Lisowski Aiming For Sunday Title Tilt
World number 10 Jack Lisowski hopes tomorrow will be his “best day ever”, after reaching the last eight of the BetVictor Gibraltar Open with a 4-1 defeat of Anthony Hamilton.
Lisowski will face Lu Ning in the quarter-finals, with the remaining three rounds to be played out on Sunday. Having now appeared in five ranking finals, 29-year-old Lisowski is bidding to end his wait for a maiden ranking title tomorrow.
Despite enjoying a strong season so far, which has included final appearances at the World Grand Prix and the BildBet German Masters, Lisowski’s top 16 place ahead of the World Championship remains under threat. However, he has crucially moved ahead of Anthony McGill into 15th position in the Race to the Crucible by coming through two rounds today.
Lisowski won this evening’s encounter in style, firing in breaks of 88, 68, 126 and 65 on his way to victory.
“I felt pretty sharp and played some good stuff. He is one of my favourite players to watch, so every time I play him, I tend to play well. It is a great result to beat someone like Anthony and I’ve got a lot of momentum at the moment,” said Lisowski.
“I’ve got confidence and I feel comfortable around the table. That is my fourth game in a row on the TV table. I’m getting more used to that environment and I’m starting to enjoy it. My game is in a good place.
“It’s a big day tomorrow with three matches. Maybe it is going to suit me. There is not much time to think and it is roll on and roll off. Fingers crossed I can play well tomorrow and it can be the best day ever.”
World number one Judd Trump earned his place in the last eight with a 4-0 defeat of Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher. Trump faces former Masters champion Mark Allen in the quarter-finals, who beat Ricky Walden 4-1 this evening.
The Ace in the Pack is assured to leave the event with the £150,000 BetVictor European Series bonus. He is guaranteed to top the series standings after Mark Selby’s defeat last night.
Matthew Selt booked his quarter-final spot with a 4-1 defeat of Iran’s Soheil Vahedi. He’s up against Chris Wakelin, who defeated Jimmy White 4-2.
Stuart Carrington reached the final day with a 4-0 defeat of David Gilbert. The Grimsby cueman crafted runs of 115, 68 and 96 on his way to a fine victory. He’ll face China’s Xiao Guodong, who defeated Welshman Jamie Clarke 4-1.