England look well placed to reach the quarter-finals of the 2017 Snooker World Cup after winning their opening two Group C matches in comprehensive fashion. England last won the tournament back in 1989 and they certainly have a strong team at this year’s event, boasting two of the top six players in the world in the form of Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins.
That quality has certainly been in evidence throughout the opening two days in China, as the pair first dismantled of Switzerland by five frames to nil in their opening match, before disposing of Malta 4-1. Those results have taken England to the summit of the group on nine points, but, with the top two teams securing a place in the quarter-finals, the race for second is certainly hotting up. Australia and Iran are currently level on points in second place, with the Aussies bouncing back from a surprise defeat to Malta with a convincing victory over Pakistan, while Iran have won both of their games against Switzerland and Pakistan, but only by the narrowest of margins.
Malta are also still very much in the hunt for qualification after a win and a defeat in their opening games, but things already look tough for Pakistan and Switzerland, as they are both yet to record a win in the tournament and they are not scheduled to meet until the final round of group fixtures. Wednesday’s matches could go a long way to deciding the standings in the group, with England scheduled to face Iran while Australia take on Switzerland and Malta and Pakistan go head-to-head.