Jack Whelan and Chris Melling both produced incredible performances to win their groups and complete the quarter-finals line-up at the 2022 Ultimate Pool Pro Cup.

Thursday’s opening session will live long in the memory as both former world champions hit peak form and set up a mouthwatering last eight tie against each other.

Whelan – already a Pro Series winner and Champion of Champions finalist this calendar year – emerged from Group G.

The Derby cueist survived a late comeback from Lewis Roberts in a 5-4 win in the last 32 before compiling three break clearances and three reverse clearances in a superb 7-1 victory over Phil Parkin in the group final. Earlier in the session, Parkin won five consecutive frames to dispatch another former world champion in Shaun Chipperfield, 7-3.

Melling put on arguably his best Ultimate Pool display yet with a portfolio of epic clearances and scintillating shot-making as he won Group H.

‘The Magician’ certainly lived up to his moniker as he claimed seven of the last eight frames to defeat David McNamara 7-3 and then repeated that scoreline as he denied Dan Eaton-Lees with yet more break and reverse clearances. In between those matches Eaton-Lees eliminated Andy Williams, 7-4.

The quarter-finals start this evening with Shaun Storry v Ronan McCarthy and Marc Fleming v Jake McCartney.

Friday’s opening session is set to feature Tom Ford against defending champion Jordan Shepherd, and Whelan versus Melling.

For those in the UK, action is live and exclusive on BT Sport. For those outside of the UK, you can watch on ultimatepool.tv and the Ultimate Pool App.