Ali Carter v Stephen Maguire live stream | Welsh Open 2025 Semi-Final preview
Maguire is appearing in his sixth Welsh Open semi-final (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)
Ali Carter and Stephen Maguire collide on Saturday for the right to play Mark Selby in this year’s Welsh Open final.
Venue Cymru will be treated to a battle of the former champions for their Saturday night entertainment, with the other place in the showpiece at stake.
Both players are aiming to reach their third Welsh Open final and, incredibly, neither has hit a century in their four matches so far this week.
It is not the first time the pair have faced off at this stage of the tour’s third-longest running ranking event. Indeed, they also met in the 2010 semi-finals in Newport, with Carter prevailing a 6-3 winner.
The Captain was also victorious in the other ranking semi-final they contested at the 2012 World Championship.
Although, Maguire has won each of the last five meetings between the players, including a 10-7 triumph at the Crucible last year.
Prior to this week, the 2013 champion had not been beyond the last 16 of any ranking event this season.
However, he has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes, defeating three-time World champion Mark Williams, as well as Xu Si, Sanderson Lam and Jack Lisowski to reach his sixth Welsh Open semi-final – and third in Home Nations events.
Meanwhile, this is Carter’s first ever appearance at this stage in the Series, having beaten Rory Thor, Hossein Vafaei, Ryan Day and Joe O’Connor.
Now, the Captain is gearing up for his fourth Welsh Open semi-final, and first since reaching three on the spin between 2009 – the year he lifted the trophy – and 2011.
The reward for the winner will be a showdown with Selby, who defeated Luca Brecel 6-3 earlier in the day.
The match breaks off at 7pm GMT on Saturday and will be contested over the best of 11 frames at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
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