The 2024 Worldwide Championship has reached the semi-finals stage on the SNC Nationwide Health Middle in Nanjing.
4 gamers are nonetheless pursuing the eighth rating title of the 2024/25 snooker season, with £175,000 up for grabs for the winner this weekend.
The Worldwide Championship is one in all only some occasions on the calendar the place the semi-finals will happen over two classes.
The opening fixture is on Friday earlier than the second battle is contested on Saturday forward of the Sunday remaining.
Three out of the 4 semi-finalists are Chinese language, the second time in succession that this has occurred in a Chinese language rating event.
Let’s check out each matches.
Worldwide Championship semi-finals
Chris Wakelin vs Xiao Guodong
A dramatic quarter-final day on Thursday noticed all however two frames being performed throughout all 4 clashes.
Chris Wakelin’s duel with John Higgins was so shut that they had been controversially pulled off at 5-5, a call that the latter was visibly livid about.
Wakelin returned later within the day to finish the victory, and the Englishman is now one win away from a spot among the many prime 16 on this planet rankings for the primary time in his profession.
That might be notably good timing with the cut-off level for automated qualification to the UK Championship taking place after the conclusion of this week’s motion.
Opponent Xiao Guodong has already safeguarded his maiden standing among the many elite bracket of the rankings, forcing Neil Robertson into the UK Championship qualifiers within the course of.
Many in all probability felt that Xiao’s efficiency in Wuhan, the place he got here from virtually nowhere to land a maiden rating crown, was going to be a flash within the pan.
The 35 year-old has actually proved his doubters improper with one other robust week on dwelling turf as he challenges for much more silverware.
To achieve one other remaining, nonetheless, Xiao must do one thing he’s by no means performed earlier than and beat Wakelin, a participant he has misplaced to on every of their 4 earlier conferences.
Xu Si vs Ding Junhui
It had been a season of battle for Ding Junhui till now, with the previous world primary languishing down the one-year rankings.
However the 14-time rating occasion winner has shifted by way of the gears this week with some effective shows, together with a assured end to beat Kyren Wilson within the final eight.
Ding fired in a brace of century breaks to finish a 6-4 win over the world champion, and because the world quantity 9, he’s the highest-ranked contender left within the Worldwide Championship semi-finals.
How the 37 year-old, chasing a primary rating trophy since 2019, will deal with the strain of being the favorite once more will probably be fascinating to see.
In opposition to Xu Si, Ding faces a challenger who has already loved an awesome week after compiling a 147 break and thru his dispatching of world primary Judd Trump.
Within the quarter-finals, the 26 year-old fought again from 5-3 behind to disclaim Gary Wilson in a decider – leaving his opponent pointless in these final three frames.
Xu has crushed Ding solely as soon as in skilled competitors and suffered a 5-0 drubbing by the hands of his countryman on the current Wuhan Open.
Xu, Ding, and Wakelin are additionally scrambling for one thing else this week – the ultimate spot in subsequent week’s Champion of Champions draw.
2024 Worldwide Championship
Semi-Finals (bo17)
Friday, November eighth
6am and 11:30am UTC
Chris Wakelin vs Xiao Guodong
Saturday, November ninth
6am and 11:30am UTC
Xu Si vs Ding Junhui
Click on right here to view the complete draw
(snooker.org)
Featured picture credit score: WST