2024 Northern Ireland Open Snooker: Friday 25th October Quarter-Finals Preview, Schedule

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It’s quarter-finals Friday at the 2024 Northern Ireland Open. The last eight line-up consists of five world championship winners, and three players aiming to win their maiden ranking event title.

Action starts at 12:00 noon local time with quarter-final matches being the best of nine frames.

First up is Neil Robertson versus Pang Junxu; the head-to-head record is one each, although their last meeting was over two-and-a-half years ago.

Australian Robertson is seeking to become the first player to complete the Home Nations Series full house having already claimed the English, Scottish and Welsh Open accolades.

Pang is trying to reach the third ranking event semi-final of his career. Earlier this week he eliminated Luca Brecel - it was the third time this season, from three matches, that Pang had defeated the 2023 World Champion.

Next on the baize will be the first of two all-World Champion clashes as current Crucible King Kyren Wilson meets Mark Williams for the first time on the World Snooker Tour in over three-and-a-half years.

Wilson survived back-to-back deciding frame finishes in his first two matches of this week before a 4-1 victory over teenager Stan Moody. Williams has dropped three frames in three matches, so far.

In terms of previous head-to-head, it firmly favours Wilson.

The evening session features two matches starting at the same time. On the second table, there is a huge opportunity up for grabs for both world number 71 Louis Heathcote and world number 35 Elliot Slessor with a place in the last four at stake.

Heathcote has come from the opening round of the tournament. He has won five matches; the first three were deciding frame finishes, including a victory over fellow Leicester cueist Mark Selby. This will be the second ranking event quarter-final of his career; he has never been past this stage before.

Slessor is having a very good season, and is appearing in his second last eight tie of the term. A three-time ranking event semi-finalist in the past, the 30-year-old will be trying to reach his first final this week at the Waterfront.

On the main table in the evening it’s a real blockbuster encounter between Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy.

Reigning Northern Ireland Open champion and runaway world number one Trump is still on course to lift The Alex Higgins Trophy for a fifth time. He has relinquished three frames during his latest trip to Belfast.

Murphy on the other hand has been behind by two frames in all three of his matches, so far, in the Northern Irish capital. Against Stuart Bingham in the last 16 on Thursday, Murphy forced a deciding frame from 3-1 down, and then had to recover from 60-0 in points in the decider, before eventually winning it on the final black.

From all their previous professional meetings, Trump leads the head-to-head by just over 2 to 1. He has also won their last five matches, including two big encounters this season in the Shanghai Masters final and Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters semi-finals.

For full details on the 2024 Northern Ireland Open including the draw, results, prize money, schedule and how to watch, please visit our tournament information centre here.

2024 Northern Ireland Open Snooker, Friday 25th October quarter-finals schedule:

12:00BST

  • Neil Robertson v Pang Junxu

followed by

  • Mark Williams v Kyren Wilson

19:00BST

  • Louis Heathcote v Elliot Slessor
  • Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy

All quarter-finals are the best of nine frames with a scheduled mid-session interval after the fourth frame.

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