Snooker

The Grand Prix starts tonight, the opening of the three tournaments that make up the Players Series (Grand Prix, Players Championship & Tour Championship). It's the top 32 players of this season alone, so there's some obvious missing players like John Higgins, Stephen Maguire and, of course, the Chinese players who've been suspended. There's also other names on there who may be unfamiliar to a lot but because of how the ranking system works, they've qualified for this thanks to one decent run in a tournament like Sam Craigie in the UK Championship or Joe O'Connor getting to the final of the Scottish Open.

Some really mouth-watering prospects but as it's the top 32 players you would expect some belting matches.

Draw in full;

Mark Allen 4 v 2 Dave Gilbert
Zhou Yuelong 4 v 3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Jack Lisowski 4 v 3 Rob Milkins
Neil Robertson 1 v 4 Xiao Guodong
Mark Williams v Jamie Jones
Ricky Walden v Ryan Day
Ding Junhui v Stuart Bingham
Mark Selby v Noppon Saenngkham
Lyu Haotian v Joe O'Connor
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins
Judd Trump v Hossein Vafaei
Kyren Wilson v Robbie Williams
Sam Craigie v Tom Ford
Shaun Murphy v Ali Carter
Gary Wilson v Anthony McGill
Luca Brecel v Joe Perry

I'm sure Trump and O'Sullivan will start as the usual favourites, they've both been handed very difficult opening matches. Mark Allen starts as the number one seed thanks to the season he's had so far but in the last couple of tournaments he's gone off the boil slightly. Out in the group stage of the Champion of Champions, first round defeat in the Masters, 2nd round exit in the Scottish Open - the exception being the English Open where he reached the semis. Robertson is another who'll be highly fancied but this season has been feast or famine for the Aussie, three semi finals in all of the Home Nations series so far and first round exits in the other tournaments (UK Champs, Champion of Champions and Masters).

But it has to be only a matter of time before Lisowski wins something so I'm gonna pick him as the winner of this one.

This Allen/Gilbert match so far has to be one of the worst matches I've ever watched. Both are missing the easiest of shots, can't control the cue ball, safety has been poor and it isn't making for good viewing at all.

Sometimes sh*t matches can be entertaining but this is just poor beyond belief.

Mark Allen 4 v 2 Dave Gilbert
Zhou Yuelong 4 v 3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Jack Lisowski 4 v 3 Rob Milkins
Neil Robertson 1 v 4 Xiao Guodong
Mark Williams 4 v 1 Jamie Jones
Ricky Walden 1 v 4 Ryan Day
Ding Junhui 4 v 0 Stuart Bingham
Mark Selby 1 v 4 Noppon Saenngkham
Lyu Haotian 2 v 4 Joe O'Connor
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4 v 0 Barry Hawkins
Judd Trump 4 v 2 Hossein Vafaei
Kyren Wilson 4 v 2 Robbie Williams
Sam Craigie v Tom Ford
Shaun Murphy v Ali Carter
Gary Wilson v Anthony McGill
Luca Brecel v Joe Perry

Mark Allen 4 v 2 Dave Gilbert
Zhou Yuelong 4 v 3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Jack Lisowski 4 v 3 Rob Milkins
Neil Robertson 1 v 4 Xiao Guodong
Mark Williams 4 v 1 Jamie Jones
Ricky Walden 1 v 4 Ryan Day
Ding Junhui 4 v 0 Stuart Bingham
Mark Selby 1 v 4 Noppon Saenngkham
Lyu Haotian 2 v 4 Joe O'Connor
Ronnie O'Sullivan 4 v 0 Barry Hawkins
Judd Trump 4 v 2 Hossein Vafaei
Kyren Wilson 4 v 2 Robbie Williams
Sam Craigie 4 v 2 Tom Ford
Shaun Murphy 4 v 0 Ali Carter
Gary Wilson 1 v 4 Anthony McGill
Luca Brecel 4 v 1 Joe Perry

Which sets up the following matches for the last 16 starting this evening;

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Noppon Saenngkham
Zhou Yuelong v Jack Lisowski
Mark Allen v Joe O'Connor
Mark Williams v Ding Junhui
Ryan Day v Xiao Guodong
Kyren Wilson v Shaun Murphy
Judd Trump v Luca Brecel
Sam Craigie v Anthony McGill

Ronnie is out, having lost 4-2 to Noppon Saengkham despite taking a two nil lead. And Jack Lisowski is still going strong, having beaten Zhou Yuelong by the same scoreline.

Mark Williams set up a quarter final match with Noppon Saengkham after a very comfortable 4-0 win over Ding. Mark Allen struggled a bit more but overcame Joe O'Connor with a 4-3 win to set up a potentially belting last eight encounter with Jack Lisowski. Those two matches will take place tonight.

This afternoons session will see the remaining four games from the last 16. Firstly Luca Brecel and Judd Trump will square off for the right to play either Xiao Guodong or Ryan Day. And then Kyren Wilson goes up against Shaun Murphy, where the winner will play with the winner of Sam Craigie and Anthony McGill.

A whitewash from Trump over Brecel set up a quarter final with Xiao Guodong who beat Ryan Day 4-1. And the final quarter final will be Anthony McGill, who beat Sam Craigie 4-0, against Shaun Murphy who defeated Kyren Wilson 4-2 with a quality century in the final frame.

Quarter finals in full;

Mark Williams v Noppon Saengkham
Mark Allen v Jack Lisowski
Judd Trump v Xiao Guodong
Anthony McGill v Shaun Murphy

Noppon Saengkham has done it again, beating Mark Williams 5-3. So that's three former world champions in Selby, O'Sullivan and now Williams all falling at the hands of the Thai player this week. Not a bad list of names to have on your CV.

We're no nearer knowing who'll he play in the semi final as Lisowski and Allen are all tied at three all. Bit of controversy in the fourth frame over a free ball. And a match that has, so far, lacked a little in quality.

And here we go to a decider between Allen and Lisowski.

So Mark Allen has finally got over the line and knocked my tip, Jack Lisowski, out 6-5. For a match that lacked quality throughout, the last couple of frames were really gripping.

Allen against Saengkham in the first semi final.

A 5-3 win for Trump over Guodong and a 5-4 win for Murphy over McGill sets up a semi-final match between the two former World champions.

A 6-1 victory for Mark Allen against Noppon Saengkham sees him become our first finalist and will play either Trump or Murphy in the final on Sunday.

He's shown glimpses of quality this week but has been more solid than spectacular. Yet he's in another final so it's not doing him any harm playing this way.

A comfortable 6-2 win for Trump over Murphy sets up another all left handed final against Mark Allen.

First frame to Mark Allen.

There's been a lot of talk about his change of play and how he's become a bit more safety first and slower around the table but if it's getting him results then it's hard to criticise because it's obviously working, even if it's not the best of the eye.

Bit scrappy so far but Trump takes the second to level up the match.

1-1

Bit better there from Judd with a 70 odd break to take the lead.

2-1.

Another scrappy frame in the fourth but Mark Allen took it eventually to tie us up at two a piece going into the mid-session interval.

Most fluent Allen has looked all final and he goes ahead 3-2 with a frame winning break of 88.

Trump went into the pack off the blue but forgot the pot the blue and left Allen in amongst them and he won the frame from there.

4-2.

Yet another scrappy frame where both players had chances to win but it ends up with Allen winning his fourth frame on the spin and extending the lead.

5-2.

6-2 to Allen going into this evening session.

Allen got in with a good 40 odd break then missed a relatively easy red into the middle (which to be fair, has been happening all week because the middle pockets aren't accepting many) but Trump missed a red into the yellow pocket and left Allen back in amongst them and the Pistol was only too happy to take the second chance and extend the lead to four frames.

First frame of the evening session goes the way the last couple of the afternoon went. Judd missing a red he really should be getting and Allen doing enough to then win the frame in one visit.

7-2.

Judd finally stops the rot with the best break of the match, both in terms of score and quality. First century of the final and a total clearance of 140. This was Trump at his best, hopefully he can carry on this form and make a real fist of this final.

7-3