Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby follow Judd Trump and John Higgins - Scottish Open 2021 snooker LIVE updates

ByDaniel Harris

Updated 09/12/2021 at 23:44 GMT

Judd Trump beat David Lilley and John Higgins overcame Ryan Day in the afternoon session. This evening, both Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby will be playing from 19:00 in what is a loaded schedule for the evening session. Stream the Scottish Open and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+

‘I thought it was a disgrace’ – Higgins slams O’Sullivan ‘don’t choose snooker’ comments

That's us for today

Join us again tomorrow!

World Championship

O’Sullivan in favour of World Championship move - 'I don’t actually like The Crucible'

an hour ago

Dave speaks

He says he was lucky to win - he can't believe a player as good as Judd missed a green as easy as the one Judd missed, to beat him, that he threw it away, hasn't been playing well, hasn't practised for this, and was gone at the end. But he's in the next round!

Around the tables

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-4 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 2-2 Scott Donaldson [35]

20:00 - John Higgins [7] 2-2 Martin Gould [23]

20:00 - Martin O'Donnell [46] 2-4 Li Hang [39]

Dave Gilbert beats Judd Trump 4-3!

He's only the seventh person to beat Judd over best of seven in the Home International Series, and I'm not quite sure how it happened, but it happened. Great match, and he meets Higgins or Gould next.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (56-57)

Dave needs blue, pink and black, and rills the former into right corner, takes the pink to the middle, and he's lovely on the black! P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E!

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (56-39)

He misses it and leaves it, then Judd misses it and leaves it! Out of nowhere, Dave is now a steaming favourite for the match! This game!

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (56-39)

Judd sees away the yellow but it doesn't change much: he still needs green and brown. But when he's left a long one on the former, he misses it, and the balls are all in play now. Will Dave take on the pit he's been left, white in baulk, green near the blue spot and available to right corner? Here we go...

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (54-39)

Judd's already got the pink safe and now only the blue is in the open; Dave will have to knock some into play, which he does, then Judd sends the yellow safe again.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (54-39)

This is gruelling stuff, and I'm just talking about blogging. Judd gets the final red, but because he needs more than colour-yellow, he doesn't bother taking them on because green and brown remain tied up.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (53-39)

Gsh, Dave directs a pink into the far knuckle of right corner, and somehow it flicks onto the one opposite and drains itself. But he runs out of position a little, so thinks about taking the black to middle, which will mean going down then up the table to get in behind the final red, on the top cushion, thinks about the pink, then plays safe.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (53-12)

Have a look! After a protracted safety exchange, a decent shot from Dave persuades Judd to take on a pot, he misses and goes in-off. Chance for Dave, because there's a red over the pocket, but he'd probably take just getting back into the frame because green and brown are close together and close to the bottom cushion. But he's got the reds open, so is in position to do just that.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (53-3)

Er, it's not making loads of difference, but then on 48 he runs out of position and the safety recommences.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (33-3)

With Dave, you sometimes get the impression that he's waiting to lose, and he's exuding those vibes now. That isn't to say Judd won't miss and/or he might clear up, but he's not sat there willing it, trying to put the pressure on. Perhaps he's hustling. But in the meantime, Judd is building a lead, though also about to run out of easy reds.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert (11-0)

Dave plays a terrific safety, landing the white between the green and bottom cushion; Judd plays a perfect escape, all the way down to the other end of the table, hitting on the final roll. Judd then manages a break of one, before playing a telling safety, leaving Davie tight behind the green and very close to the bottom cushion; he has to come off it and the two sides to get to a single red - there's no cluster - and the first time he hits the yellow halfway. The chances of hitting one and getting it safe look slim, and second time he goes the other way and makes it, but there's a starter right by left corner, and that might be the match.

Trump 3-3 Gilbert

The boys shake hands, and here we go!

Around the tables

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-4 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 1-2 Scott Donaldson [35]

20:00 - John Higgins [7] 1-1 Martin Gould [23]

20:00 - Martin O'Donnell [46] 2-2 Li Hang [39]

Trump 3-3 Gilbert

Settle in, we've got wa decider! Judd is suuuuch a competitor.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (44-46)

This game! Snookered behind the yellow, Dave plays down the length of the table, hits the red from behind and clatters it into the right-middle! He's going to win the match on a fluke! Er, no he isn't, he missed the black! What a match this is, again, and again we're going to get the decider it and we deserve!

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (44-45)

A gentle cannon off the blue into a pair of reds, means this is a chance to win frame and match at this visit! He gets a point in front, and there's now one red punkt on the top cushion and another at ten o'clock to it and the white; dare he try it to the side? No! He's concerned that if he misses, Judd will send the other red up the table and snooker him, so he plays safe ... and Judd crashes it from the left side of the table to the green pocket! Incredible! But he can't parlay it into anything more, so we're now chasing the last red.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (44-18)

Or does it! Judd misses a cut to left corner and there's a red available for Dave, mid-distance and straight. He raps it against the leather, screws over for the pink, and gets to work - but all bar one of the reds are close to the top cushion. Still, as chances go, he'd've took it.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (24-10)

It's Dave who wins the exchange, but he finds himself with balls everywhere but not a drop to pot, ceding the table to Judd - I'm not sure how because my SkyGo crashes - and a decider looks likely.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (0-9)

Judd pots a red but goes in-off, leaving nothing, and it's time for some skilful knocking of reds about the top end of the table en route back to baulk.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (0-9)

Yup, re-rack.

Trump 2-3 Gilbert (0-9)

Now then. Judd leaves a simple starter to the middle and Dave, who might be denying himself a cig by now had he not got a nasty kick, is in first again. But forcing a black of its spot, he rattles it about the jaws and gets lucky when the white comes to rest inside the cluster. They'll now poke about in there and perhaps contemplate a re-rack.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-4 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 0-2 Scott Donaldson [35]

20:00 - John Higgins [7] 1-0 Martin Gould [23]

20:00 - Martin O'Donnell [46] 1-2 Li Hang [39]

Trump 2-3 Gilbert

Yeah, Judd's Judd again now. It's ridiculous how hard he is to beat over best of seven.

Trump 1-3 Gilbert (53-9)

On 45, Judd runs out of position and has a look at a reverse plant, then trying a tight cut, flicks a red he was worried was in the way because it was. He leaves a really nasty one to right middle, the angle extremely acute, so Dave has a think, sinks it beautifully, and already this is a chance for frame and match! But as he goes to clip an easier one to left middle, he gets a huge kick! The ball doesn't go anywhere near the pocket, missing it thick, and Judd will surely get to within one - karmic payback for Dave's earlier ton which stated with a fluked plant. This game!

Trump 1-3 Gilbert (32-1)

Aaargggh! Dave knocks in a fine long red,, then misses black. As such, Judd is now back potting balls and the tide might just've turned - though it remains the case that one decent contribution and Dave wins.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-4 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 0-1 Scott Donaldson [35]

20:00 - John Higgins [7] 0-0 Martin Gould [23]

Trump 1-3 Gilbert

Interesting. Very interesting! A run of 113 and Judd is in the match; hold on to your toupees!

Trump 0-3 Gilbert (42-6)

Dave has cooled, and when he misses a red he hands Judd a nice chance. If Judd does take this one, Dave shouldn't concern himself - though the missed position off that early red will rankle, when does his opponent ever get wiped?

Trump 0-3 Gilbert (0-6)

But no, his honesty is rewarded when Dave runs out of position, and the pair end up tickling behind a red on the top cushion - re-rack territory - before a touching ball forces Dave down the table.

Trump 0-3 Gilbert (0-6)

Judd's highest break tonight is 14; he's won his last two matches in 41 minutes, and before tonight hadn't lost a frame this week. After he beat David Lillee this afternoon, he said he likes playing matches and would happily have every round on one day. But he still can't get going, missing a red to the yellow pocket. Dave drains it, but doesn't get position so has to go behind the yellow, a poor consolation, and then he misses one, leaving it over right corner - the nice easy starter Judd needed. BUT WHAT?! Judd has to reach over balls to get at it, and pulls out of the shot because he brushed one1 That might cost him the match!

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-4 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 0-1 Scott Donaldson [35]

Trump 0-3 Gilbert

This time Dave does get his ton, 106, before he misses brown to green pocket. He won't care at all, and he's one away!

Trump 0-2 Gilbert (0-79)

Dave's responded so well to snaffling that dreadful, amusing first frame, not allowing Judd to the table just as Judd's spent the week doing to others.

Trump 0-2 Gilbert (0-52)

I said Judd would definitely get better, but actually so far he hasn't had the chance to because Dave got so much better. While I remember, McGill has beaten Selby 4-3 - Selby was 3-0 down and had never previously lost in this competition, having won the last two. Anyway, Dave sizes up a nasty cut-back red, fully commits to it, and the table is set beautiful now. 3-0 is imminent!

Trump 0-2 Gilbert (0-20)

Oooh! Playing safe, Dave clips one corner of the cluster, that arrange the ball on the opposite corner to go into the corner via plant. For extra points, he cannons the blue on the way back down the table, and he is grooved!

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] 0-0 Scott Donaldson [35]

Trump 0-2 Gilbert

But no! On 97, Dave misses a black to right corner no harder than the ones he's been slotting, and swishes his cue in annoyance. But he's also two frames in front, and that'll do.

Trump 0-1 Gilbert (0-96)

Dave's taken these nicely, and he decides to take the difficult red early because the chance presents itself; he drains it well, and this is beautiful stuff! Every shot in this break, stroked into the heart of the pocket.

Trump 0-1 Gilbert (0-73)

I say that, and there's one red marooned on the side cushion, another in baulk, but when he finds that one at the bottom of the cluster goes when perhaps he might not, he's in the game. he frame is basically settled, so he'll feel he can stay with the black. Mon Dave!

Trump 0-1 Gilbert (0-56)

Yup, Dave's grooved now, and we're on six red-blacks. I don't think a maxi is likely because he'll have to take some balls to the middle, but he's still in the game.

Trump 0-1 Gilbert (0-24)

This is totally not the match I was expecting; Dave misses another red. But then he sinks a harder one that takes him onto the black and begins removing loose reds.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 3-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 4-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

Trump 0-1 Gilbert

Dave will be delighted to win that, but will know that if he doesn't improve by several orders of magnitude, he'll lose, because Judd definitely will.

Trump 0-0 Gilbert (16-66)

But he's not going to, cue nicely once the frame is secure.

Trump 0-0 Gilbert (16-43)

Judd tries to play a red in baulk off the side cushion and back up the table, which he does, but he also goes in off. Dave has a long look at a red over left corner, and decides he can't get through to it, because at either end of its path, lie the outermost fibres of yellow and green, so sits down and puts Judd in ... who drains it! That will feel embarrassing, but not for long because Judd then misses the blue, handing Dave another go! I can't remember the last time I saw Judd play so poor a frame and for that reason Dave will feel very poorly if he loses it.

Trump 0-0 Gilbert (15-33)

Goodness me, Judd has played the three worst shots I've seen him play this week, in the first 15 minutes of this match, a red missed to left corner. Dave can make the frame safe at this visit ... but as I type that, he gets awkwardly on the black, so plays safe off the green.

Trump 0-0 Gilbert (15-24)

Ach, Dave misses a very makeable cut to left centre, and he'll do well to get away with this because surely Judd will use the easy balls to play himself back into his form of this afternoon and the last few days.

Trump 0-0 Gilbert (9-0)

Nerves! First Judd brings a red up the table off the break, then Dave misses it to right middle! Judd sinks it, misses the brown, opens the pack, and hands Dave the black-spot area!

Judd and Dave are with us

Ronnie speaks

"He will win a ranking tournament." he says of Jamie, praising how well hit hits the ball and saying he'll played better tonight. He reckons experience got him through, and says he was getting frustrated, hence the bash of the table, and distracted watching brilliant snooker on table two where Anthony McGil was "doing miracle dishes" on Mark Selby. He says he's patient and applying himself, and in 2011 he was going nowhere then won a tournament and it fired him for five years.

Otherwise, he returns to the theme of applying himself, saying he's been playing exhibition snooker for years but now he's competing, and that perhaps his run will come in Sheffield. He's feeling it at the moment.

Coming up next

Judd Trump v David Gilbert

That's going to be a jazzer.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 2-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 3-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-4 Luca Brecel [44]

Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Jamie Jones 4-3!

Jamie played brilliantly, helping make a great match, but Ronnie's coolness and precision under pressure got him into the last eight. There, he'll play Xi or McDonnell.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones (66-29)

But a kick makes a black difficult - Ronnie is naused. "No!" cries Uncle Joe as the ball dribbles shy of the pocket, but somehow it finds the legs to go in, an though he eventually misses the yellow, he sits down after a run of 66 which leaves Jamie needing three snookers.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones (47-29)

"He can't look," says Uncle Joe of Jamie, "and we can't not look!" Typically, classically, predictably, Ronnie has worked this break out beautifully, and it'll take him missing a ball he shouldn't to give Jamie another chance.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones (12-29)

Now Ronnie misses a slightly easier red, cut to left corner, but though he leaves it, there are no positional options, so Jamie has to play safe. The quality in this exchange is really high, as it goes, but then Jamie plays a weird one, sending a single red careering up and down the table, and it stops in baulk. That, I'm afraid, will cost him, and Ronnie plays a fine green that brings him to a red that brings him to the black.

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones (0-29)

All the way through this match, Jamie has been so composed, aggressive but not wild, and he'll need every ounce of calm, if that's the correct unit of measurement, to send a blue into the yellow pocket when the split goes badly. Ach, he jawses it, but then Ronnie gets down and gets up, changing his mind over which red he can get to, missing the new one but getting the white safe. This is getting nervy, and we love it!

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones (0-20)

And it's Jamie! Off the break, Ronnie leaves a tempting long red to right corner and it goes right into the heart of the pocket! Jamie starts picking at the loose balls, and if he can hold himself together, this is a great opportunity to take frame and match!

O'Sullivan 3-3 Jones

That's brilliant from Jamie, who's only missed two balls all night. A run of 84 sets up a decider, and the way the match has gone, whoever gets the first chance will take it.

O'Sullivan 3-2 Jones (0-65)

The split goes really well, and Jamie has constructed this break very well indeed. A decider - a second consecutive one for Ronnie - is almost secure.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 1-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 2-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-3 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 3-2 Jones (0-23)

Ronnie takes on a very difficult long red, diagonally almost the longest-possible distance on the table, and when he misses it, Jamie sinks one long to the green pocket; great pot! There are some lose reds to pick off, so he sets about them, but at some point he'll have to open the pack knowing that if it goes badly, or if there's a subsequent mistake, he'll most likely be off hame.

O'Sullivan 3-2 Jones (0-0)

Another poor break from Jamie leaves a thin cut to middle; Ronnie misses it, then Jamie misses it via double, but gets a decent cue-ball so it's into the cluster for Ronnie and a safety exchange for both.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 0-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 1-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-2 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 3-2 Jones

Big test for Jamie now: can he hold himself together knowing one miss could mean curtains?

O'Sullivan 2-2 Jones (85-0)

Ronnie might've got distracted by what happened in frame three, but instead he took advantage of Jamie's poor luck in frame four, stepped it up, and now he's one away.

O'Sullivan 2-2 Jones (50-0)

A poor safety from Jamie, coming off the reds thick, invites Ronnie to the table, and he doesn't need asking twice, quickly getting in and around the black spot. On 31, he runs into trouble, forced to play a cut-back red, and it goes in on the last roll, after which it's to baulk for the yellow then back up the table for prime position.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 0-3 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 0-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-2 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 2-2 Jones

It's a really good match this; can Jamie put the disappointment of what might've been behind him?

O'Sullivan 1-2 Jones (87-1)

Ronnie's back in control, dissecting the frame in very quick time.

O'Sullivan 1-2 Jones (14-1)

We thought these two had never played, but it turns out they did when Jamie was 12 - he made an 82 clearance to take the frame. Anyhow, back in the present day, Ronnie pots a red following the break, but catches it thick so the delicate cut-back black is a tricky one ... and he misses it! That allows Jamie to the table, but taking the aforementioned black - it's over right corner so good for digging into the cluster - he splays reds everywhere only to go in-off. This time, it's him hammering the table, because even at this early stage, 2-2 looks a formality when without that ill-luck, we might be talking about 301.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 0-2 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 0-1 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 1-1 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 1-2 Jones

Jamie hits the front, and looks to be absolutely loving this.

O'Sullivan 1-1 Jones (27-59)

Again, Jamie takes his chance, running out of position with Ronnie needing one four-point snooker to tie; immediately, he lays a very good one, white behind black and red in baulk, on the same line with the yellow there too and the brown close by. If Jamie misses it hard, there's every chance of a free ball, and if he misses it slow, he'll get snookered again. He goes for the latter, but laying the next challenge, Ronnie accidentally pots the red in the middle, and concedes!

O'Sullivan 1-1 Jones (23-13)

Ronnie plays a poor shot but before we have a moment to reflect on it, it transpires that there's an ailing wasp on the table. For a moment, no one knows what to do, then Big brave Jan Verhaas comes over and slams it through the table, after which an irritated Ronnie plays safe, beating the table. He then plays another poor shot, gets lucky when he flukes a red into the middle, then gets what he deserved by going in-of trying to get the white in the jaws of the green pocket.

O'Sullivan 1-1 Jones (23-13)

Jamie can't find a route into the pack so runs out of position and goes back down to baulk, disappointed he didn't punish Ronnie's wild pot but with a handy lead. It's Ronnie, though, who plays the first telling safety, leaving the white behind the brown, and it leads to him sinking a terrific red followed by a fine pink to the yellow pocket. Jamie has shown him he's in a match, and the challenge has been accepted.

O'Sullivan 1-1 Jones (7-13)

Playing safe off a stray red, Jamie sends it into the black, which rolls into the left corner. But he doesn't leave anything, and when Ronnie misses a long red, he nervelessly strokes home a risky mid-distancer to the yellow pocket. Miss it and he was in trouble; that he took it on tells us he's feeling good.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-4 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 0-1 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] 0-0 Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 0-1 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 1-1 Jones

A total clearance of 131, and we're all square. Well done Jamie Jones!

O'Sullivan 1-0 Jones (0-84)

We're reaching crunch point, with the remaining reds either stuck together or towards the side cushion. But he spits them nicely, and he's taken this chance very well, where others might've shrunk. He made an error and lost frame one, then Ronnie made an error and has lost frame two.

O'Sullivan 1-0 Jones (0-33)

This time, Jamie leaves one from the break-off, but Ronnie misses the pot and sets Jamie away. Quickly, he's no choice but to go into the pack, but the he doesn't hit the top red full so he's already chasing, but rights himself nicely and this is now a decent opportunity.

Around the tables

14:00 - Xu Si [98] 3-3 Martin O'Donnell [46]

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] 0-1 Anthony McGill [16]

19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] v Ben Woollaston [52]

19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] 0-0 Luca Brecel [44]

O'Sullivan 1-0 Jones

Jamie played one shot in that frame and it was a nervous one; what happened subsequently won't have eased that feeling. Ronnie does, though, miss a blue to the green pocket, so has to make do with a meagre 96, at which point Jamie returns to the table to acclimatise.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Jones (67-0)

Ronnie has played so well this week - every bit as well as Judd, though the former will probably have to go through Selby and the latter through Higgins to reach the final. the frame is secure, and yet another ton looks inevitable.

O'Sullivan 0-0 Jones (15-0)

Jamie's a good player, better than 46 in the world really, but a dreadful safety shot in response to the break, that not only leaves one but opens the pack, means he's in shtuck from the off - though the red takes a serious wobble prior to dropping.

The boyz are en route to the baize

Here's what we've got for you

19:00 - Mark Selby [1] v Anthony McGill [16]
19:00 - Stephen Maguire [9] v Ben Woollaston [52]
19:00 - Fergal O'Brien [77] v Luca Brecel [44]
19:00 - Ronnie O'Sullivan [3] v Jamie Jones [50]
20:00 - Matthew Selt [33] v Scott Donaldson [35]
20:00 - Xu / O'Donnell v Li Hang [39]
20:00 - John Higgins [7] v Martin Gould [23]
20:00 - David Gilbert [18] v Judd Trump [2]

Evening all

This should be good.

That's us done for the afternoon

Join me again this evening, at 6.45pm GMT, for the quarter-finals: we'll have O'Sullivan v Jones, Jamie, and Trump v Gilbert, so you know what to do.

John Higgins beats Ryan Day 4-0!

I was expecting something a bit closer, I must say, but you can't play that badly against a player as god as Higgins and expect anything more than what transpired. I really hope Ryan sorts himself, because at his best he's a proper player. He meets Gould or Anda next.

Judd speaks

He tells Eurosport that unlike Ronnie, John and Ding, he smashes the pack and doesn't care if the balls go around the table. He also makes sure of the pots, rather than playing for position, and says that if he played on the same table all the time, he could get the white perfect, but that's not the case so he doesn't try to. He also says he likes to get the shot down to 16/17 seconds, because that's how he plays his best - at the UK, he was above 20, and when that happens he doesn't play at his best, noting that Neil is the worst for dropping standards when he slows down. In terms of coming back tonight, he just loves playing, and would happily play all seven matches in a day, adding that best of seven suits him because it forces his brain to pay attention immediately.

It's so good listening to how the mind of a genius works, just a shame that he's not bothered about those less genetically blessed being able to scramble together a living.