2023 World Billiards Championship – Day Two Report
Following two days of intense action at the Landywood Snooker Club, the field has been whittled down and only eight players remain in pursuit of the 2023 World Billiards Championship title.
The quarter-finals (180 minutes – from 10:00GMT) and semi-finals (240 minutes – from 15:00GMT) take place on Wednesday in Great Wyrley with the five-hour final set for Thursday afternoon.
Top Half
Reigning champion David Causier is on course to successfully defend the title for the first time in his illustrious career.
The 50-year-old topped his group with a 100% record and subsequently defeated David Gillingham 1638-250 in the last 16, compiling an effort of 488 in the process – the highest break of the tournament, so far.
Causier will face Steve Brookshaw in the last eight; world number 17 Brookshaw is the lowest ranked player left in the competition, but he continued his quest into Wednesday when he eliminated fellow Plymouth cueist Chris Coumbe 580-466.
The other quarter-final in the top half sees Darren Clark meet Rob Hall.
Jersey Open champion Clark denied world number nine Ryan Mears 652-260 to get here whilst multiple-time ranking event winner and world number three Hall hit four figures as he ended the campaign of John Hughes, 1064-374.
Bottom Half
The sport’s top two ranked players are once again on a world championship final collision course as four-time champion and current world number one Peter Gilchrist also marched into the last eight.
The Singaporean citizen has totted up a plethora of big breaks en route, striking two double centuries in a 1117-357 last 16 victory against Barry Russell.
Gilchrist’s next opponent will be the experienced Martin Goodwill; the world number five ended the hopes of Jason Goodwin 599-269.
The remaining last eight fixture features two very in-form players – Peter Sheehan and John Mullane.
Having claimed his first world ranking title at the Jim Williamson Open in the summer, Sheehan has had a relatively stress-free path, defeating Ian Dennis 1251-362 in his opening knockout assignment.
Mullane is on a high having made the semi-finals of the Landywood English Open at the same venue a few days earlier – a result that pushed him up into the world’s top 16. The Englishman has continued his fine run into the sport’s blue riband event as he dispatched world number seven Jonathan Marwood – the highest ranked player no longer in contention – 679-437 in the last 16.
Livestream coverage of the feature table is available across the event on World Billiards’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.
