On March 26, 2022 Beijing time, the Snooker Gibraltar Open entered its final matchday, with a total of 15 matches throughout the day, from the fourth round to the championship battle. For 39-year-old Rich Wharton, the next step is a life-and-death battle, if he can win the tournament, he will receive three major gifts, once he loses to Trump, he will not be able to play in the World Championship as a seeded player.
This year's Gibraltar Open has attracted much attention, and although the prize money is relatively small, it is of great significance. First, several masters competed for qualification for the Tour Championship, followed by Higgins, Trump, Neil Robertson and others competing for additional prize money in the European Series, and third, Ritchie Walton's bid for world championship seedings.
After the first two matchdays, the round of 16 was released. Trump, Neil Robertson, Karen Wilson, Richie Walton and other popular players successfully advanced, as well as China's Ding Junhui and Lu Haotian also won the opportunity to impact the championship. In the quarter-finals, defending champion Trump vs. Richie Wharton, probably one of the most important games of the season, was a life-and-death battle for both.
At present, there is only one last place left in the Tour Championship, Higgins is temporarily ranked eighth in the single-season ranking list, but he is out, Rich Walton, Karen Wilson, Jimmy Robertson all hope to surpass Higgins, of course, the three want to squeeze Higgins, need to win the championship in this game, it is more difficult.
There is also an additional prize money of £150,000 in the European series, which is of course very attractive, O'Sullivan just came for the prize money, but unfortunately the first round was out. Currently, Higgins leads the European Series money list, With Neil Robertson, Trump, and RichIe Wharton as the main competitors, Neil Robertson reaching the final to overtake Higgins, and Trump and Rich Walton need to win to overtake Higgins.
Also, if Richie Walton wins the championship, he can surpass many masters, including Yan Bingtao, and rank among the top 16 in the world, thus competing in the World Championships as a seeded player. So, for Rich Wharton, this matchday is too important, he has to attack the three major gifts (Tour Championship qualification, European Series bonus, World Championship seedings), and of course, for Trump, it is also very important.
Coincidentally, Trump and Richie Wharton will have a direct conversation in the fourth round, and one of them will definitely be left behind early. In contrast, the defending champion Trump is more optimistic, if he can beat Rich Walton, he will also help Yan Bingtao, who will play in the World Championships as a seeded player. Although Yan Bingtao did not register, he now has a feeling of reaping the benefits of a fisherman.
In addition, Neil Robertson played jack Jones and Bingham played against Wahdi. Two Chinese players, Lu Haotian and Ding Junhui, will also have to go all out to attack the championship and become the strongest spoilers, especially Ding Junhui, who will not qualify for the Tour Championship if he beats Jimmy Robertson.
The fourth round of eight matches will be played at the same time on March 26, 2022, 17:00 Beijing time, the suspense will soon be revealed, I wish you all the best luck!