The 2025 World Open is approaching the business end of the week with the quarter-finals on Thursday’s schedule in China.
Eight contenders are left vying for the £175,000 top prize at the Yushan Sport Centre, including five proven ranking event winners.
Three others are hoping to get their hands on silverware for the first time as professionals on the main tour.
Let’s take a look at the four quarter-finals in the 2025 World Open.
Joe O’Connor vs Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy came into this tournament with doubts over whether or not he’d be getting an automatic spot at the World Championship this year.
With plenty of ranking points coming off his rolling two-year total, Murphy was languishing down at number 20 on the provisional Race to the Crucible standings.
Last month’s Masters champion hasn’t quite done enough yet to allay those fears, but by reaching the last eight he has certainly strengthened his cause.
Murphy is up to ninth on the provisional one-year list, which would see him qualify for both the Players and Tour Championships before Sheffield as things stand.
Next up for the 42 year-old is Joe O’Connor, who backed up his surprise defeat of Judd Trump in the last 32 with a 5-3 victory against Michael Holt.
A former Scottish Open finalist, O’Connor hasn’t had an especially strong 2024/25 campaign, but has now made consecutive quarter-final appearances in ranking events.
Murphy, who beat home favourite Ding Junhui on Wednesday, is obviously the favourite and has never lost against O’Connor in the past.
When is it? Thursday, February 27th at 11:30am UTC
Ali Carter vs Barry Hawkins
The only tie in the last eight between two members of the top 16, Englishmen Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins clash for a berth in the semi-finals.
Carter ended the run of David Lilley with a 5-1 victory over the former world seniors champion, while Hawkins edged Ryan Day 5-3.
Carter has returned to form after a few barren months, backing up his semi-final showing at the Welsh Open with another decent week in China.
The Captain has qualified for next week’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong but sits just outside the top 16 on the one-year list that would also see him feature at the subsequent Players Championship.
Hawkins – provisionally sixth on the one-year list – is a certainty to participate in Telford and will likely be involved at the Tour Championship as well.
Both in their mid-40s and with ten ranking titles between them, there will be plenty of experience on display when Carter and Hawkins cue up together.
Interestingly, it’s Carter who boasts a significantly superior head-to-head record with Hawkins’ last victory over his countryman in a ranking event occurring way back in 2007.
When is it? Thursday, February 27th at 11:30am UTC
Zak Surety vs Tom Ford
By guaranteeing himself £22,000 in prize money for reaching this stage of the tournament, Zak Surety is already in line for a career-high payday.
The 33 year-old has never broken into the top 64 of the world rankings despite having been on and off the main tour for more than a decade.
But in the first year of his fresh two-year card and with no points to defend next season, that is likely to change.
Surety continued his impressive run with a 5-2 triumph over Liu Hongyu to set up a quarter-final bout against Tom Ford.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Ford was languishing outside the top 100 on this season’s ranking list with barely a match win to his name.
Ford’s fortunes obviously transformed dramatically – and quickly – with success at the Shoot Out that represented his maiden title at full ranking event level.
The 41 year-old provisionally boasts an automatic ticket to the World Championship, but his position is precarious and he could do with even more ranking points in the bag.
Ford has a positive 3-0 record against Surety from their prior battles and will start this one as a clear favourite to progress.
When is it? Thursday, February 27th at 6am UTC
Pang Junxu vs John Higgins
By reaching the quarter-finals at the 2025 World Open, John Higgins has equalled Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record for the most last-eight appearances in ranking events with 146.
Higgins defied illness and a 4-2 deficit to see off the challenge of Zhou Yuelong in a deciding frame on day four of the competition.
The only remaining top-16 seed in the bottom half of the draw, Higgins will be hoping to at least reach the final.
But in recent seasons, the four-time world champion has often struggled to translate opportunities late in events into more silverware.
His next opponent will be Pang Junxu, who represents the sole remaining hope for a Chinese winner on home soil this week.
Pang overcame compatriot Xu Si with a 5-2 scoreline and is another player who is scrambling for a top-16 position on the one-year list and qualification for the Players Championship.
The 2023 WST Classic runner-up has faced Higgins only once before, losing 4-1 to the Scot at the 2022 Welsh Open.
When is it? Thursday, February 27th at 6am UTC
Featured photo credit: WST
