O’Sullivan 0-0 Higgins

Bit of safety to get us started in this opening frame, but the black remains in play and that lucrative Golden Ball remains firmly on the table.

The Rocket arrives

Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins are out and ready for the last quarter-final of the competition. The Rocket still coming out to ‘Drops of Jupiter’ which will never not be enjoyable.

Higgins to break, here we go!

Good addition?

147s are SO 2023. We’re all about the 167 these days…

OK, it’s a bit of a novelty but the money is very real and it does seem to add a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to each frame.

Nobody ever really expects a 147 at a regular tournament but there definitely is a slight sigh of disappointment when it becomes clear you won’t be seeing a super maximum break and the Golden Ball is removed from the table.

Similar sighs are as follows;

• Someone requests a double when it’s your round
• You forgot to do the bins just as you get into bed
• Lee Dixon is co-commentating

What’s it worth?

A lot. A house in Reading perhaps.

Becoming the first player to achieve a 167 break will receive a colossal £395,000.

To put that in perspective, Gary Wilson collected £5,000 for making a 147 at the Welsh Open last month.

Tough luck, Gary.

What is the Golden Ball?

Well, it’s not the British daytime game show that was presented by Jasper Carrott that ended in 2009.

Although I would like to see that brought back.

Anyway, let’s have a recap on what the Golden Ball actually is. Basically it’s another ball on the table worth 20 that increases the maximum possible break from 147 to 167.

• At the start of each frame, the Golden Ball will be placed on the table, in the centre of the baulk cushion.
• If a 147 is possible in the frame, the Golden Ball will remain on the table. If a player completes a 147 maximum, he will then have the chance to pot the Golden Ball to complete the 167.
• Once a 147 is no longer possible, the Golden Ball will be removed from the table, until the start of the next frame.
• Any foul or infringement involving the Golden Ball incurs a penalty of 4 points or the value of the ball ‘on’, whichever is greater.

Trump 4-3 Murphy

Judd Trump beats Shaun Murphy to reach the semi finals! Think that last frame took longer than most of the other frames combined.

He was second best for most of the match, but pounced on Murphy’s rare mistakes and capitalised. He’ll play the winner of our next contest, which is Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins.