Welsh Open Day 5

Defending Champion Ding Junhui remains in this year's
competition thanks to a 5-1 victory over Robert Milkins

Ding Junhui’s hopes of defending his Welsh Open titles were kept alive on Thursday evening as he ran out 5-1 winner over Robert Milkins. Ding seemed a certainty to progress at the interval having won all four of the frames, including breaks of 50, 104 and 74. Gloucester’s Milkins managed to avoid the whitewash by knocking in a 108 break but Ding  secured the match with a 63 break in frame six.

On the other side of the arena, Alan McManus’ excellent run in the tournament was brought to an end by close friend and fellow Glaswegian Stephen Maguire. Maguire dominated the early stages winning the first three frames with runs of 75, 67 and 77 but McManus kept the match alive by nicking the last frame before the interval, with a 58 break. He won the next frame too to narrow the gap to one but Maguire went within a frame of victory by taking a closely-fought sixth frame. A 70 break in the next meant McManus close the gap to 4-3 and looked set to force a decider until he broke down on 49, allowing Maguire to clear for victory.

He’ll face Judd Trump in the second semi-final tomorrow after he overcame recent giant-killer Pankaj Advani 5-2. Again, this match was dominated in the early stages, by Judd Trump who ran in top breaks of 52 and 78 to go in 4-0 up at the interval. Advani was not ready to throw in the towel and won the next two frames, the sixth with an excellent clearance after Trump missed what was frame ball. However, an improving Trump put the game to bed by knocking in a 69 break to take frame seven.

The afternoon semi-final tomorrow will see Ding take on Stuart Bingham, who defeated Ken Doherty 5-3. Ken played well early on, winning the first two frames including an 88 break in the opener but Bingham won the next two to ensure he went into the interval level. Ken regained the lead by winning frame five but began to miss chances as the match neared its end, allowing Bingham to win the next three, including breaks of 52 and 71.