Mark Williams
Mark Williams maintained his fine recent form as he made a century and five more breaks over 50 in a 6-4 victory over Andrew Higginson to qualify for the final stages of the International Championship.
Williams enjoyed a tremendous run to the final of last week’s English Open, becoming the oldest ranking finalist for 40 years, and after defeat to Ali Carter on that occasion the 51-year-old got back to winning ways today as he booked his passage to Nanjing. Runs of 100, 58, 80, 54, 98 and 83 helped Williams get the better of a high quality tussle.
China Open champion Mark Selby was also in excellent shape in a 6-1 thrashing of Luo Zetao, making breaks of 54, 70, 72, 51, 71 and 121. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh won a Thai derby against Chatchapong Nasa 6-0 with a top run of 111, while talented tour rookie Wang Xinbo beat David Gilbert 6-4 with a top break of 94.
Dylan Emery enjoyed a 6-4 win over Xiao Guodong, winning the last five frames with a top break of 105. Luca Brecel’s upturn in form continued as he beat Jamie Clarke 6-3, while India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha made a 114 in a 6-1 success against Deng Haohui.
ROUND ONE RESULTS
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha) bt Chatchapong Nqasa (Tha) 6-0
Jiang Jun (Chn) bt Florian Nuessle (Aut) 6-3
Wang Xinbo (Chn) bt David Gilbert (Eng) 6-4
Hossein Vafaei (Egy) bt Cheung Ka Wai (Hkg) 6-1
Zhou Yuelong (Chn) bt Ashley Hugill (Eng) 6-3
Mark Shelby (Eng) bt Luo Zetao (Chn) 6-1
Stuart Carrington (Eng) bt He Guoqiang (Chn) 6-4
Liu Hongyu (Chn) bt Lan Yuhao (Chn) 6-3
Luca Brecel (Ger) bt Jamie Clarke (Wal) 6-3
Marco Fu (Hkg) bt Michael Holt (Eng) 6-3
Ishpreet Singh (Ind) bt Deng Haohui (Chn) 6-1
Mark Williams (Wal) bt Andrew Higginson (Eng) 6-4
Dylan Emery (Wal) bt Xiao Guodong (Chn) 6-4
Mitchell Mann (Eng) bt Jamie Jones (Wal) 6-3
Long Zehuang (Chn) bt Phil O’Kane (Eng) 6-2
Aaron Hill (Ire) bt Antoni Kowalski (Pol) 6-3
Ashley Carty (Eng) bt Jack Lisowski (Eng) 6-5
John Higgins (Eng) bt Craig Steadman (Eng) 6-2
Sam Craige (Eng) bt Noppon Saengkham (Tha) 6-3
Ross Muir (Sco) bt Matthew Selt (Eng) 6-2
Julien Leclercq (Bel) bt Martin O’Donnell (Eng) 6-4
Daniel Wells (Wal) bt Oliver Brown (Eng) 6-2
