Today has seen rounds three and four of the final event of the 2011 Q School played to a conclusion and we now know who will contest tomorrow’s four matches with a place on the main tour awaiting the winners…
Round Four Results
Kurt Maflin 4-0 David McClellan
Martin O’Donnell 4-3 Gary Wilson
Ian Burns 1-4 Stuart Carrington
Zhang Anda 2-4 Stephen Craigie
Adam Duffy 4-3 Alex Davies
Luke Simmonds 0-4 David Gray
Kyren Wilson 1-4 Allan Taylor
Brijesh Damani 1-4 David Gilbert
Round Three Results
Kurt Maflin 4-1 Mitchell Travis
Michael Leslie 3-4 David McLellan
Duane Jones 1-4 Martin O’Donnell
Mitchell Mann 3-4 Gary Wilson
Shahram Changezi 3-4 Ian Burns
Stuart Carrington 4-1 Li Hang
Vinnie Calabrese 3-4 Zhang Anda
Alex Borg 0-4 Stephen Craigie
Lee Walker 1-4 Adam Duffy
Mei Xiwen 3-4 Alex Davies
Craig Steadman 0-4 Luke Simmonds
David Gray 4-3 Charlie Walters
Kyren Wilson 4-2 Jak Jones
Reanne Evans 3-4 Allan Taylor
Brijesh Damani 4-0 Jason Tart
Bobby Cruickshanks 3-4 David Gilbert
Kurt Maflin has looked well placed to progress from the top quarter of the draw from the outset of Event Three and following comfortable victories against Mitchell Travis and then Scotland’s David McLellan he is through to tomorrow’s final round. Some of you may remember McLellan from his appearance at the Crucible back in 1997 when he lost 10-2 to Steve Davis and today he won a close match with compatriot Michael Leslie to reach the fourth round, but Maflin was to prove a test too far as the Norwegian came through a 4-0 winner.
Standing between Kurt and a place on the tour will be Martin O’Donnell who edged a tight match with former IBSF World Under 21 Champion Gary Wilson this evening.
The second half of the draw was probably the most competitive on paper at the start of the week, particularly with the likes of talented Chinese youngsters Li Hang and Zhang Anda lurking but the last men standing are in fact both talented young Englishman in the form of Stephen Craigie and Stuart Carrington. Long-term readers of PSB will know that Stephen is a player who I have talked up in the past and following early exits during the previous two events he has perhaps now demonstrated why.
Having reached this stage for the loss of just three frames, defeating players such as Zhang and Michael Wasley along the way, he will fancy his chances of progression but opponent Stuart Carrington is not to dismissed either. His wins against Li Hang and Ian Burns today are particularly impressive, in addition to several strong victories against players such as Mark King and Martin Gould during last season’s PTC events.
Section three sees David Gray through to the final qualifying round for the second successive tournament where he will face former Paul Hunter Scholar Adam Duffy for a place on the tour. On paper David would appear favourite but Adam has impressed during events two and three, his 4-1 victory against Welshman Lee Walker today being one of the stand-out results of the day.
But if one man deserves to qualify then surely it is David Gilbert who following victories against Bobby Cruickshanks and Brijesh Damani is through to his third consecutive Q School event final. Having lost to Robin Hull and Tian Pengfei previously, he will this time be hoping to turn the tables against Liverpool’s Allan Taylor. Again however this will be no formality as Allan recorded a hugely impressive 4-1 success against Kyren Wilson today, having already seen off another On Q Promotions player in the form of Reanne Evans. Could the Albino Assassin shoot down another former pro?