• Hi Guest Just in case you were not aware I wanted to highlight that you can now get a free 7 day trial of Horseracebase here.
    We have a lot of members who are existing users of Horseracebase so help is always available if needed, as well as dedicated section of the fourm here.
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Snooker

John Virgo ‘hopeful’ of BBC Masters return​

Snooker commentator John Virgo says he is hoping to return to the BBC commentary box when the Masters takes place next week.
The commentator well known for his famous expression ‘Where’s The Cueball Going’ was not available for BBC’s coverage of both the World Championship and the UK Championship in 2020 due to self isolation and coronavirus reasons.
Wishing his followers a Happy New Year on Twitter, Virgo – who has been part of the BBC snooker team for decades – said he was hoping to be back from January 10 – when the Masters gets underway.
Unfortunately due to the serious numbers of coronavirus infections in parts of the UK, the Masters at London’s Alexandra Palace will be played behind closed doors.
Virgo tweeted: “Happy New Year snooker lovers, hoping to be at the Masters. Unlikely I will see any of you there unfortunately.
“A year out of our lives, hopefully it will be back to normal soon. Have a good one, all the very best JV.” ;)
 

Scene setter​

The Championship League Snooker is back in its original invitational format at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes in 2021 as 25 of the world’s best players battle over seven groups for the right to compete in April’s big-money Winners’ Group.
It will begin with Group 1 on January 4-5, with Group 2 (Jan 6-7) and Group 3 (Jan 8-9) to follow the same week. Groups 4-6 will be played over the week of February 8-13. The event will then return with Group 7 from March 29-30. Finally, the seven Group Champions will return for the Winners’ Group from March 31-April 1.
The players will be competing for a share of the £205,000 prize fund and a place in the Champion of Champions. Players will earn £100 per frame won, with significant bonuses for their final group position and increased prize money in the Winners’ Group.

What is the format?​

Seven groups of seven players will produce seven winners who then play in one further group to determine the winner.
In each group, every player will play each other once in a best-of-five-frame match, after which the top four players will contest the play-offs, semi-finals and final over best-of-five frames.
Players will be awarded one point for each match won, then most frames won and the least frames lost in the league series will determine their position in the league table. Dead frames will not be played in either the league or knock-out stages.
The play-off winner will progress to the Winners’ Group, while the players coming sixth and seventh in the group will be relegated and will not feature in any further group matches.
After the group has played its total 24 matches, three players will leave and be replaced by a further three players for the next group.

Confirmed schedule​

Group 1​

January 4 - 12:30
  • John Higgins v Stuart Bingham
  • John Higgins v Gary Wilson
  • Stuart Bingham v Michael Holt
  • Michael Holt v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
  • Zhou Yuelong v Graeme Dott
  • Gary Wilson v Graeme Dott
January 4 - 18:00
  • John Higgins v Michael Holt
  • Michael Holt v Gary Wilson
  • Gary Wilson v Zhou Yuelong
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Zhou Yuelong
  • Stuart Bingham v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
  • John Higgins v Graeme Dott
January 5 - 12:30
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Graeme Dott
  • Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Gary Wilson
  • Stuart Bingham v Gary Wilson
  • John Higgins v Zhou Yuelong
  • Stuart Bingham v Zhou Yuelong
  • Michael Holt v Zhou Yuelong
  • Michael Holt v Graeme Dott
January 5 - 18:00
  • Stuart Bingham v Graeme Dott
  • John Higgins v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh ;)
 
Ronnie O’Sullivan was the overwhelming winner of Eurosport’s British Sportsperson of the Year.
The 44-year-old snooker legend received almost half (44%) of the total votes cast, shared between eight of the best of British sport.
2020 was the year when O’Sullivan finally ended his wait of seven years for another World Championship, beating Ding Junhui, Mark Williams, Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson along the way.
 
Taking a knee and taking a stance, doing your bit in the fight against the rancid spectre of racism is certainly a burden worth bearing.
Alfie Burden – a former Arsenal FC youth prodigy prior to serious injury – admits he's "not had the career that I would have liked" since pursuing a pilgrimage as a snooker professional in 1994, but is also aware that participating in potting is not only about himself. It is about being part of a bigger force for good.
In such a respect, Burden was involved in one of those moments that tend to transcend the sport he plays after the horrific murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police in May.
Responding to what he describes as "vile" racism, Burden dropped to one knee for a few seconds before a Championship League contest with Ryan Day on 3 June at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
He paused before raising his arms upwards to the sky. It was a poignant moment made even more dramatic by the absence of any crowd due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The silence enveloping Burden was more at one with the moment than actually playing the match. It was amplified by social media as Burden's stance was suddenly discussed more than the balls he was potting.
"I don't always get it right, but to me it was important to show how I felt," explained Burden.
"We're no different to any sport with footballers showing what they think. Racism has no place in society, no place in sport and no place in the world.
"It is me showing my support to say racism has no place in society and I'm always one that will speak my mind – I'd do it again."
In the moral morass of social media, not all of the publicity has been positive, but Burden is unrepentant in his support of Black Lives Matter – and the campaign to eradicate institutional and societal racism wherever it lurks. Burden feels it is a disease more than a problem.
With the delayed World Championship beginning at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 31 July and running for 17 days until 16 August, snooker has the perfect platform to espouse similar goals as Premier League football.
He would endorse and support any of his fellow professionals who feel they want to show "solidarity" on the sport's biggest stage before an estimated worldwide TV audience of 500 million.
"I encourage all players to speak their mind and express what they feel whether they think it is right or wrong. Everyone has got their own opinion," commented Burden.
"You shouldn't just follow the sheep. Have your own mind and express yourself. Snooker is no different. We're a sport and shouldn't be afraid to air our opinions. The football community have.
"I'm likely to take the knee again because the fight is ongoing and racism has got no part in society.
"People need to show solidarity. I'm happy to speak my mind and I wouldn't encourage players to do what they don't want to do because everybody is their own person.
"But absolutely, if a player wanted to show their support and show it in that way in the fight against racism then absolutely I'd encourage them to take a knee.
"Why not? Why not? What happened to George Floyd was just vile," said Burden.
"The police are there to protect people, and the people have murdered the man on a pavement.. it was just vile and shocking. It has brought things to the forefront and I hope people will back this campaign to keep racism out of our world.
"I got a bit of abuse on social media for doing it. People are all entitled to their opinions, but to me we should all stand together behind the fight against racism and I continue to back that fight." ;)
 
Ding Junhui has come a long way since being the subject of a popular animated series on China Central Television a decade ago.

In 2010, the 26-episode Dragon Ball No 1, produced by Beijing-based D5 Studio, focused on Ding's journey from a shy boy in Yixing, Jiangsu province, to international snooker superstar.

Now, as the newest member of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association's inaugural players board of directors, the 33-year-old will have a voice in the sport's global governance.

Ding's election, held in conjunction with the WPBSA's online annual meeting on Dec 23, was saluted by chairman Jason Ferguson.

"For over 15 years Ding has been a trailblazer for our sport in Asia following his landmark victory at the 2005 China Open, and at last year's UK Championship he reminded everybody of his class by claiming the title for a third time," said Ferguson.

"Away from the baize he continues to play a significant role in our sport, having become almost a father figure to many of the young Chinese players competing on the World Snooker Tour.

"Already he has represented players in China on behalf of our colleagues at the China Billiards &Snooker Association.

"In this new formalized role, I am sure he will not only be a fantastic representative for Asian players, but for all players who travel great distances living away from home within our sport.

"Part of our vision is to increase global representation within key roles, and I am delighted to see this is now becoming a reality."

A former world No 1, Ding has won 14 major ranking titles, including two Shanghai Masters and one German Masters. Representing China at the Asian Games, he has won five gold medals in individual and team events, and in 2016 he became the first Asian player to reach the final of the world championship.

At the 2007 Masters, Ding became the youngest player to make a televised 147 break, going on to reach the final before losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan. His victory over O'Sullivan in the last 16 of the 2019 UK Championship marked the British legend's first loss in the competition since 2016.

Ding is currently ranked No 9 in the world.

Meanwhile, after being excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics, cue sports could be part of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

In 2018, snooker, billiards and pool fell short of the required number of votes for this year's pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing will debut.

Ferguson termed the most recent snub "extremely disappointing" for snooker and billiards fans throughout the world, but said the WPBSA is working on a major bidding campaign for 2028 and is united in its approach to bring Olympic recognition to the sport. ;)
 
Stuart Bingham made his second 147 of the season, and eighth of his career, on the opening day of the BetVictor Championship League.



Bingham’s perfect break came in the second frame of his match against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in Milton Keynes. His previous 147 came at the Betway UK Championship in November.


Only three players have made more maximums than Bingham. Ronnie O’Sullivan has 15 while both Stephen Hendry and John Higgins have made 11.


It’s the eighth 147 of the season and 165th in snooker history. ;)
 

Stephen Hendry gives update on sensational comeback plans​


Nigel Slater / 2 hours ago


Stephen Hendry says he will “probably” make his sensational return to professional snooker next month.
The seven-times world champion revealed he was looking at February’s Welsh Open as a possible tournament for which to mark his dramatic comeback into the sport.
The news was revealed when Hendry joined Eurosport snooker presenter Andy Goldstein in a live Instagram chat on Wednesday afternoon from his home.
The Welsh Open – one of snooker’s most established ranking events – is due to start on February 15 at a venue to be confirmed.
When asked by a fan when ‘Crucible King’ Hendry was planning to make a comeback, the snooker legend said: “Probably the Welsh Open.”
Hendry also said he was looking at playing the new Pro Series event in March, which World Snooker Tour announced at the end of 2020.
Last year Hendry took the snooker world by storm when he announced he would be coming out of retirement following an impressive semi-final run in the World Seniors Championship in August.
Since then Hendry has been working closely with SightRight coach Stephen Feeney – a man who has coached recent world champions Stuart Bingham, Mark Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan – to get his game back to a top standard.
However despite the headline announcement, Hendry has not yet featured in the 2020/21 snooker season.


He was planning a return for the UK Championship but announced a delay to his comeback in November because he wanted to play in front of a crowd and not behind closed doors and stated at the time his game was not yet ready.


But the likelihood of fans returning to live snooker events by the time the Welsh Open starts is almost impossible with both England and Wales in lockdown until mid-February at least. ;)
 
Gary Wilson whacked a ball in frustration as his rage spilt onto the snooker table during his Championship League match with John Higgins.
After missing a simple red into the left middle pocket, Wilson blasted another red in anger, sending it careering off two cushions before finding a pocket.
Such petulance usually results in a frame being conceded, but incredibly Higgins returned to the table as the referee simply awarded the Scot four points for a foul.
Wilson had removed the only easy red available to Higgins with his flash of anger, forcing the four-time world champion to play safe as the frame continued.
Commentator Phil Yates was incredulous: "The referee said that was just a foul. That was clearly not just a foul. That was a display of, quite deliberately, anger."
o his credit, Wilson realised his error and duly left a red over a pocket to ensure Higgins would win the frame.
Higgins won the match 3-1. ;)
 
Ronnie O’Sullivan: Judd Trump has joined elite group of my toughest opponents.

Ronnie O’Sullivan rates Judd Trump as one of the three toughest opponents he has ever faced on the snooker table, alongside Stephen Hendry and John Higgins. Trump has established himself as the most potent force in the game, riding high as world number one since winning the 2019 World Championship and continuing to rack up ranking titles since then. He may no longer be the world champion, or hold any of the Triple Crown titles in fact, but the 31-year-old’s continued excellence leaves little question that he is the finest player on the planet. O’Sullivan has been beaten by Trump on each of their last three encounters and the Rocket now classes him alongside two of the all-time greats of the baize. ‘He’s at that level where Hendry and Higgins were,’ O’Sullivan told Metro.co.uk. ‘Judd’s definitely in that bracket. I’ve played them all and I’ve always said Hendry and Higgins are the two hardest opponents I’ve had. ‘In terms of snooker ability, their ability to just out-play you and if you don’t play to that level, they don’t drop to your level. They just keep their level very, very high. ‘Higgins and Hendry were the only two players I put in that bracket but now definitely Judd is in there. He’s playing to a very, very high standard a lot of the time.’
While most consider O’Sullivan the finest player the sport has ever seen, with Hendry his closest competitor, there has also been plenty of talk of Trump taking snooker to a new level. Hendry himself has claimed that Trump can produce shots that the rest of the players in the game simply cannot, thanks largely to his immense cue power and unique technique. ‘Some of the shots, they are shots that only Judd Trump can play, he’s got such an advantage over the rest of the tour,’ Hendry said as Trump powered to his World Championship win. Given his status in the game and genius on the table, it may seem strange to O’Sullivan that it is suggested Trump can do things with a cue that he cannot. The reigning world champion does dispute the suggestion that he couldn’t pull off certain shots, but hails Trump’s consistency with them and confidence to take them on when most wouldn’t. ‘It’s not that you can’t play them,’ said Ronnie. ‘You could probably play them, but it’s like a golfer who can drive the ball 380 yards, but he only drives it 320 to keep the accuracy. 2020 Players Championship - Day 7 Judd Trump (Picture:Getty Images) ‘You might be able to play a shot Judd plays, but you’ll be on your limit every time, whereas I think Judd isn’t on his limit. ‘So he’s playing these shots and you just think “wow” because if you were to do it, nine times out of 10 you’d get it wrong and the odd time you’d get it right. ‘Whereas Judd is getting it right eight times out of 10 and the odd time it will go wrong. He has this ability to create spin and power that nobody else can.’ The Rocket feels Trump is uniquely dangerous in almost any situaion thanks to his immense potting ability and willingness to take on aggressive shots. His incredible talent means that you never feel safe, even when balls appear to be safe, or you have a big lead in a match. ‘You get to the point where you’re sitting in your chair and there might be nothing on but you have to accept that he’s probably the only player that could have cleared up the table in five minutes’ time,’ explained the 45-year-old. ‘That makes him very, very dangerous. ‘If you do create a lead, like Neil Robertson did at the English Open, 7-4 up playing fantastic snooker, he just found another gear, four frames from nowhere because he can just out-play you, without you doing anything wrong.’ Trump would go on to win that English Open final 9-8 against the man who O’Sullivan considers the only one capable of competing with Trump at the moment. ‘Hendry and Higgins are the only other players that had that ability to out-play you like that,’ said Ronnie. ‘But Judd’s put his own spin, his own brand on doing it.
‘Whereas Hendry would out-score and out-pot you which was phenomenal, Higgins would out-play you with all his safety, shut you out for hours and hours, but Judd is somewhere in between. ‘He’ll score well, pot well, you’ll still get your chances against him, but if you don’t take them you don’t get another chance. ‘That’s what Hendry was like, you got chances, but if you didn’t take them you didn’t see another ball and you knew he was going to clear up. So when someone brings that to the table, you know you have to perform, be very clinical and play a good all round game. ‘Neil Robertson is capable of it, he’s the only other one at the moment who can play flawless snooker and if he does then he’s got a chance against Judd because he’s not making any mistakes.’ Trump and O’Sullivan are in action at the Masters in the coming week, with Trump taking on Dave Gilbert on Sunday and O’Sullivan facing Ding Junhui on Wednesday Watch the Masters live on Eurosport and Eurosport app from Jan 10-17. ;)
 
Tiger Woods and Mark Allen are struggling to crack the same sporting conundrum, reckons six-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.


Antrim's Allen will kick off his pursuit of a second Masters title in three years on Wednesday as he takes on four-time world champion John Higgins in the first round.
World No.10 Allen soared to Champion of Champions glory this season but World No.1 Judd Trump, No.2 Neil Robertson and three-time Crucible king Mark Selby have dominated the start of the campaign.
O'Sullivan, one of the sport's all-time greats, hailed the Northern Ireland player's game but believes Trump and Robertson are doing to snooker what big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau is currently doing to golf.
The 45-year-old said: "Mark Allen's a very good break-builder and very good scorer but if you look at Neil and Judd, they have a power game.
"They play power shots which no one else can play, and that gives them an advantage.
"When I say power game, I don't mean hitting the ball hard - I mean to be able to get the white around effortlessly like Judd and Neil do.
"When the ball travels 18ft round the table, they've just done it because it's easy to them whereas with Mark Allen, maybe he struggles with that and that's the only thing that I think if you could put in his game, he would win like Judd is winning.
"It's the equivalent of these new modern-day golfers. They hit the ball so far that they're turning the golf course into a bit of a pitch and putt.
"Whereas Tiger Woods, he realises that and thinks these guys are shrinking the golf course. Although he's capable and has got the skill to do it, it's hard as you're on your limit quite a lot.
"Someone like Mark Allen, if he had the power game and was able to manoeuvre the white around like them (Trump and Robertson), he would be up there with them because he's a break-builder, he's got the bottle and he's got a great mentality for the game.
"He's a real dogged player that can play - but the one thing he could put into his game is that power game."
Allen (34) tasted Masters nirvana in 2018 after toppling 2020 World Championship finalist Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the showpiece.
He won the Scottish Open later that year before also claiming the prestigious Champion of Champions trophy in Milton Keynes earlier this season.
This year's Masters was due to be held at Alexandra Palace but a surge in coronavirus cases means that the event will now be held behind closed doors at the bio-secure Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
Allen will bid to become just the 10th dual Masters winner and seven-time champion O'Sullivan, who has lost four times in 10 matches against the Antrim man, says the ball is firmly in the five-time ranking event winner's court.
"Do you say to Mark Allen, 'Look, let's try and get that into your game' or do you say, 'Look, why bother? You're going to win tournaments and you're going to have a good career, are you happy with that?'" the current World No.3, who plays Ding Junhui in the first round of the tournament"He might go, 'Yeah' or he might go, 'No, I want a power game and I want to be able to manoeuvre that white'.
"Then he might have to change something technically to enable him to do that."I'm not saying that he's got to get to their level, but just improve by 20 or 30%, maybe." ;)
 
Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski have both tested positive for Covid-19 at the Betfred Masters in Milton Keynes and have been withdrawn from the event.
Trump was due to play David Gilbert in his opening match. He has been directly replaced by Joe Perry, who will face Gilbert at 7pm on Sunday evening.
Lisowski was due to play Kyren Wilson, and he has been directly replaced by Gary Wilson. The two Wilsons will clash on 1pm on Sunday in the opening match of the tournament.
Perry and Gary Wilson were both already present at the event as reserves and have received negative test results.
WST is following extensive Covid-19 guidelines in a ‘bubble’ environment for this event. All players are tested two days in advance of their first match, and after the test they remain in isolation until the result is received.
All other players and officials tested at the event so far have had negative results.
Trump and Lisowski will now undergo a further period of self isolation and will receive the support of WST and WPBSA.
Since WST events restarted in June 2020, strict Covid-19 regulations have been and continue to be followed, under UK Government guidance. ;)
 
I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised with covid 19 now out of control but at least now the betting market will be open to many chances, don't fancy Ronnie to win it so that makes Robertson fav in my book.
 
tacker said:
I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised with covid 19 now out of control but at least now the betting market will be open to many chances, don't fancy Ronnie to win it so that makes Robertson fav in my book.
Click to expand...
..... could be right if Robertson plays to form. It will have to take a concentrated effort for Ronnie and whether he wants to win badly enough. I'm sure if he gets near he will be happy at adding a few more dollars to his already swollen wallet. ;)
 
Mark Selby watched his tip fly off his cue during a 3-2 win over John Higgins at the Championship League on Saturday night only three days before he begins his Masters campaign against Stephen Maguire.
The unfortunate incident happened with the three-times Masters winner on 108 in the final frame of the match with four-times world champion Higgins, who later won the Group 3 final to qualify for the tournament's winners' group at the end of March.
"Oh no, the tip's come off," groaned Selby after potting a black at pace forced him to end his break prematurely with 35 still on the table.
Bedding in a new tip at such short notice can be damaging to a snooker player's confidence with their cue, but two-times ranking event winner Dominic Dale – watching in the commentary box – appears to have helped Selby out of a tricky situation.
The Welshman apparently helped Selby put the old tip back on his cue before his final group match with Scott Donaldson, a match he lost 3-2 after opening with a 137 break.
Selby did enough to extend his stay into Championship League Group 4 by finishing fifth in the seven-man section, but it is unclear whether or not he will stick with the tip as he chases a fourth Masters title after victories in 2008, 2010 and 2013.
He meets Tour champion Maguire at 7pm on Tuesday night. ;)
 
David Gilbert shrugged off concerns about his own form to power past Joe Perry and reach the quarter-finals of the Masters.
Perry was a late entry into the tournament, taking the place of Judd Trump following his positive coronavirus test, and he was off the pace throughout.
Gilbert has had a poor season to date, his best result being a run to the last eight of the Champion of Champions, but he was gifted a number of openings by Perry and it allowed him to build confidence on his way to a 6-2 win.
It may have been a markedly different outcome had Trump been in the opposite chair, but Gilbert could only take on the challenge he faced and it was one he overcame with aplomb to set up a last-eight meeting with Kyren Wilson who beat Gary Wilson 6-2 earlier on Sunday.
Gilbert told Eurosport before the match that the coronavirus restrictions had impacted on his form and he was arriving at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes low on confidence.
There did not look to be any confidence issues in his opening visit to the table, as he compiled a fluid 58 only to see his break come to an end when he stuck on a red while attempting to split the pack.
Perry admitted to arriving undercooked, as he was not expecting to play only for Trump to be ruled out. That was reflected in his start, as a series of poor safety shots enabled Gilbert to take the opening frame.
World number 19 Perry got his first points on the board 28 minutes into the match, and he had a great chance to claim the second frame. He did not take the opportunity and Gilbert stole in to clear the colours and pinch it on the black.
Gilbert got the better of a safety battle at the start of the third and a break of 62 proved enough to secure a three-frame advantage for the world number 13.
Perry's woes continued in the fourth and Gilbert rolled in a break of 60 to take a four-frame lead into the mid-session interval.
Gilbert, who has fond memories of the event having made it to the semi-finals on his debut 12 months ago, stepped in with a 71 to move within one frame of victory.
Whitewashes are rare occurrences at the Masters, given it is usually contested by the cream of the crop. Ronnie O'Sullivan got the most recent one, when beating Marco Fu 6-0 in 2018, and Perry avoided the embarrassment when rolling in a 73 to get on the board.
Gilbert had a chance to close out the match in the seventh frame, but an awful safety attempt with the spider let in Perry and he rolled in a confident 108 - the first ton of the match - to make it back-to-back frames.
He needed a couple of bites at the cherry in the eighth frame, but an excellent mid-range red set him up for a break of 54 to book his place in the last eight. ;)
 
Masters debutant Yan Bingtao caused a huge upset as he came back from 5-3 down to shock World No 2 Neil Robertson in the first round of Masters.
Former world champion Robertson led 3-1 and 5-3, but couldn't close out the match as Bingtao battled back and secured an impressive 6-5 win after over four hours of snooker.
The 20-year-old will next face either Mark Selby or Stephen Maguire, who meet from 7pm on Tuesday evening.
Robertson made a strong start with breaks of 81 and 121 establishing a 2-0 lead.
Bingtao responded with a century break of his own – a well-constructed 123 – but couldn’t level before the mid-session interval.
A missed red from the 20-year-old proved costly as he left the balls spread and Robertson took the frame with a break of 81.
Robertson looked set to move 4-1 ahead after the interval as he led 58-8 in the fifth frame, but missed a black after trying a thin cut.
Bingtao didn’t clean up at the first opportunity, but got back to the table and closed to within a frame.
The sixth frame also went Bingtao's way even though he missed a red at 64-0 ahead after the pink was spotted tight to the white to deny him an easier pot.
Robertson’s reply stalled at 64-15 and Bingtao potted a long red to ensure he levelled at 3-3.
A tight battle in the seventh frame was broken when Bingtao potted the brown while on the reds and left a free ball. Robertson potted the black over the pocket and cleaned up to move ahead.
The Australian followed up with a break of 85 to make it 5-3, but then missed a red over the pocket in the next frame which allowed Bingtao to close to one frame behind.
Bingtao took the 10th frame to take the match to a decider and looked well set until he missed a blue to the middle with a 38-0 lead.
However, Bingtao showed impressive resilience as he won a lengthy battle with balls against the cushions to record a memorable victory. ;)
 

Stephen Maguire Overcomes Mark Selby in the Masters​


It was the second of two shock results on the third day of action in Milton Keynes.
Stephen Maguire won the last three frames to beat Mark Selby and reach the quarter-finals of the Masters on Tuesday at the Marshall Arena.
Selby, a three-time former champion, had been one of the pre-tournament favourites this year but couldn’t replicate the kind of form that saw him capture a brace of ranking titles during the first half of the campaign.
In fact, Maguire always had the upper hand after winning the first two frames with breaks of 66 and 57.
Selby twice restored parity – at the mid-session interval and again a short time after when the scores were locked at 3-3.
However, the Scot was the heavier scorer throughout the contest and contributions of 65 and 61 helped him to advance.
Maguire will face Yan Bingtao in the last eight after the Chinese youngster fought back superbly from behind on his Masters debut to deny Neil Robertson in a decider.
On Wednesday, the first round will conclude with the remaining couple of matches taking place.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will begin his bid for a record-extending eighth crown when he meets Ding Junhui in a mouthwatering affair.
Two other former champions go head-to-head later in the day when John Higgins entertains Mark Allen. ;)
 
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