Experience Against Youth at PTC 6
Experience will challenge youth in round one of the final Players Tour Championship in Sheffield when the oldest player on the professional tour faces the youngest.
Six times world champion, Steve Davis will face Welsh teenager, Jak Jones at the English Institute of Sport in the sixth leg of the Star Xing Pei sponsored event.
The top 24 ranked players on the PTC order of merit after the six events plus another six in continental Europe will gain automatic qualification to the Tour Finals in March.
Davis currently lies in 56th place on the Order Of merit with his best run coming in Germany where he made it through to least eight.
His younger opponent has performed less well and currently lies in 95th place, winning just two matches from six events.
The winner is likely to face number three seed and two-time Masters Champion, Mark Selby in round two.
Some big name clashes include seven times world champion, Stephen Hendry facing an opening match with Wales’ Matthew Stevens for the second tournament in a row, the former Masters champion getting the better of the Scot last time out.
Two-time world champion, Mark Williams faces a tough test against world number two, Allister Carter. The two have met in the recent Word Open with the Welshman coming out on top.
Scotland’s Stephen Maguire, currently number nine on the PTC Order of Merit will face Ken Doherty for a place in the last 64, the Irishman needing an extended run to improve on his position of 116.
Two all-Asia matches will hold interest in the Far East as China’s Xiao Guodong and Anda Zhang do battle before former world number three, James Wattana takes on China’s number tw, Liang Wenbo.
Little Twelve months ago, Ryan Day was number six in the world. On the latest world rankings he has slipped to number 23 and is standing in 94th spot on the Order of Merit, having won just two matches.
He faces a tricky opener in fellow-countryman, Andrew Pagett who will be looking to prey on his opponent’s vulnerability. Day has proven that he has the class to be amongst the game’s best and needs a win or two to regain the confidence that took him to three major finals.
Tour wildcard, Reanne Evans has yet to open her account with no wins from eight events. In order to break her duck this week, she must overcome Jamie Jones, a tough ask with the young Welshman fresh from reaching his first professional final at last week’s PTC 5.
