely performed one session on Tuesday, which means Wednesday will signify a busy outing on the baize.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, who’s enjoying in his twenty second Crucible quarter-final, might solely draw 4-4 with Stuart Bingham after their opening exchanges.
Bingham famously beat the Rocket at this level of proceedings 9 years in the past en path to securing his personal world title.
O’Sullivan will nonetheless be the favorite, however the longer it stays shut, the extra strain there shall be on the seven-time champion with historical past and his chase for a report eighth title weighing down on his shoulders.
Elsewhere, Kyren Wilson orchestrated a 5-3 benefit over John Higgins in a high-quality match that has all of the hallmarks of going to a deciding body.
There have been breaks of 70 or above in all eight frames – together with three tons – because the pair traded blows in entertaining vogue.
Higgins, in fact, has already survived the gap in a best-of-25 body fixture this week, outlasting Mark Allen with a exceptional clearance in a second-round deciding body on Monday.
No matter occurs, it guarantees to be an enthralling day of snooker because the 2024 World Championship approaches its closing chapters.
2024 World Snooker Championship Draw
Spherical 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 Web page
Spherical 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)
Click on right here for reside scores and session instances.
David Gilbert vs Stephen Maguire
Kyren Wilson (12) vs John Higgins (13)
Judd Trump (3) vs Jak Jones
Stuart Bingham vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Semi-Finals (bo33)
Gilbert/Maguire vs Wilson/Higgins
Trump/Jones vs Bingham/O’Sullivan
Remaining (bo35)
TBC vs TBC
Featured photograph credit score: WST