Higgins shows
his class with fine run of 136
INDIAN HOPE ADVANI MISSES THE BUS
Former four-time
world champion and world ranked no 12, John Higgins of Scotland
showed his class with a magnificent effort of a break of
136 in the sixth frame as he overcame Jamie Burnett of Scotland 4-2
in a first round match of the 64-player main draw in the 300,000
pounds prize money 2nd Indian Open Snooker World Ranking Tournament.
Meanwhile, India’s brightest hope 29-year-old Pankaj Advani misses
out to make the cut as he faltered at the finish going down to
Scotland’s Rhys Clark 4-3 in a tense and exciting wild card
qualifying round match late on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old Clark
snatched the crucial deciding frame on the re-spotted black ball to
complete the victory which earned him a place in the tournament
proper.
The Wizard of Wishaw, Higgins, who last month won the Welsh Open,
was not at his best initially and could only muster a couple of
small but useful breaks of 41 in the first and 52 in the second as
he took a 3-0 lead against the 47th ranked Scotsman who was
struggling to settle down. Burnett stayed close with his illustrious
opponent and managed to pocket the next two frames, but that was as
far as he got. The 39-year-old Englishman finally seemed to have
found his touch and unfurled a sensational run of 136 by polishing
off the balls from the table.
In an interesting first round match-up between two youngsters,
23-year-old Michael White of Wales and 24-year-old Chinese Cao
Yupeng were engaged in a grim duel for supremacy before the former
with calculated last-ditch effort managed to pulled through at 4-3.
The world 23rd ranked Welshmen produced notable breaks of 97 (2nd
frame), 96(4th) and 77 (7th) to complete a 14-66, 106(97)-0, 64-35,
96(96)-0, 31-71(41), 61(46)-69(40), 116(77)-13) victory and a set up
a second round meeting with England’s 29-year-old Mathew Selt who
brushed aside 20-year-old compatriot Joel Walker 4-0.
Earlier in the day, Rhys Clack also bowed out of the competition as
he lost to Chris Wakelin of England 4-2 in another first round
match. The young Scotsman returning to the tables after a short rest
of less than 11 hours was unable to rework the magic which stood him
in good stead the previous night and surrendered to the consistent
play of Wakelin who just potted steadily to emerge victorious. Clark
continued from where he had left off on Tuesday by taking the
opening frame but the 22-year-old Wakelin fought back by producing a
break of 70 to win the second to level the scores. He then followed
it up with two more decent efforts of 42 and 37 to pocket the next
two frames and set up a 3-1 lead. Clark not ready to give in without
a fight compiled a run of 52 to take the fifth before Wakelin with a
couple of tiny efforts, including a 32 went on to claim the sixth to
close out the match
Anthony McGill of Scotland and England’s Rod Lawler also won by the
short route defeating Englishmen Tom Ford and qualifier Sam Baird.
RESULTS
Mumbai ::
09
March
2015
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