Ronnie O’Sullivan vs John Higgins in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open after both players eased through their respective matches on Thursday. Rounds three and four were both contested on what was a busy day at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, but the hectic schedule did not seem to effect O’Sullivan, who first beat David Grace 4-0 before seeing off Mike Dunn by the same scoreline.
‘The Rocket’, who won his fourth ranking event title of the season at last week’s World Grand Prix, is yet to drop a frame in Wales this week and he admits he is full of confidence at the moment, even when he is not playing at the top of his game. “I’m very confident because I’ve won a lot of matches so that gives me a slight advantage,” said the Englishman. “Winning is a habit and when you get into a winning habit you can even play bad and win in the end. If my form comes good as well it’s like a double bonus.” Four-time world champion Higgins was equally dominant during Thursday’s action, as he also rattled off back-to-back 4-0 victories over Sam Craigie and Nigel Bond to reach the last eight.
O’Sullivan and Higgins are the two most decorated players in the history of the Welsh Open, as they have both won the tournament four times. The duo are also no strangers to facing each other, as Friday will represent the 66th time they have met on the circuit, with O’Sullivan edging the head-to-head meetings with 34 wins compared to Higgins’ 28. O’Sullivan is priced at 4/9 to secure another victory on Friday, while Higgins is available at 17/10 to progress through to the semi-finals.