Mark Selby ‘up against it’ in blockbuster Judd Trump clash at UK Championship

Mark Selby is eyeing up a huge win over Judd Trump in York (Picture: Getty Images)

Mark Selby is taking on the ‘player of the season by a long stretch’ Judd Trump in the UK Championship quarter-finals on Friday and admits he is ‘going to be up against it’.

Selby facing Trump is the headline act of a brilliant line-up in the last eight, closely followed by a meeting between former champions Mark Williams and Ding Junhui.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will also be attracting plenty of attention as he plays Zhou Yuelong, while Hossein Vafaei takes on the surprise package of the campaign Zhang Anda.

Selby looks in sparkling form this week, thrashing Mark Joyce in his opener before edging out Barry Hawkins 6-5 on Wednesday night, but he knows Trump will be a huge test after three ranking titles already this season and dropping just one frame over two matches in York.

‘Judd is the player of the season by a long stretch,’ Selby told Eurosport after beating Hawkins. ‘Won three tournaments, been in the final of another two. He is definitely the man in form and the man to beat.

‘I am going to be up against it. I’ll have to play somewhere similar to that or the performance against Mark Joyce to stand a chance. I will enjoy the match and enjoy the challenge.’

Either Trump or Selby will take on the winner of Williams vs Ding in the semi-finals, with the Welshman and the Chinese superstar likely to put on a show in their clash after the former beat Jamie Clarke the latter ousted Tom Ford.

‘Can’t wait,’ said Williams. ‘The tables are playing fantastic, on the generous side, but conditions are fantastic, the crowd, the arena. The two tables with the crowd on the side, it makes it what the UK should be.

‘Not with four tables and four tables at the back, this is what the UK Championship deserves and that’s why you’ll probably get a lot of big breaks.’

Ding is also relishing the contest, although admits that he doesn’t have the best feeling about facing the Welsh Potting Machine.

‘Mark Williams, I’ve played a few times and I don’t get good results, I think I lost them all,’ he said. ‘But I’m looking forward.’

Ding actually has a winning record against Williams, but has lost to him in both their meetings this year and not downed the three-time world champ since 2016.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is searching for his best form at The Barbican (Picture: Getty Images)

Ronnie O’Sullivan needed a deciding frame to edge out Rob Milkins 6-5 on Thursday afternoon, while Zhou Yuelong picked up another huge win over John Higgins, having beaten Neil Robertson in his opener in York.

‘Ronnie’s my idol, but I believe I can beat him,’ said the in-form Chinese star who is looking to beat the Rocket for the first time when they meet on Friday afternoon.

Arguably the two men showing the best form of the whole field are Hossein Vafaei and Zhang Anda who are both competing in their first UK Championship quarter-finals.

Zhang Anda’s amazing season continues in York (Picture: Getty Images)

Vafaei came through qualifying and picked up a big win over Shaun Murphy in the first round before hammering Matt Selt 6-1 on Thursday night with three centuries along the way.

Zhang has already been to the English Open final this season and stunned the field to win the International Championship.

Wins over Elliot Slessor and world champion Luca Brecel have taken the 31-year-old to the last eight and he will be fancying a third semi-final of this season, having never reached one in his career before this campaign.

MORE : Zhou Yuelong ousts John Higgins to set up Ronnie O’Sullivan UK Championship clash

MORE : Ronnie O’Sullivan survives serious Rob Milkins scare at UK Championship

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‘He is definitely the man in form and the man to beat.’