Pain In The Neck for Hicks

Posted on February 22, 2012 by JanieW

Launceston’s Andy Hicks is finding life a real ‘pain in the neck’ recently.

“I often wake up and find my neck is very stiff”, explained Hicks, “But usually it eases off and I get the mobility back into it as the day goes on.

“I practiced all weekend at the South West Snooker Academy and didn’t have any pain, so maybe sitting in the car driving up to Sheffield has caused the problem.

“Yesterday when I went to practice in Sheffield, I had only played for five minutes, when I found I couldn’t move my neck at all and it was too painful to carry on.

“I’ve got a 10am match on Wednesday so I’ll be getting up very early and trying to get the joints loose before I play.”

Hicks faces Belgium’s Luca Brecel in Round Two of the China Open at the EIS in Sheffield.

 

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Norman’s On Q For China Conquest

Posted on February 22, 2012 by JanieW

Andrew Norman

Bristol’s Andrew Norman stormed to a first round victory in the China Open Snooker, with a 5-3 win over Stuart Carrington.

That victory now matches Norman up with China’s own Liu Chuang in round two, at the EIS in Sheffield.

Norman, who gained his tour place this season, after a brilliant performance at Q School, needs to win a total of four matches to book his place on the flight to Beijing later in March.

Standing in his way in round three is Rob Milkins, from Gloucester.

The pair are regular practice partners at the South West Snooker Academy; the World Snooker Centre of Excellence in Gloucester.

Norman started the match in style, against Grimsby’s Stuart Carrington, rattling in 97 in the opening frame.

He opened a 3-1 lead before Carrington responded to level, but then Norman punched in 50 followed by an excellent 112 to wrap up the match.

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China Calling for Baird

Posted on February 20, 2012 by JanieW

Sam Baird takes on World No 1 Mark Selby

Sam Baird is enjoying the most exciting and successful few months of his professional snooker career to date.

He won four matches to qualify to play at the televised stages of the Welsh Open, compiling a career best 141 break along the way.

Having reached the Last 32 of the 2012 Welsh Open in Newport last week, Baird’s talents were seen by countless millions around the world when he beat Dominic Dale to book a dream match agianst World Number One Mark Selby.

And what a match it turned out to be. The Rookie versus the World’s Top Players.

Baird matched Selby shot for shot and at times had Selby on the ropes. But you can’t ‘buy experience’ and Baird, making his first venue and television experience fell just two shots short of victory to lose out 4-3.

Mark Selby admitted “I should have lost 4-2 and I would have had no complaints at all if I had.”

Selby went on to narrowly lose a thrilling final to China’s Ding Junhui.

And it is China that Baird now turns his attention to.

The twenty-three year old from Uffculme in Devon will be jetting off to Hainan City this weekend to compete in the Haikou World Open.

Baird’s brilliant run through the qualifying rounds included wins over Belgium’s prodigy Luca Brecel, China’s Liu Chuang, the legendary Jimmy White and, finally, the World number 17 Mark Davis.

Before that Baird has another China date. He will compete in the qualifying rounds of the China Open in Sheffield, starting out on Tuesday with a match against China’s Tian Pengfei.

Four matches stand between Baird and a trip to Beijing for the final stages, in March.

Forthcoming Events

2012 China Open Qualifiers – Round One
Tuesday 21 February 18.00 Sam Baird v Tian Pengfei

2012 Haikou World Open – Wildcard Round
Monday 27 February 14.30 (local time) Sam Baird v Jin Long

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Evans Bidding for National Title

Posted on February 20, 2012 by JanieW

World Ladies Champion Reanne Evans

Reanne Evans returns to competition in Swindon on 25 February, after a two month lay off with pleurisy.

Twenty-six year old Reanne Evans, from Dudley, the undisputed Queen of Ladies Snooker was laid low with pleurisy in December and has been unable to practice or compete since.

But she makes her return in the Connie Gough National Ladies Championships in Swindon against an International field.

Evans will have Maria Catalano, cousin of Ronnie O’Sullivan in her sights. Catalano has taken over the number one spot in the rankings in Evans’ absence.

Stiff competition will also come from Portsmouth’s Emma Bonney, who won the last ranking event.

The high quality field includes four of Hong Kong’s leading lady players, including Ng On Yee, the IBSF World Champion and Jaique Ip, runner up in the last World Ladies Ranking event.

“I want to be back at number one and back winning tournaments,” said Evans.

“I’ve only been back playing for a week after the two month lay off, so I don’t know what my form will be like.

“But I’m really looking forward to playing again after being off for so long.”

Event Details:

Connie Gough National Ladies Championship
25 February
Jesters Snooker Hall
Swindon
England

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Allen Succumbs to Murphy’s Law

Posted on February 17, 2012 by JanieW

Mark Allen on his way to a century

Mark Allen lost out in the quarter finals of the Welsh Open, but only after a pulsating 5-4 reversal to Shaun Murphy.

Murphy opened a 3-1 lead helped by breaks of 69, 45 and 98, punctuated by two runs of 54 by Allen.

After the interval Allen fought back.

He ran in 121 and 62 to take a 4-3 lead.

But Murphy compiled 68 to level. And the former World champion dominated the decider.

He got in first with 44 and added another 26 which left Allen needing three snookers.

The Antrim man battled on, causing Murphy some very nervous moments, getting two of the snookers he needed.

There was some friendly banter between the players, epitomising the entire match, which was played in a great spirit.

Eventually Murphy cracked home a long brown and Allen was forced to concede.

The pair will renew battle, on the golf course, in the summer, as they may be best of enemies on the table, but they are best of friends off table.

 

 

more to follow…

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No Quarter Given by Allen

Posted on February 16, 2012 by JanieW

Mark Allen into the Quarters

Mark Allen was in ruthless form at the Newport Centre today, beating Stephen Hendry 4-0 to book a Welsh Open Quarter Final match against Shaun Murphy.

Allen got off to the best possible start against the Seven Times World Champion, rattling in a break of 81 in the first, only faltering on a red down the cushion, for a possible century.

Hendry made 42 from the first chance in the second frame but ran out of position. The Scot had a useful thirty-two point lead with two reds left, but Allen found a red and cleared with 36 to steal the frame.

Hendry was unfortunate in the next, to see the blue bounce back out of the centre pocket. It didn’t cost him, but he subsequently left himself stuck amongst the reds. He could see the black, but elected to play as if snookered. Having missed the brown twice, he was warned that another loss would result in forfeiture of the frame.

He played the brown again, this time clipping it, but it served only to leave a red on for Allen, who made 43 to secure a three frame lead. Hendry elected not to play on needing two snookers.

From the start of frame four was one way traffic to the winning line for Allen. He created a chance and made 68 to booking his place in the Quarter Finals.

Allen admitted afterwards to some pre-match nerves. “I get very nervous against Stephen [Hendry]. He still walks round the table as if he owns the place. He was my hero when I was growing up so it’s not an easy match.

“Once I’d made a good break in the first I settled down and played quite well again.

“I’m really looking forward to playing Shaun [Murphy]. We’re good friends off the table and I’ll be very keen to put one over on him!

“Neither of us have really been tested so far so we won’t really know what to expect.”

Asked about his injured finger Allen commented “It’s a bit better today, it wasn’t throbbing so much. But I played better yesterday, so maybe I want it to be hurting again tomorrow!”

 

 

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Four Fingers Equals Four Frames

Posted on February 15, 2012 by JanieW

Mark Allen at the Welsh Open

Mark Allen cruised past Ken Doherty 4-0, at the Welsh Open in Newport, despite playing with an injured finger.

Antrim’s Mark Allen has been nursing a bad swollen and infected finger, on his cue hand, which severely hampered his preparation practice, but he played through the pain barrier to book himself a Last 16 tie against seven times World Champion Stephen Hendry.

Allen snatched a fragmented opening frame in two scoring visits after Doherty spurned the first chance.

After that it was a quick kill at Allen rattled in breaks of 61, 77, 55 and 48 in the next three frames, which took just half an hour to complete.

The offending digit

“If that match had been on Monday, I could barely hold my cue”, declared Allen.

“But I would never have withdrawn. I’d go out there and play even if I had one arm, or leg, or eye.

“It was throbbing, particularly if I had to hit the ball with pace, but I’ve got another 24 hours now and hopefully it will be a lot better on Thursday.

“I’d expected a tough match against Ken [Doherty], but he missed a couple of balls early on, otherwise it could have been a different story.

“I’m feeling confident at the moment and my form is good. I can’t wait to play Stephen Hendry, he was my idol when I growing up.”

Allen takes on Hendry in the Last 16 on Thursday afternoon.

 

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Baptism of Fire for Wicheard

Posted on February 15, 2012 by JanieW

Adam Wicheard

Adam Wicheard appeared at the venue stage of a ranking event for the first time, in the Last 32 of the Welsh Open, , facing “On Fire” Stephen Maguire, runner up in the recent German Masters.

It doesn’t get much harder than facing the World No. 6 in your first match at a venue, never mind the fact that Maguire is on his best form, having only lost in the deciding frame of the final of the German Masters, to Ronnie O’Sullivan, less than two weeks ago.

Wicheard looked calm and relaxed in his new surroundings, but it was Maguire who came out ‘all guns blazing’.

Breaks of 54, 101 and 131 saw the Scot race into a 3-0 lead.

Wicheard wasn’t going to go down without a fight and the South West Snooker Academy based player, battled through to take the fourth frame.

He left Maguire scoreless in the next, with a run of 54, to close the gap to 3-2.

But he missed a blue early in the fifth and that let a relieved Maguire back to the table and he ran in a match-clinching run of 87.

“I’ve really enjoyed the experience”, said Wicheard. “It’s all new to me but I felt settled down okay.

“I’m really glad I got the chance to make a decent break and win a couple of frames.”

Maguire revealed that he’d been monitoring Wicheard’s progress from Round One of the qualifiers.

“I’d been expecting to  face Marcus [Campbell] as he’s been in good form lately. So I knew how well Adam must have been playing, to come through four qualifying matches and to beat Marcus.

“I didn’t give him much chance the first three frames, and I thought he did really well to stick at it and come back at me. If he hadn’t missed that blue, it could have gone all the way.”

 

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The Hawk has his Wings Clipped

Posted on February 15, 2012 by JanieW

Barry Hawkins was edged out by Matthew Stevens in a high quality encounter in the Last 32 of the Welsh Open in Newport.

Both players were at the peak of their form, but something had to give and ultimately it was Welshman Stevens who came through to win the deciding frame.

Hawkins opened brightly with 53 but left Stevens a chance of a long red and he made 65 before missing the pink. But a shot later Stevens fluked the pink to lead 1-0.

A run of 56 and a brown to black clearance secured the second for Hawkins.

The Dartford man sat out a superb 141 from Stevens, the highest break of the event so far, in the third.

But Hawkins responded in style, running in 70, followed by 123, his 100th career century break.

Stevens potted another majestic red in the decider and made 70 to leave Hawkins needing a snooker. He made 32 but couldn’t get the decisive snooker and Stevens mopped up the colours for victory.

“That very disappointing”, said Hawkins. “It was a great match to be involved in. Matthew played exceptionally well today, but that’s no consolation to me.”

Stevens agreed commenting “It was a brilliant match. We both played really well. I’m delighted to have won because Barry is the man in form recently.

 

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Jester Has the Last Laugh

Posted on February 14, 2012 by JanieW

Sam Baird takes on World No 1 Mark Selby

World No. 1 Mark Selby overcame stubborn resistance from Sam Baird, edging through 4-3 after a pulsating match in the Welsh Open at Newport.

A bitterly disappointed Baird said “It didn’t seem like the best match, although everyone’s saying it was brilliant. We both had chances and missed balls.

“Obviously I’m gutted to lose it but it was a fantastic experience and overall to reach my first venue has been massive for me.

“I’m really looking forward to China now and I know what I have to do to compete alongside the Top players.”

Twenty-three year old Sam Baird took on the World Number One and former Welsh Champion, Mark Selby and came within two balls of victory.

He matched everything that Selby could throw at him, and gave it back, with interest, for most of the match.

But needing just blue and pink for a 4-2 victory after a nerve-wracking 44 minute frame, he over cut the blue and Selby breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The momentum swung in favour of Selby in the decider and he carved out a 51 point lead with only 51 left on the table.

But still he couldn’t shake Baird off, as he fought to get back into the frame. However Baird mis-cued, aiming down for a red to centre and that left him needing a snooker.

Still he battled on, trapping Selby in several snookers. The Leicester man escaped and eventually sank green and brown to close out the match.

Baird gave Selby plenty to think about

Earlier Selby had opened a 2-1 lead before breaks of 59, 64 and 85 in a mid-match purple patch, gave Baird a 3-2 lead.

A very relieved Selby was full of praise for his young opponent. “I couldn’t believe when they told me it was his first time at a venue. I would have had no complaints if he’d beaten me 4-2.

“There’s no way he should be so low in the rankings and fighting to stay on tour.

“His safety was good, he scored well. He should have won really. I think we’ll see a lot more of him in the future.”

Wednesday’s Matches

Adam Wicheard v Stephen Maguire
Mark Allen v Ken Doherty
Barry Hawkins v Matthew Stevens

Posted in Adam Wicheard, Barry Hawkins, Mark Allen, On Q Promotions, Sam Baird, South West Snooker Academy, Welsh Open | Leave a comment