EBDON BACK FROM BUDAPEST AND IN CARTER CORNER

Peter Ebdon showed up at Alexandra Palace as a cornerman for Ali Carter alongside manager Steve Daintry for both of The Captain’s matches at the Masters this year, a role he has performed before at the Crucible and elsewhere.

Ebdon remains based in Budapest for most of the time when he is not travelling on the tour, but used his former UK home of Northamptonshire as a base while trekking down to north London to support Carter.

The former world champion knows he has his work cut out to make it back into the top 16 and avoid having to play three qualifying matches for the World Championship this year, especially with points to come off after a decent campaign in 2012-13.

However he did hint that there is a strong possibility of a first European Tour event taking place in Hungary in the near future – possibly next year.

CARTER'S WINNING 'OUTS' DOWN TO FIVE

Ali Carter was certainly being made to sweat on his place at the Champion of Champions as the International Championship reached the last-16 stage, with a host of big names and already-qualified players crashing out early on.

These possible winners included Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins, John Higgins, Stephen Maguire and Dominic Dale. At the third-round stage Carter could still look to the winner of the Stuart Bingham/Mark Allen match, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Marco Fu and Ricky Walden.

Any of those lifting the trophy would see him make it to Coventry, with any other winner bar those five potentially snatching the 16th and final place at the Ricoh Arena.

BINGHAM IN LINE FOR A PINT

With the prize money on offer at the Champion of Champions, Stuart Bingham could be due a drink this week from certainly John Higgins and maybe also Ali Carter.

Bingham’s win at the Haining Open guaranteed Higgins a place at the Ricoh Arena and in an exclusive field of just 16, where the minimum he will earn is £5,000 even for finishing third or fourth in the initial group.

Finishing second in Coventry will be worth £10,000, winning the group £20,000, reaching the final £50,000 and lifting the trophy £100,000.

Bingham had already qualified on more than one count, but a win for his final opponent Oliver Lines would have knocked out Carter and left Higgins at risk of not making it, dependent on results in Chengdu at the International Championship.

Higgins and Bingham will both be in south-west China this week, when the favour could be called in at the bar.