UK Championship Snooker 2024 | Day Five Preview and Order of Play

Ding Junhui goes head to head with Shaun Murphy in a battle of the former winners in the UK Championship second round on Wednesday.

With half of the players having been eliminated, the last 16 gets under way at the York Barbican Centre, with Mark Allen, Ali Carter and Jack Lisowski among those also in action.

The pick of the ties pits three-time winner Ding and 2008 champion Murphy – ranked eighth and ninth in the world respectively – against each other.

Both players came through deciders in round one; the Dragon recovering from 5-3 down against Robert Milkins, and the Magician edging out the returning 2021 victor Zhao Xintong.

Champion in 2005, 2009 and 2019 – and runner-up in each of the last two years – Ding will be confident of embarking on another deep run here this year.

Murphy was also a two-time runner-up in 2012 and 2017, but enjoyed a welcome upturn in fortunes with his victory over Zhao, having suffered first-round defeats in four of the previous six years.

This will be the third time the players have met in the season’s opening Triple Crown. Murphy was a 9-7 winner in the 2007 quarter-finals, while Ding dethroned the Magician at this stage two years later with a 9-3 victory on the way to landing his second crown.

Elsewhere, world number three Allen locks horns with English Open finalist Wu Yize, who is enjoying his best ever run at the UK Championship.

The Pistol, who lifted this trophy two years ago and reached the 2011 and 2018 finals, battled past Jackson Page in an underwhelming first-round performance, and knows he will have to improve to go deep again this year.

Another tasty clash sees Ali Carter take on Jack Lisowski in a battle of the former semi-finalists.

Carter, who beat Ryan Day in round one, is making his first appearance in the UK Championship last 16 since the most recent of his two last-four runs in 2012.

Meanwhile, 2022 semi-finalist Lisowski is fresh from defeating two-time champion Mark Selby 6-4 from 3-0 down, and will look to build on that momentum in his quest for a fourth quarter-final appearance in five years.

Barry Hawkins’ reward for dethroning reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan on the opening day is a showdown with David Gilbert.

The Hawk has only progressed beyond the last 16 on two previous occasions – reaching the 2021 semi-finals – but will be full of confidence after his first victory over the Rocket in eight years.

As for Gilbert, who beat the in-form Xiao Guodong 6-4, he is making only his third appearance at this stage of the UK Championship, and now seeks unchartered territory by reaching a maiden quarter-final.

Play gets under way at 1pm GMT on Wednesday with all matches contested over the best of 11 frames at the York Barbican Centre.

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UK Championship 2024 Schedule

Wednesday November 27

Last 16

1pm
Barry Hawkins v David Gilbert
Shaun Murphy v Ding Junhui

7pm
Jack Lisowski v Ali Carter
Wu Yize v Mark Allen