The 2026 English Open has rapidly been whittled right down to its final 16 contenders, with gamers subsequent vying for a spot within the quarter-finals on Thursday in Brentwood.
Half of the these remaining within the discipline are high 16 members, together with a few former champions of the House Nations Collection event.
Judd Trump and Mark Selby are each two-time English Open winners who stay on target to lift the Steve Davis Trophy aloft once more.
The English pair, who every already boast silverware from this season, are on reverse sides of the draw on the Brentwood Centre.
China Open champion Selby is within the high half and should be operating on fumes at current contemplating how a lot time he has been spending on the baize of late.
The four-time world champion narrowly missed out on glory finally week’s British Open, shedding the ultimate 10-6 to Jak Jones.
In Cheltenham, Selby emerged from his first three matches in deciding frames and it has been comparable right here, with back-to-back 4-3 wins over Ricky Walden and Zhang Anda taking him by way of to the final 16.
It will get even more durable for the 43 year-old subsequent, with former English Open runner-up Kyren Wilson his subsequent problem within the draw.
The one different high 16 participant within the high part is Ding Junhui, who has equally survived some taxing matches to get this far.
Ding is in severe want of some rating factors with loads to return off his rolling two-year tally within the close to future.
Certainly, Ding is manner down at quantity 24 on the provisional Race to the UK Championship standings, which means he must qualify for York and considered one of his favorite occasions if he can’t kind out his kind quickly.
The 39 year-old faces Joe O’Connor subsequent, whereas the opposite video games within the higher bracket pit Ali Carter and Zhou Yuelong in opposition to Gong Chenzhi and Yuan Sijun respectively.
Within the backside half, Shanghai Masters winner Trump has arrange a gathering with Scotland’s Anthony McGill.
Though Trump has been a constant drive towards the enterprise finish of rating occasions, he really solely boasts one title of such standing in nearly two years – the German Masters, which he received in February.
He stays one of many favourites at each occasion, however there may be some strain – not least from himself – so as to add to his tally of 31 rating crowns.
Issues look aggressive in Trump’s decrease bracket, with the likes of world champion Wu Yize, Crucible runner-up Shaun Murphy, and all-time legend Mark Williams nonetheless within the hunt for the £100,000 high prize.
Wu, who was a finalist within the 2024 English Open, is hoping to play himself into kind after a sluggish begin to the 2026/27 season.
The Chinese language star faces Liam Davies subsequent, whereas Murphy and Williams encounter Pang Junxu and Barry Hawkins respectively.
All eight best-of-seven matches within the final 16 happen on Thursday, with the 2 foremost classes of play commencing at 13:00 and 19:00 BST.
Featured photograph credit score: WST
