ON TO THE QUARTERFINALS

10 days of action in Sheffield have already gone by, and eight players are left as we reach the quarterfinal stage.

Since the qualifiers this has been one of the greatest World Championships ever. The two maximum breaks in one match by Jackson Page were nearly equalled at the main event by Mark Allen, who became the first player to score a 147 in all three Triple Crown events and nearly had a second one before losing out to an in-form Chris Wakelin.

We also saw the return of Ronnie O'Sullivan, easily beating Ali Carter in a blockbuster first round.

On Crucible eve I mentioned that those first 10 days could bring down all the convictions we had coming into the event, and in some ways that is the case...

Kyren Wilson won four ranking titles this season and was tipped by many to be the one who would finally break the Crucible Curse. As it is, he was another victim of the curse as he got beat by Lei Peifan on day one. 

Peifan was always going to be a tricky first round opponent having won a title earlier in the season, but despite beating Wilson, he didn't have enough for Xintong - after serving his ban, the former UK Champion qualified as a top-up amateur and beat last year's finalist Jak Jones in round one, before seeing off Peifan and making the quarters.

Mark Selby was another casualty of round one. He arrived in Sheffield again as one of the main contenders, but his fifth world title will have to wait after a shock defeat to Ben Woollaston. Actually, that result helped in making the top half of the draw look very open. In fact, the favourite there to make the final is now Ronnie O'Sullivan, who had not played since smashing his cue in January and made a very late decision to play at the Crucible with his new equipment.

10 days ago I wouldn't have him as a favourite, has that changed? Well, you can only win it if you're still in it, but my opinion hasn't changed. He has played alright, but I think it's the same form he showed earlier this season - still very good, easily top eight, and will bring him to most quarters and semis, but not quite to a title. However, his fans can get confidence from a "winnable" quarterfinal against Si Jiahui and from his astonishing record in the one-table setup at the Crucible (11 wins and 1 loss in the last 19 years).

My pick to win the title hasn't changed, though. Judd Trump has said himself that this is the best he's ever played in the opening two rounds at the Crucible, and a round two win over an in-form Shaun Murphy is a huge confidence booster ahead of the final stages.

I'm aware that you don't want to peak too early, but Trump's "peak" has been like this all season, where he has enjoyed tremendous success and scored 100 century breaks. I just can't see any player left who could beat Judd over distance.

And what about John Higgins v Mark Williams in the quarterfinals? What a match. I won't go like "we should enjoy it very much as it could be the last time they meet in such occasion" because that's been said many times before and they keep coming back. But I do advise all the fans to savour it yet another time.

I feel like the two-tables setup at the Crucible is a tournament in itself, with its final held over the next two days. Once its down to one table, another championship will begin - and I'll be back here then to address that one. 

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