UK Championship Day 8
As the set up of the arena changes and we are now down to the two table set up, afternoon play began in earnest with two very exciting matches in prospect. Stuart Bingham was up against John Higgins and this in the initial stages was a slow burner with both players having to fight to gain points in the frames ahead. Bingham initially seized the initiative and built up a 2-0 lead over Higgins and then went on to lead 3-1 and 4-3. Controversy struck in frame nine when Stuart who was leading 46-18 in the frame and his hand in the table, was struck by the curse of the mobile phone ringtone and caused him to miss a basic red. This was a cruel turning point in the match and could be the noise that lost him the match. Subsequently Higgins won the frame and not before a fuming Stuart Bingham gestured to the crowd in utter frustration. Higgins then took the next frame with a 50 break to win the match 6-4. His opponent would be either Yan Bingtao or Neil Robertson. Bingham said after his defeat:
“If the phone did not go off I am 5-4 up and I would have had a couple of chances to get over the line”
The other afternoon match was contested between Mark Allen and Kurt Maflin. Maflin who was born in London but now resides in Norway had never met Allen before in a professional tournament apart from the Snooker Shootout. Both players are cast from the same mould of attacking play and it was Kurt who raced ahead at the start of the match, producing some sublime snooker and a 3-0 advantage as a result. Allen then took the next frame and at 3-1 the Allen fight back began. Despite Kurt making breaks of 81, 113 and 128, he was only able to capture two further frames in the match and it wastage “Pistol” who mounted the counterattack, making breaks of 60, 77, 126 and 68 to seal his progression into the quarter- finals, winning the match, 6-5. Maflin may have lost this match but his progress in this tournament has been impressive and be surprised if he wins a major title very soon. So good was he in the early part of this match that my attention kept being distracted to his table.
Inter evening’s play Neil Robertson took on the youthful, Chinese play, Yan Bingtao and frankly this was a match that Robertson would like to bury in an iron vault at the bottom of his garden. Yan was over over him and Robertson just failed to turn up. Bingtao was fresh and carried on his superb performance that dispatched Jack Lisowski in his previous match. Neil remained glued to his chair as Bingtao potted balls off the lampshades. He was fast, fluid and a rapid break builder. Getting into the pack at the earliest opportunity and killing off the frame before Robertson had a chance to reply. The 6-1 score line says it all and leaves another top player having to pack his bags, this one back to Cambridge.Robertson will be scratching his head in defeat but frankly in my opinion if you don’t show up for a match, performance wise, you will get beaten by any player who is playing well on the day and this time it was Yan Bingtao. A brief fightback by Robertson ended in vain.
The other match match was between Li Hang and Liang Wenbo. After a great start by Hang, taking the first frame. The match went to 5-3 to Wenbo with Hang clawing one frame back but in the end Wenbo won it comfortably 6-4
“If the phone did not go off I am 5-4 up and I would have had a couple of chances to get over the line”
The other afternoon match was contested between Mark Allen and Kurt Maflin. Maflin who was born in London but now resides in Norway had never met Allen before in a professional tournament apart from the Snooker Shootout. Both players are cast from the same mould of attacking play and it was Kurt who raced ahead at the start of the match, producing some sublime snooker and a 3-0 advantage as a result. Allen then took the next frame and at 3-1 the Allen fight back began. Despite Kurt making breaks of 81, 113 and 128, he was only able to capture two further frames in the match and it wastage “Pistol” who mounted the counterattack, making breaks of 60, 77, 126 and 68 to seal his progression into the quarter- finals, winning the match, 6-5. Maflin may have lost this match but his progress in this tournament has been impressive and be surprised if he wins a major title very soon. So good was he in the early part of this match that my attention kept being distracted to his table.
Inter evening’s play Neil Robertson took on the youthful, Chinese play, Yan Bingtao and frankly this was a match that Robertson would like to bury in an iron vault at the bottom of his garden. Yan was over over him and Robertson just failed to turn up. Bingtao was fresh and carried on his superb performance that dispatched Jack Lisowski in his previous match. Neil remained glued to his chair as Bingtao potted balls off the lampshades. He was fast, fluid and a rapid break builder. Getting into the pack at the earliest opportunity and killing off the frame before Robertson had a chance to reply. The 6-1 score line says it all and leaves another top player having to pack his bags, this one back to Cambridge.Robertson will be scratching his head in defeat but frankly in my opinion if you don’t show up for a match, performance wise, you will get beaten by any player who is playing well on the day and this time it was Yan Bingtao. A brief fightback by Robertson ended in vain.
The other match match was between Li Hang and Liang Wenbo. After a great start by Hang, taking the first frame. The match went to 5-3 to Wenbo with Hang clawing one frame back but in the end Wenbo won it comfortably 6-4
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