Day two, round two from Prestatyn as the Welsh Open qualifiers really get interesting. Click below for updates throughout the day…
Morning
43-year-old veteran David Roe showed today that he is still capable of recording a good result or two as he defeated Irish teenager Vinnie Muldoon 5-3 to move into the third round.
After losing the first frame the world number 52 began to put some breaks together, nothing huge by any means but enough to give him four frames in a row and leave him just one away from victory. Muldoon made a fight of it by taking the next two but it was too little too late as Roe secured a 5-3 win in frame eight.
This is an important result for Roe who prior to today had only won one match all season and has slipped down to number 58 in the latest rankings. While I would not expect him to drop off the tour at the end of this season, he needs all the win he can get at the moment to help his cause next season where he will start well down the provisional list. Next up for him will be Tamworth’s David Gilbert tomorrow morning.
Newcastle youngster Stephen Craigie recorded a fantastic win this morning as he defeated former world number 12 David Gray to move into the third round.
Having qualified for the final stages of the China Open recently, David Gray must have come into this match full of confidence but Craigie soon gave him something to worry about with breaks of 52 and 55 to move 2-0 up in no time. Though David managed to pull one back, Craigie soon restored his two frame cushion and as it would turn out this would be key as te duo traded frames from this point on. Gray started to play better, making the highest break of the match (81) to pull it back to 4-2, but the damage was already done and a 62 from Craigie in the next sealed a much needed win.
This run has been a real boost for Stephen as he looks to secure his professional status for a second consecutive season. He came into the event on the back of a poor run of form but his wins over Matt Couch and David Gray are really impressive results and have put him into the last 64 of a ranking event for only the second time this season. Next up for him however is Michael Holt who will be sure to give him a tough match…
By far the most dramatic match of the morning though saw Jimmy White come back from 4-0 down to defeat Rod Lawler 5-4 to move into the third round of the event.
Lawler, who came into the match in good form having won three matches last month to qualify for China, got off to a fantastic start as he took each of the first four frames to leave himself needing just one more to seal a whitewash against the former six-times world finalist.
Remarkably however, the Whirlwind kept himself together and frame by frame began to eat into Lawler’s lead until eventually he had forced a ninth and deciding frame. In it it was Lawler who had the first chances as he moved into a 38-0 lead, but he must have been really feeling the pressure and again he could not make it count. Jimmy meanwhile did not need a second opportunity and with a break of 67 sealed a brilliant comeback.
This is a fabulous result for the hugely popular White who now moves into the third round where he will face Rory McLeod, the man who defeated him at the same stage in the UK Championship qualifiers back in December.
Paul Davies 5-1 Patrick Wallace 60-34, 79-24, 14-67(59), 78-40, 65(61)-1, 62(44)-50(50)
David Roe 5-3 Vinnie Muldoon 22-72, 63(52)-24, 85(34,38)-24, 71(39)-40(36), 67-61(48), 18-72(45), 25-91, 66-1
David Gray 2-5 Stephen Craigie 15-72(52), 0-87(55), 52-41, 57(44)-81(55), 37-60, 81(81)-0, 33-69(62)
Rod Lawler 4-5 Jimmy White 68-32, 61-44, 71(71)-0, 66-51(51), 19-71(37), 64(38)-69(38), 32-70(70), 10-72(45), 38-67(67)
Rob Milkins 5-3 Wayne Cooper 86(77)-26, 8-67(54), 74(42)-42, 57-79, 75(56)-40, 33-71, 52-31, 69(50)-40
Joe Delaney 5-3 Lee Spick 73-45, 9-81(43), 68-16, 14-60(42), 43-71(52), 69(69)-0, 63(39)-23, 59-50(47)
Barry Pinches 5-3 Jin Long
Stuart Pettman 5-0 Stefan Mazrocis 62-37, 68-64(62), 67(42)-51(43), 62(48)-17, 122(87)-5
Afternoon
Chinese teenager Li Hang continued his strong form this evening with an impressive 5-2 win over countryman Liu Song to book his place in the third round. Indeed it was Hang who got off to a terrific start as he took the opening four frames to lead 4-0 with breaks of 54 and 74. Though Liu Song took the next two frames in order to apply some pressure, Hang was not about to suffer the same fate as Rod Lawler this morning and took frame seven with a run of 57 to secure an excellent win.
This is now the third time that he has reached the third round in his debut season and this time he will face another Chinese player in the form of the ultra-attacking Liang Wenbo. Perhaps it will be third time lucky for Li?
It was a good evening for Mark Joyce who defeated Lewis Roberts 5-1 to win his first ranking event match since reaching the final of the invitational Masters qualifying tournament back in December. Up until that point Joyce had enjoyed a successful season but disappointing defeats in the UK Championship and China Open had perhaps served as a reminder that he still has work to do if he is to continue his progression up the rankings. Awaiting him in the third round will be Scotland’s Jamie Burnett.
One of the most entertaining matches from this evening appears to have been that between Martin Gould and Matt Selt who shared six breaks over 50 as Gould ran out a 5-3 winner. Having shared the first six frames it looked like it might go all the way but it was Martin who moved up a gear as he made breaks of 89 and 105 to power to victory.
After enduring a tough start to the season with two first-round exits from the first three events, Martin has really picked his form up and become one of the most consistent players in this section of the rankings. While a top 48 spot for next season is not out of the question, his one-year ranking is looking particularly strong and if he can continue this form into next season then he will have an even better chance for 2010/11.
More immediately however he has a clash with John Parrott tomorrow to look forward to.
Having seen Andrew Pagett and Jamie Jones bow out of their home event yesterday, fellow Welshman Daniel Wells is keeping the Welsh flag flying this week as he defeated Andrew Norman tonight to move into round three.
While he battered Chris McBreen 5-0 yesterday, tonight could not have been a bigger contrast as the match went all the way to the wire. What a fantastic match it was though as having opened up with a break of 96 to lead 1-0, Wells could only sit back and watch as breaks of 55 and 123 helped Norman march into a 3-1 lead.
Daniel was not going to go out of his home event so easily however and responded in fine style with breaks of 91 and 92 to bring himself level again. As the next two frames were shared the match went into a decider and though there were no big breaks, it was Wells who did enough to win the match and book a clash with Leicester’s Tom Ford tomorrow. Coming into the event in 81st place in the provisional rankings this is just what Wells needed and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up…
Also flying the Welsh flag is Ian Preece who also came through a tense deciding frame finish with Peter Lines to progress to the third qualifying round. It was Lines who made the better start and moved ahead early on in the match but Preece, who is in danger of losing his place on the tour following a succession of poor results, managed to turn things around and book a tie with Andrew Higginson tomorrow.