The Final Eight - UK Championships

So after 10 days of action, 120 players have been eliminated from the 2013 UK Championships. The threat of top players not reaching the final stages has not materialised and we are left with the cream of the crop. Many of the fears I highlighted in my preview piece have sadly come true. World Snooker has simply blamed these teething problems on the venue & it appears this will be the last year the event is held in York – a crying shame.

Mark Selby v Barry Hawkins

Mark Selby’s progress has been quiet and unspectacular; however he hasn’t overexerted himself and should feel very fresh for the upcoming challenges. Barry Hawkins played well to defeat Shaun Murphy and looks like he is returning to the form that got him to the Crucible final Seven Months ago. I think Selby will have enough to avenge Hawkins defeat of him at the World Championships earlier this year.

Mark Selby 6-3 Barry Hawkins

Mark Allen v Ricky Walden

After a very shaky start yesterday against Judd Trump, Mark Allen steadied himself to win four frames on the spin from 4-2 down. Trump has every right to feel aggrieved today as he was in complete control and let it slip yesterday. Ricky Walden ended Ding Junhui’s 22 match winning streak in full ranking events with his 6-4 win. Ricky was far from his best but had enough to defeat a well under par Ding, it wasn’t a classic but Walden will be pleased progress against such a decorated opponent. I think Allen will have too much for Ricky and will win.

Mark Allen 6-3 Ricky Walden

Neil Robertson v Stephen Maguire

I have no doubt in my mind that Robertson is the best player in the game at the moment. He dispatched of a poor Joe Perry last night 6-1 while Stephen defeated a confidence stricken John Higgins 6-2 on Tuesday night. This could be a cracker, there were signs Maguire was hitting the ball well against Higgins & he won’t be bullied by Robertson. However I still fancy Robertson to win due to his clinical ability in the balls, he is less likely to break down and allow counter clearances in tight frames – which are usually the key frames in close matches.

Robertson 6-4 Maguire

Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stuart Bingham

This I fear won’t be very exciting but will still take centre stage on the BBC, as all of O’Sullivan’s matches have so far. He is the biggest draw but you don’t make new stars by giving nobody else airtime, as has been the case so far this week. I fancy O'Sullivan to win this one, he's not been cueing that well this week but has been taking his chances. If Stuart doesn't get overawed he will give himself a very good chance of causing an upset.

O’Sullivan 6-1 Bingham

Champion of Champions Day 1

 The latest high profile event on the snooker tour features 14 champions and the two highest ranked players to have not won an event in the last 12 months.

Opening the show was local boy Mark Selby, only 36 hours after his triumph in Antwerp over Ronnie O'Sullivan, against Shaun Murphy. The match was of high quality and Mark Selby completed a comfortable 4-2 victory. Murphy who has been struggling this season looked improved and considerably leaner. However was unable to mount any serious pressure as Selby's rock solid safety game took the control away from Murphy.

The second match of the afternoon was an all Scottish affair as John Higgins took on Stephen Maguire. This was a superb affair played to a very high standard with Higgins fighting to control a very dangerous looking Maguire. Higgins took a 2-1 lead while Maguire still hadn't missed a pot and the standard continued until the 6th frame when a number of uncharacteristic misses crept into both players games. Higgins missed two or three opportunities to win the match 4-2 and eventually it was Maguire who held his nerve to take it to a decider.

In the decider an unlucky flick off the brown left a shot at a long red for Maguire, the Glasgow based potter took full advantage and knocked in a break that was enough to win the match 4-3.

Selby started as a heavy favourite in the evening to beat Stephen Maguire, mainly I felt due to the advantage of playing first. Selby had had four hours in-between matches while Maguire was left with just over an hour. Selby won four frames in a row from 2-3 to record an excellent win. Maguire was heavily frustrated throughout with Selby’s rock tight safety game and methodical play and lashed out on a few shots. Nothing can be taken away from Selby who looked ominously sharp in the balls.

Selby will have three days off now before returning for Saturday's semi finals. Hopefully the crowds will build as the week goes on & add to what already looks like it could be an excellent event. With a bit of luck ITV can turn down the arena mics so it doesn't sound like an air conditioning unit and not put the adverts on during the match like they did in the Higgins Maguire duel. On a more positive note though, it was a pleasure to listen to Clive Everton commentating again on terrestrial TV.