After not playing quite at their best yesterday, Stephen Maguire and Mark Allen showed today why they are now two of the favourites for this event…
Stephen Maguire 5-0 Joe Perry
After his unconvincing performance against Mark Davis yesterday, Stephen Maguire looked much better today against Joe Perry who was able to score just 35 points.
Breaks of 50, 87, and 79 were the highlights of a performance that Maguire himself has said was much different to yesterday as he felt like he would make a big break every time he came to the table. Playing like this he will fancy his chances of ranking event title number five (his fourth overseas), this week and will now play the winner of the match between Neil Robertson and Stephen Lee.
Joe Perry though will be cursing whoever does the draws as he once again loses to one of the world’s best players in the last 16. It doesn’t get any easier in the next few events either as he is scheduled to meet Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last 16 of both the Masters and the UK Championship!
Mark Allen 5-2 Michael Judge
Also improving on yesterday was world number 16 Mark Allen who recorded a reasonably straightforward 5-2 win over Michael Judge this morning.
Saying that, it was an entertaining start as both players traded half-century breaks to leave the match level at the interval, but resuming at 2-2, Mark found his scoring boots and hit breaks of 62, 44, 67 and 83 to power into the quarter-finals.
In his second quarter-final of the season, his first since his home event in Northern Ireland in August, Mark now awaits the winner of the match between Barry Hawkins and Mike Dunn later today. Given how the draw is unfolding, Mark has arguably his best chance yet to claim his first ranking event title, though he may well have to get past Stephen Maguire in the semi-finals should he make it that far. He is due a big breakthrough though and it might just be this week…