PTC Grand Finals Day 2

Alfie Burden defeated Judd Trump 4-3 to reach the last 16.
Image: Monique Limbos

Alfie Burden recorded an impressive deciding frame victory over world number 1 in the PTC Grand Finals on Wednesday. The Londoner took the first two, including a 76 in the opener although Trump pulled it back to 2-2 by taking the following two. Burden went ahead again with a 53 but Trump forced a decider. Burden though kept his composure and knocked in an excellent 113 in frame five to secure the victory.

He’ll face Xiao Guodong in the last 16 as the Chinese player beat Graeme Dott 4-1. Xiao took the opening two but world number 13 Dott knocked in a 72 to pull a frame back. However Xiao took the next two, to finish off the Scot.

The fourth match of the day was also an entertaining one as Ali Carter knocked out another Scot, John Higgins 4-2. Higgins had a good chance to take the opener but could only muster a 59 and Carter hit back with a 79 to take it. Higgins responded with a 118 but Carter won the next two, the latter on the black. Higgins made it 3-2 with an 83 but Ali secured the match by taking the sixth.

The Irish fans went home disappointed at the end of the night after Ken Doherty was defeated 4-2 by Kurt Maflin. Ken knocked in an excellent 105 to win the first but his Norwegian opponent won three on the bounce, including breaks of 89 and 86. Doherty made it 3-2 but Maflin swooped to victory with a 51 in the sixth.

Rod Lawler won the first match of the day after he defeated Cao Yupeng 4-2. The Liverpudlian won three of the first four, including a top break of 73 in the fourth. Cao responded with a 70 but the lengthy match was brought to an end as Lawler took the sixth.

The following match saw Andrew Higginson spur a 3-1 lead as Ding Junhui won three on the bounce to win 4-3. Widnes’ Higginson notched top breaks of 57 and 71 to go 3-1 ahead but a 118 century from Ding in the fifth set up his run to victory.