English Open Last 16: Trump and Selby Chase Thirds as Draw Takes Shape in Brentwood
The Field Narrows to 16 at the Brentwood Centre
The 2026 English Open has reached its last 16 stage, with the quarter-final places now up for grabs on Thursday at the Brentwood Centre. Eight of the remaining contenders are ranked inside the world's top 16, and among them are two former two-time champions of the event — Judd Trump and Mark Selby — who find themselves on opposite sides of the draw as they chase a third Steve Davis Trophy apiece.
Selby Running on Fumes — But Still Standing
Mark Selby occupies the top half of the draw and, by any reasonable measure, has been playing an extraordinary volume of snooker in recent weeks. The China Open champion narrowly missed out on a second ranking title of the season last week in Cheltenham, where Jak Jones defeated him 10-6 in the British Open final. The 43-year-old Leicester potter then arrived in Brentwood and promptly found himself in two consecutive deciding frames, edging past Ricky Walden and Zhang Anda 4-3 on both occasions to reach the last 16. Whether those grinding victories represent resilience or fatigue — or some combination of both — is a question that will likely be answered by his next assignment.
That challenge comes in the form of Kyren Wilson, a former English Open finalist and a player well capable of exploiting any signs of tiredness in an opponent. Selby has navigated tougher moments before, but Wilson represents a significant step up in difficulty from the previous two rounds.
Ding Junhui's Ranking Concerns Deepen
The only other top-16 representative in the upper section is Ding Junhui, who has also had to work hard to reach this stage. The 39-year-old finds himself in a precarious position on the rankings, sitting as low as 24th in the provisional Race to the UK Championship standings — a figure that would require him to qualify for an event he has historically regarded as one of his favourites in York. With points set to drop off his rolling two-year tally in the near future, a strong run in Brentwood is not merely desirable but arguably essential. Ding faces Joe O'Connor in the last 16, while elsewhere in the upper bracket Ali Carter meets Gong Chenzhi and Zhou Yuelong takes on Yuan Sijun.
Trump Eyes Title Number 32 in Competitive Lower Half
Judd Trump, the Shanghai Masters champion, begins his last-16 campaign against Scotland's Anthony McGill. Despite his enduring status as a tournament favourite wherever he enters, Trump has added just one ranking title in nearly two years — the German Masters, claimed back in February — to bring his overall tally to 31. That is a remarkable total by any historical standard, and yet the 35-year-old has spoken candidly about the pressure he places on himself to keep winning at the highest level. A run to the final in Brentwood would go some way to quietening those doubts.
The bottom half of the draw presents a formidable collection of talent beyond Trump. World champion Wu Yize is present, as is Crucible runner-up Shaun Murphy, ensuring that whoever emerges from the lower bracket will have earned their place in the latter stages. The concentration of quality in that section makes it one of the more compelling draws at a Home Nations event in recent memory.
Last 16 Draw at a Glance
Top Half
- Mark Selby v Kyren Wilson
- Ding Junhui v Joe O'Connor
- Ali Carter v Gong Chenzhi
- Zhou Yuelong v Yuan Sijun
Bottom Half
- Judd Trump v Anthony McGill
- Wu Yize [further draw details pending]
- Shaun Murphy [further draw details pending]
Full draw details sourced from snooker.org. Match records and ranking data via CueTracker.
What to Watch For on Thursday
The Selby-Wilson contest carries the most narrative weight of the day's fixtures. Selby has been on the baize relentlessly, but his record of winning close matches under pressure is as good as anyone's in the modern game. Wilson, meanwhile, will be motivated by his own experience of falling short at this tournament before. In the lower half, Trump's ability to move smoothly through the early rounds and peak at the business end of events remains one of the defining characteristics of his career — but with genuine world-class opposition at every turn, there will be no straightforward route to a third English Open title.
