Championship League Snooker 2021 Preview and Order of Play – Tuesday August 10

Jonathan Davies in Championship League Snooker 10 August 2021

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Dominant David Gilbert glides through to Championship League final eight

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Ali Carter and Ryan Day advance to Championship League final day

Murphy celebrates his 39th birthday in Leicester on Tuesday (Photo by Steve Paston/PA Images)

Birthday boy Shaun Murphy headlines the action as Stage Two of the Championship League resumes in Leicester on Tuesday.

World number five Murphy, who celebrates turning 39, is the highest-ranked player on display at the Morningside Arena.

The Magician reached the final of this event in 2011, losing to Matthew Stevens, while he also got to the last four in 2008 and 2014.

During the latter year, he also compiled the first maximum break in Championship League history, achieving the feat against Mark Davis.

In fact, Murphy – Crucible runner-up to Mark Selby last season – is one of five former finalists of this event in action.

Two of them join him in Group E in Graeme Dott and Ali Carter.

Former World champion Dott was beaten by compatriot Scott Donaldson in the 2020 showpiece, while he also reached the semi-finals in April.

The world number 18 is at the start of his 28th season on the tour – as is fellow Group E competitor Gerard Greene – and would love to secure a long-awaited return to the top 16 at some stage.

Two-time Crucible finalist Carter – runner-up to Martin Gould in this event in 2013 – is also looking to climb back into the elite bracket, having slipped to 24th in the world rankings.

Meanwhile, 2015 champion Stuart Bingham is the only former winner in action as he heads Group F.

Ballrun, who also won the World title that year, certainly knows what it takes to go deep in this tournament.

The world number 15 was also a semi-finalist in 2009, while he has reached the Winners’ Group a further three times.

Standing in his way of qualifying for the final day is three-time ranking event winner Ryan Day; the 2017 runner-up and a semi-finalist of the inaugural tournament nine years earlier.

Bingham will also be wary of Switzerland’s Alexander Ursenbacher, who qualified for Stage Two after topping Group 23 by winning nine frames without reply, while Ashley Hugill finished ahead of the likes of Stephen Maguire at the summit of Group 24.

The players face each other once in the group with all matches contested over the best of four frames.

Each player will receive three points for a win and one for a draw; the one with the most will top the group and secure a place in Stage Two of the competition.

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