The 2024 Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship schedule has reached its semi-final stage, with simply 4 gamers left within the hunt for glory in Manchester.
The remaining contenders have already assured themselves a £40,000 cheque by reaching this far.
However two additional victories will see one of many quartet declare the £150,000 high prize in what is that this season’s penultimate rating match.
Let’s check out each semi-final matches on the Tour Championship schedule.
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Gary Wilson
Friday, 1pm and 7pm UTC
Following Judd Trump’s considerably stunning exit within the quarter-finals on Thursday, Ronnie O’Sullivan will certainly head to the upcoming World Championship as the game’s world primary.
The Rocket didn’t should be at his devastating finest in his last-eight tie, thrashing a lacklustre Ali Carter with a complete 10-2 scoreline.
O’Sullivan, arguably the participant of the 2023/24 marketing campaign, stays heading in the right direction then to land a sixth piece of silverware from this time period.
There isn’t a doubting the very fact he’ll be an enormous favorite in his semi-final outing towards Gary Wilson.
The latter has represented a vastly improved power over the past couple of seasons total, however this sort of event will check his newly acquired credentials as a everlasting high 16 member much more.
Wilson has recorded back-to-back 10-8 triumphs within the occasion to date, beating Mark Selby and Zhang Anda by the identical slim margin.
This season’s champion in each the Scottish and the Welsh Open has confronted O’Sullivan as soon as earlier than over the perfect of 19 frames.
That was on the Crucible Theatre seven years in the past when O’Sullivan emerged as a 10-7 victor.
Their most up-to-date conflict was on the World Grand Prix in January, when O’Sullivan thumped Wilson 5-1 en path to capturing the title.
Mark Allen vs Mark Williams
Saturday, 1pm and 7pm UTC
The second semi-final might be a battle of the Marks on Saturday between Allen and Williams.
Williams compiled solely a few breaks above 50 however nonetheless eased to a 10-4 success towards high seed Trump.
Allen, against this, was concerned in a topsy-turvy duel with Ding Junhui that concluded with the Northern Irishman taking the final three frames for a 10-8 win.
The important thing level in that match got here within the sixteenth body when Allen, who had earlier compiled a tournament-high 142 break, prevented Ding from taking a two-frame lead by potting a respotted black.
Allen remains to be effectively positioned to complete this season because the world primary, main the best way on the provisional end-of-season standings.
The Pistol boasts a a lot superior head-to-head report over Williams, successful 14 out of their 22 fixtures towards each other.
They most just lately clashed on the Gamers Championship when Allen prevailed 6-3 earlier than continuing to etch his identify onto the trophy.
Williams and Allen have moreover met 3 times in multi-session affairs, with the previous main that individual stat 2-1.
2024 Tour Championship Draw
Spherical of 12 (bo19)
Mark Williams (8) 10-9 Tom Ford (9)
Mark Allen (5) 10-7 John Higgins (12)
Gary Wilson (6) 10-8 Mark Selby (11)
Barry Hawkins (7) 8-10 Ali Carter (10)
Quarter-Finals (bo19)
Judd Trump (1) 4-10 Mark Williams (8)
Ding Junhui (4) 8-10 Mark Allen (5)
Zhang Anda (3) 8-10 Gary Wilson (6)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-2 Ali Carter (10)
Semi-Finals (bo19)
Matches to be performed on April fifth and sixth.
Instances in UTC.
Mark Williams (8) vs Mark Allen (5)
Sat, 1pm and 7pm
Gary Wilson (6) 7-10 Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Closing (bo19)
Match to be performed on April seventh.
Instances in UTC.
M. Williams/Allen vs Ronnie O’Sullivan
Solar, 1pm and 7pm
Featured picture credit score: WST