UK Championship Snooker day 7: Carter headlines with Higgins
Published:
Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | November 30, 2015
UK Championship Snooker day seven
- UK Championship
- Monday, November 30th
- First break-off: 13:00 GMT
- Barbican Centre, York
- Live on the BBC
Last 32 gets underway
There are 16 spots up for grabs in the UK Championship Snooker’s fourth round, and only room for one of top baize pros Ali Carter and John Higgins.
Scottish potter and three-time event winner Higgins is 17-6 on head-to-heads with the Captain, so Coral make the Wizard of Wishaw odds-on 1/2 match favourite.
Carter, 13/8 for victory, has had to work more for his spot in the last 32, but this represents a chance for him to reach the quarter-finals with a lesser seed to follow in the round of 16 if he beats Higgins.
The sixth seed recently beat the Captain 4-2 at the Champion of Champions event in Coventry, however, and dropping just a couple of frames appeals again. Higgins is an 11/2 chance to win 6-2 at York’s Barbican Centre.
Ebdon encounters Ball Run battle
Reigning world champion Stuart Bingham, meanwhile, plays conservative potter and 2002 Crucible king Peter Ebdon, trailing him 8-7 in past meetings.
Bingham’s progress in recent years and his victory in Sheffield this past May are why he is the top seed at this tournament, but he looks very short at 4/11 for victory.
A 6-4 scoreline in favour of Ebdon could be a smart investment at a tasty 10/1, although it took a final frame decider for him to outlast fellow veteran Dominic Dale.
Two more ties in afternoon session
Middling order players Matthew Selt and Robbie Williams have one win apiece from two previous encounters It’s higher ranked Selt who starts as odds-on 8/15 for victory in their snooker showdown.
Williams’ win over 10th seed Joe Perry is not without merit, however, so a 6/4 on him following that up in York cannot be ignored.
Chinese cueman Li Hang dumped 11th seed Ricky Walden out of the UK Championship in a deciding frame to set up a first-ever encounter with Jamie Burnett, who bested fellow Scotsman Alan McManus. Both are rated equal 10/11 match chances.
Selby is Monday evening’s main attraction
The Jester from Leicester and world number one Mark Selby will be way of his last 32 match against veteran Welsh potter Jamie Jones, as he lost when they last met at the Australian Open. Selby is odds-on at 3/10 to avenge that here, however, with Jones a big 5/2 price to repeat that shock victory.
Jack Lisowski should feel confident about his prospects of playing the winner of the Bingham v Ebdon battle after knocking out 11th seed Graeme Dott in round two. The Big Lisowski is odds-on at 2/5 to beat fellow giant-killer David Grace, who is 15/8 to follow up his elimination of Robert Milkins.
Veterans Michael Holt and Joe Swail meet for the first time in five years, with the latter 4-2 up on head-to-heads. Northern Ireland’s Swail is terrific value at 13/8 to improve on that record. Belgian talent Luca Brecel against Finnish potter Robin Hull completes Mondau’s action.
