Intenational Championship Qualifiers Round-up

Aditya Mehta is through to the main venue in Chengdu after
beating Ricky Walden 6-2.

Ricky Walden was the biggest victim in the International Championship as he was defeated 6-2 by Aditya Mehta. Top breaks of 62, 71 and 62 saw the Indian through to the main venue in Chengdu where he will face Rod Lawler who made it through a lengthy match against Ian Burns.

Fellow Indian Pankaj Advani is also through to the last 64 after beating world number 22 Dominic Dale 6-3. Michael Holt’s recent success may well have been his downfall as the recent Shanghai Masters semi-finalist and Asian PTC Finalist was defeated 6-1 by Manchester’s Craig Steadman.

Other upsets included Li Yan’s 6-1 victory over Andrew Higginson, who has struggled for form of late, whilst Pickering potter Paul Davison beat Anthony Hamilton 6-3. Elsewhere at the Barnsley Metrodome, Newcastle’s Gary Wilson defeated Tom Ford 6-2, with top runs of 103 and 123 and Kyren Wilson beat Stoke’s Jamie Cope 6-1.

Defending champion Judd Trump made it through to the main event although he was made to work hard for the victory against new professional Cao Xin Long. Trump was 4-0 up at the interval but was pegged back to 4-4 as Cao won four on the bounce but runs of 59 and 60 in the next two frames saw Trump through.

There was another close match on Wednesday evening as John Higgins scraped past John Astley but only after a final frame decider. Astley was 3-1 up at the break and although Higgins won the next three to go 4-3 up, the Gateshead man kept in touch and forced a decider. But Higgins showed his class by knocking in a break of 85 to seal the victory and will face Joe Swail at the venue after he beat Dechawat Poomjaeng 6-4.

Shaun Murphy was knocked out at the last 128 stage in both the Wuxi Classic and Indian Open but had no trouble in making it through to the venue this time round after whitewashing Christopher Keogan 6-0 with top runs of 77, 101 and 78.

Mark Selby beat Martin O’Donnell 6-1 and Ronnie O’Sullivan should feature in his first Chinese event for almost two years after he beat Joel Walker 6-1. Neil Robertson is also through to Chengdu after putting on a break building master class as he defeated Li Hang 6-2, with runs of 105, 136, 107 and 140.