Snooker World Cup 2024: John Higgins Overpowers Title Contender Mark Allen, Advancing to the Last Eight
The Final 16 of the 2024 Snooker World Championship has wrapped up. The last four battles ended yesterday, deciding which competitors will square off in the last eight. Here's a rundown of the recent outcomes and a look at today's quarter-final duels.**
Last Round of 16 Bouts Concluded
The last round of 16 matches for this year's Snooker World Championship ended last night:
- Ryan Day – Ronnie O’Sullivan: 7:13
- Joe O’Connor – Kyren Wilson: 6:13
- Jack Lisowski – Stuart Bingham: 11:13
- John Higgins – Mark Allen: 13:12
Now, we know which eight contenders have secured their spots in the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship. With Stephen Maguire, 43, Stuart Bingham, 47, David Gilbert, 42, and Jak Jones, 30, four newcomers have progressed to the quarter-finals. Along the journey, they have toppled robust adversaries and former world champions.
Higgins Holds Nerve in Decider
The bout between John Higgins, 48, and Mark Allen, 38, is already being celebrated as the finest match of the 2024 Snooker World Championship. John Higgins, a four-time world champion and an experienced figure who should never be underestimated, competed against Mark Allen, who is having a remarkable season and was one of the favorites to win the title.
After the first two sessions, Mark Allen led 9:7. entering the decisive session, Allen had the upper hand. Initially, it seemed like Allen would pull away, as he won the initial frame after the break to extend his lead to 7:10.
Then, John Higgins played his finest snooker and won three frames consecutively. Suddenly, the score was tied at 10:10, and the match was once again wide open. Both competitors continued to exchange frames at an extraordinary level, trading blows. With the score tied at 12:12, it was apparent that the match would be concluded in a final frame.
Mark Allen began the concluding frame strongly, producing a break of 62. However, he missed a red, and Higgins swiftly countered with a break of 71. Higgins thus secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Snooker World Championship.
After the match, Higgins expressed relief and described it as one of the most memorable moments of his career [English video]:
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Possible Farewell for German Player Lukas Kleckers?
While the 2024 Snooker World Championship is in full swing, German player Lukas Kleckers, 27, can only watch from the sidelines. Kleckers, the current top German snooker player, qualified for this year's competition but fell in the third round to Chris Wakelin, 32, 5:10.
Kleckers failed to retain his tour placement and will have to battle through the Q School [English link] once more if he wants to continue his professional career.
Yesterday, April 29, Kleckers announced on his blog that he would not participate in this year's Q School:
Despite progressing to the third round, it wasn't quite sufficient to retain my tour placement. To secure a spot among the top 64, I would have needed to win a few more matches, but winning that match would have provided me with a fresh tour ticket on the one-year ranking list. However, for various reasons, I have decided not to participate in the Q School this year.– Lukas Kleckers, German snooker player, Lukaskleckers.com**
Kleczka leaves his statement open as to whether and how his professional snooker career will continue. The 27-year-old is studying mechanical engineering alongside his snooker career and has been funding his snooker tournament travels through crowdfunding in the meantime.
O’Sullivan and Wilson secure Quarterfinal Slots with Ease
Two more matches from the round of 16 concluded yesterday afternoon. Ronnie O'Sullivan, 48, triumphantly defeated Ryan Day, 44, 13-7. The seven-time world champion displayed concentration and assurance. Since the beginning of the Snooker World Championship 2024, The Rocket has consistently impressed in all his matches and maintains his favorite's position.
However, in the post-match interview, O'Sullivan, as usual, was self-critical and described his performance as mediocre [English video]:
Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the upcoming matches and acknowledged that he feels good at the Crucible Theatre this year. In the quarterfinals, he will face Stuart Bingham today at 3:30 PM.
Before long, Kyren Wilson, 32, also secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Snooker World Championship. He managed to defeat debutant Joe O'Connor, 28, 13-6. He played cautiously and committed few mistakes. In the quarterfinals, he will square off against John Higgins today at 3:30 PM.
What's next?
The Snooker World Championship 2024 has a packed schedule. All quarterfinal matches will begin today:
- 11 AM: David Gilbert – Stephen Maguire
- 11 AM: Judd Trump – Jak Jones
- 3:30 PM: Stuart Bingham – Ronnie O'Sullivan
- 3:30 PM: Kyren Wilson – John Higgins
The quarter-finals, much like the last 16, will be contested in a best-of-25 frame setup, split across three sessions (8 frames per session) on the 8th, 8th, and 9th of May. Approximately 58,398 EUR is up for grabs in the quarter-finals.
Which players do the bookies back?
This year's Snooker World Championship has been filled with shocking upsets. Quite a few favorites have bit the dust, giving four qualifiers a shot at glory in the quarter-finals.
The betting odds suggest that the bookies are still banking on a clash between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump:
- Ronnie O'Sullivan: 2.20
- Judd Trump: 3.25
- Kyren Wilson: 7.00
- John Higgins: 7.00
- Stephen Maguire: 18.00
- David Gilbert: 16.00
- Stuart Bingham: 33.00
- Jak Jones: 100.00
Should O'Sullivan and Trump progress to the quarter-finals, they would square off in the semis. With both players in top form, the excitement is already building for a potential early-round showdown.
After securing his spot in the quarter-finals, John Higgins may consider switching gears and attempting his luck in some online casinos in Germany. Despite his recent victory, Higgins might find it relaxing to enjoy some online casino games during his downtime.
Meanwhile, Lukas Kleckers, the current top German snooker player, could potentially explore alternative gaming options as well. With his professional snooker career on hold following his elimination from the World Championship, Kleckers might consider visiting online casinos in Germany to pass the time.
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