David Gilbert v Mohamed Ibrahim live stream | English Open 2022 preview
David Gilbert looks to maintain his positive momentum when he faces Mohamed Ibrahim in the English Open qualifiers on Friday.
The Angry Farmer will be a heavy favourite to prevail at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, with opponent Ibrahim set to appear in his first match on the tour as a professional.
Gilbert is fresh from a run to the Northern Ireland Open quarter-finals last week, although he would have been disappointed not to have progressed further in Belfast.
Indeed, the former Championship League winner was 4-2 to the good against Zhou Yuelong, but was punished for failing to kill the match as the Chinese ace recovered to prevail in a deciding frame.
Nevertheless, Gilbert has now reached the last eight in two of his three most recent Home Nations events, while he was runner-up to Mark Selby at the 2019 English Open.
With 10 centuries to his name already this season, the world number 20 will be eager to add to that tally when he takes on Ibrahim.
The 32-year-old is set for his long-awaited professional debut having won the ABSF African Snooker Championships to earn his place on the tour.
Ibrahim qualified via the same route ahead of the 2018-19 season, but withdrew his tour card just a few months into the campaign without playing a single match.
Fast forward four years and the Egyptian will be keen to make up for lost time, and a shock victory over former Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert would be some way to kickstart his professional career.
The winner of this match will play Yuan SiJun in the English Open main draw at Brentwood Centre in December.
Play gets underway at 7pm BST on Saturday with the match contested over the best of seven frames at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.