World Snooker Championship 2024: Quarter-finals matches, preview and schedule

The quarter-finals of the 2024 World Snooker Championship take place across Tuesday and Wednesday at the Crucible Theatre. It is the final round before the arena is transformed to a one-table set-up for the last four.

All last eight matches are the first to 13 frames and are scheduled to be played across three sessions. We take a look at the fixtures on show...

(Seed numbers in brackets)

David Gilbert (Qualifier) v Stephen Maguire (Qualifier)

• Sessions: Tuesday 10:00BST, Tuesday 19:00BST, Wednesday 14:30BST

Career head-to-head record: Gilbert 2-5 Maguire

A contest featuring two qualifiers - but both ranking event winners with top 16 experience - David Gilbert and Stephen Maguire navigated two qualifying matches to return to the main stage before eliminating seed players in consecutive rounds.

Gilbert inflicted the ‘Crucible Curse’ as he conjured up a brilliant comeback from 9-6 down to win 10-9 on the opening day and send defending champion Luca Brecel home. He then breezed past number 16 seed Robert Milkins 13-4.

The 42-year-old had a quiet season up until this run with a quarter-final at the Northern Ireland Open representing his best result. He is looking to reach the one-table for the second time after his semi-final deciding frame heartbreak in 2019.

Maguire is aiming for a third date with the one-table; 12 years on from his last appearance on it. Similar to his opponent, he hasn’t been past a last eight this term (two ranking event quarter-finals).

Grit and determination aplenty were on show from the 43-year-old during wins against Ali Carter (10-7) and Shaun Murphy (13-9).

Both Gilbert and Maguire have hit three centuries each in this main phase, so far; only Joe O’Connor can match that tally.

Kyren Wilson (12) v John Higgins (13)

• Sessions: Tuesday 14:30BST, Wednesday 10:00BST, Wednesday 19:00BST

Career head-to-head record: Higgins 19-6 Wilson (please note, 16 of these matches have come in the short-format Championship League. If you disregard those, the record is 7-2 in favour of Higgins)

Kyren Wilson is once again coming alive on the Crucible stage, and of the eight players left, he has relinquished the least amount of frames from his opening round wins (7).

The Englishman has had a frustrating season with only one ranking event semi-final to his name, although there have been some promising signs in recent months. Wilson crushed Dominic Dale 10-1 and was comfortable against debutant O’Connor 13-6.

In ten Crucible appearances, this is Wilson’s seventh trip to the quarters, although his first since 2021.

John Higgins, somehow, kept his world championship hopes alive and top 16 status intact with an astonishing counter-clearance in the deciding frame of his last 16 win over Mark Allen. It was the first black ball decider at the Crucible in 18 years. He also came from behind early on to defeat qualifier Jamie Jones 10-6 in round one.

Higgins hasn’t won a ranking event in over three years - perhaps incredible to think after his back-to-the-wall heroics on Monday night. He hasn’t lifted a Triple Crown trophy since his triumph here 13 years ago.

In terms of career meetings, Higgins bosses that stat. They have met each other three times at the Crucible and Higgins has won on every occasion, including a 13-2 last 16 annihilation last year.

Judd Trump (3) v Jak Jones (Qualifier)

• Sessions: Tuesday 10:00BST, Tuesday 19:00BST, Wednesday 10:00BST

Career head-to-head record: Trump 4-1 Jones

Second favourite for the tournament before a ball was struck, Judd Trump has not been put under any great pressure so far.

The 2019 champion - looking to equal his own record of six ranking titles within a season - claimed first session leads against both Hossein Vafaei and Tom Ford, and continued to keep them at arm’s length for the remainder of the ties with respective 10-5 and 13-7 victories.

The world number two has not been at his high-scoring best - nor has anyone in this event, so far - but he has exhibited fantastic patience and matchplay acumen to get the tasks complete without a sweat. Trump will be looking to reach the one-table scenario for the sixth time in his career (previous: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2022).

Jones is ripping up the form book again and coping superbly on the sport’s grandest stage. He is the first player since Matthew Stevens in 1998 and 1999 to reach back-to-back world championship quarter-finals in his first two Crucible campaigns.

Including his two qualifying matches, Jones has won all four of his fixtures by at least four frames.

His run has come out of the blue having endured a disappointing season. Prior to this event, the 30-year-old had only been past the last 32 of a ranking event once, and sat 67th on the one-year list.

In order to mount a serious challenge to Trump, Jones will surely need to up his scoring game against him. He is the only player in the last eight not to have won a ranking event, been inside the top 16, or reached the one-table here.

Stuart Bingham (Qualifier) v Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)

• Sessions: Tuesday 14:30BST, Wednesday 14:30BST, Wednesday 19:00BST

Career head-to-head record: Bingham 4-18 O’Sullivan

Former champion Stuart Bingham had to survive 10-9 (from 9-7 down) and 10-8 outcomes in the qualifying rounds just to reach the Crucible this year. After dispatching number 10 seed Gary Wilson 10-5, he squeezed past Jack Lisowski 13-11 in round two.

Like most of the players left, Bingham has not had an enjoyable season up to this tournament, going past the last 32 of just one event (Scottish Open quarters). This is his fifth world championship last eight, and he is aiming to reach the last four for the third time.

Ronnie O’Sullivan remains on course for a record eighth world championship in the modern era and his first ‘Triple Crown Grand Slam’ having won the UK Championship and Masters in an amazing five-title season already.

‘The Rocket’ has moved into a record-extended 22nd Crucible quarter-final with relative ease, dispatching Jackson Page 10-1 and Ryan Day 13-7. The 48-year-old has not been on his ‘A’ game, but has shown brilliant professionalism on the table and been positive off it. Despite those issues, O’Sullivan has still scored two centuries and a further 19 breaks over 50, so far. He is looking to reach the single-table arena for the 14th time.

Focusing on the head-to-heads, O’Sullivan has a dominant record, although Bingham has eliminated him from the UK Championship twice, and the quarter-finals here in 2015 (13-9) on his way to snooker’s ultimate prize.

O’Sullivan did win their first two Crucible meetings (2009, 2013).