World Championship: Ali Carter’s title hopes rising in absence of nemesis Ronnie O’Sullivan

Ali Carter celebrates beating Zhou Yuelong during day ten of the 2019 Betfred World Championship at the Crucible, Sheffield (Picture: Simon Cooper/PA Wire).

The 39-year-old turned professional in 1996 and first visited the Crucible in 2003, but each time he reached the final – in 2008 and 2012 – he was thwarted by Ronnie O’Sullivan.

But with world No 1 O’Sullivan out – falling in the opening round alongside Mark Selby and defending champion Mark Williams –Carter is hoping 2019 is his year.

Trailing 9-7 to Zhou, Carter reeled off the final six frames to win and faces fellow qualifier Gary Wilson today.

“I feel like I deserve to be world champion,” said Carter, who has battled health problems throughout his career, including cancer twice and Crohn’s disease. “I haven’t won it, I’ve lost in the final twice to Ronnie. It’s my chance to put things right.

“This tournament is the one that means everything to me. I’ve been here for 17 years and with everything I’ve been through, to get to another quarter-final is not a bad record in itself.

“It feels like I’ve swum the Channel to get through that match. It was only in the end where Zhou’s lack of experience showed and that’s about the only thing I had over him in the end.”

Judd Trump emulated Carter’s stunning finish as he fired off six successive frames to beat Sheffield-based Ding Junhui 13-9.

But unlike Carter, Trump –who reached the final in 2011 – was playing down his chances of Crucible glory ahead of his quarter-final with Scotland’s Stephen Maguire. “I’ve probably been the worst player of the whole tournament so far so I knew I had to raise my game and I was prepared to go out there and fight,” said Trump, who had squeezed through against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in his opening round.

”You have to look at Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson – those two are leagues above the standard I’ve seen in the tournament so far, so I just have to keep competing and hope my chance will come.”

Kyren Wilson overturned a 6-1 deficit to beat Barry Hawkins 13-11 and clinch a spot against David Gilbert. The 27-year-old – in his fourth consecutive quarter-final – said: “I always feel like I bring my best game to the Crucible.”

Australian Neil Robertson and Scot John Higgins – the only two players remaining who have won the World Championship – meet after Higgins beat Stuart Bingham 13-11.