After two typically hectic days of snooker at the South West Snooker Academy, we are down to 16 players at the season’s second UKPTC event. So far, it has been a tournament which has seen most of the ‘big names’ come through, while a few who have struggled in recent months, have also managed to hit their stride. Click below for a round-up of the action so far, including all of the important ranking issues ahead of the first mid-season revision…
- Click here to view all of the results so far from Gloucester
- Click here to view the latest projected seedings
Having won the final PTC event of last season, as well as the first of 2012/13, Stephen Maguire is a man performing well under the cut-throat best of seven format in operation at the PTC events and again he is through to the last 16 here following victories against Graeme Dott, Paul Davison and Ali Carter. Coming into the tournament as top seed, the Scot was not handed the easiest of draws and with old rival Shaun Murphy awaiting in the next round, it is not going to get any easier now.
Another man through to the last 16 of a second successive PTC event is Maguire’s fellow Scot Alan McManus, a winner against Oliver Lines, Peter Lines and Jimmy White yesterday as his strong start to the season continues. At the time of writing, Alan looks likely to defeat India’s Pankaj Advani 4-0 to move into the quarter-finals, while the result will also seal his place back inside the world’s top 48 at the first mid-season seedings revision.
Another important rankings battle was that for the final top 16 place between Martin Gould, Mark Davis and Ali Carter, with Gould coming into the event with little form and seemingly vulnerable to the chasing duo. As it has turned out however, with Carter’s defeat to Maguire in the second round, together with a 4-0 whitewash for Mark Davis at the hands of Ben Woollaston in yesterday’s opening round, Gould’s place at the venue stages of the International Championship has been assured. In any event, Martin performed well yesterday with victories against Jamie Cope and Neil Robertson, as well as a walkover against Michael Holt, seeing him through to the final day and an encounter with Mark Allen.
Turning to the battle for the top 32 places, Robert Milkins with only his third last 16 run at a PTC event since their introduction in 2010, has done enough to seal his place, while Fergal O’Brien with a single victory against Adrian Gunnell has moved up above Jamie Jones, whose winless start to the season has continued with defeat to Jimmy Robertson. Having finished last season so strongly with his run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship, it has been a tough start to the season for Jamie and it has immediately cost him the top 32 place that he gained with that Crucible run.
Elsewhere, other players through to the last 16 include Martin Gould, Ryan Day, Liang Wenbo and Alfie Burden, all of whom have had their troubles over the last year or two, but have hit form this week in Gloucester. Since then, Martin has been able to follow up his run with an excellent victory against Mark Allen this morning, while Ryan Day has upset world number two Judd Trump to progress to the last eight.
In contrast to the first UKPTC event which saw shock victories for a number of amateurs, this time around it has been very much a tournament for the professionals, with only two amateurs able to progress beyond the first round. Most impressive however was Callum Downing, who made it through to the last 32 with a terrific win against Stuart Bingham, before losing out against Robert Milkins.
John Higgins meanwhile was able to defeat amateur player Ben Harrison on his return to the table, before succumbing to Barry Hawkins in the second round.
The action continues…