Snooker news - Ali Carter continues fine form at European Masters
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Updated 22/01/2020 at 23:37 GMT
Masters finalist Ali Carter continued his fine form at the European Masters on Wednesday, beating Tian Pengfei 5-3 to progress to the last 16.
Ali Carter | Snooker | ESP Player Feature
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Though Tian recorded the better breaks - compiling 86, 87 and 58 compared to Carter's three highest of 51, 56 and 58 - it was the Englishman who edged it.
He had to come from behind to do so, though, falling 2-0 behind in the opening frames and then 3-2 down after the fifth.
However, a run of three frames on the bounce was enough for the Captain to set up a second-round showdown with Michael Holt, who dispatched Daniel Wells 5-0.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh recorded the highest break of the European Masters thus far, a 146, in his 5-2 win against Robbie Williams.
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Thepchaiya Un-Nooh makes a 146 at the European Masters
The Thai player also produced runs of 57 and 124 in an impressive showing against world number 60 Williams.
Ding Junhui also had a good day in Austria, sweeping Robert Milkins aside 5-0 and notching high breaks of 81, 78 and 73.
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6 attempts, 21 points conceded, favour returned - Milkins' patience repaid against Ding
There was a remarkable moment in the first frame, whereby Milkins fouled five times on the spin before escaping a snooker only to lay one himself.
John Higgins moved through to the next round with a win over Fergal O'Brien, taking it 5-2 despite a lack of 50-plus breaks.
O'Brien, in fact, put together runs of 76, 54 and 60, yet only secured two frames as Higgins' superior match play saw him through.
“Maybe when you get to this age you’re going to have good days, bad days and different days,” Higgins said after the match.
I’m resigned to that fact. The good games are still a good standard but the bad games can be really brutal.
“The World Championship has maybe masked over a lot of things because when you get to three consecutive finals you think you’re close again.
"But then when you come to some tournaments and play poorly you realise you’re a million miles away again. I’m trying to correct it and when I come to a tournament I still have aspirations of winning it.”
Graeme Dott beat Liang Wenbo 5-3, leading from the outset and recording a break of 104 in the fourth frame.
He will play Neil Robertson in the next round, who beat Lyu Haotian 5-2.
In the evening session, three-time world champion Mark Selby put together runs of 80, 78 and 73 to defeat Jak Jones and he will face Barry Hawkins in the last 16 after the Hawk beat David Lilley 5-2 courtesy of breaks of 71, 55 and 80.
EUROPEAN MASTERS ROUND 1 RESULTS
- John Higgins 5 - 2 Fergal O'Brien
- Allister Carter 5 – 3 Tian Pengfei
- Marco Fu 5 – 3 Lu Ning
- Ding Junhui 5 – 0 Robert Milkins
- Graeme Dott 5 – 3 Liang Wenbo
- Neil Robertson 5 – 2 Lü Haotian
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 5 – 2 Robbie Williams
- Michael Holt 5 – 0 Daniel Wells
- Mark Selby 5 - 2 Jak Jones
- Xiao Guodong 5 - 3 Alfie Burden
- Barry Hawkins 5 - 2 David Lilley
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