Leicester's Liang Wenbo has extended his winning record to six out of nine meetings against opponent Gary Wilson, as he aims to climb the world rankings after facing a challenging few years. The world number 52, a former Welsh Open finalist, has battled Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which has hindered his ability to practice and compete at his best. Fortunately, the condition has recently improved, enabling him to regain confidence and perform better on the snooker circuit.
Wilson, who recently experienced a tough defeat at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where he lost a high-stakes deciding frame to Judd Trump, had been struggling to recover his form. The loss in the most lucrative frame in snooker history left him with a £200,000 prize rather than the £500,000 top reward. Despite this setback, Wilson made a notable recovery in his latest match, with a 70-break performance securing his progress to the last 32, where he will face Zak Surety.
In contrast, world number three Mark Allen survived a close contest with China's Long Zehuang, advancing to the last 32 with a 4-3 victory. After taking an early 2-0 lead, Allen found himself trailing 3-2 but managed to force a decider with a crucial 67-break, ultimately winning the match. Allen, who will now face Lyu Haotian, expressed his admiration for Zehuang's performance and noted his own slight disappointment at not scoring a century in the match.
Meanwhile, Matthew Selt reached milestones with the 200th and 201st centuries of his career during a 4-3 win over Ricky Walden, setting up a last 32 clash with Judd Trump. Neil Robertson secured a 4-1 win, setting up a highly anticipated match against Shaun Murphy, while Ross Muir also advanced with a 4-3 victory over Gary Wilson.
ADD A COMMENT :