Lisowski leads Jack on course for opening win
CHURCHDOWN’S Jack Lisowski opened up a 6-3 lead after the first session of his World Snooker Championship first-round clash with Matthew Stevens at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old former Chosen Hill School pupil, seeded number 14 for the event, had two century breaks in the session and needed four frames in the second session yesterday (Wednesday) to book a last-16 clash with Australia’s Neil Robertson - the bookies’ favourite for the title.
Lisowski won the opening two frames of the contest, having breaks of 53 and 58 in the second frame, but Welshman Stevens, a former Crucible finalist, hit back to make it 2-2 at the mid-session interval.
But Lisowski clicked into gear with a 106 break in frame five, followed by a run of 100 to move into a 4-2 lead, and then had breaks of 52 and 73 in the next to make it 5-2.
That ensured he would take a lead into the second session, and he made it 6-2 before Stevens came back with a break of 108 in the final frame of the session to make it 6-3.
Lisowski is making his sixth appearance at the Crucible, and has made the second round on two previous occasions without progressing any further.
However, Gloucester’s Rob Milkins missed out on a place at the Crucible after losing a tight contest with Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham.
Saengkham, who was starting his last-32 game with Belgium’s Luca Brecel last night (Wednesday), won 10-8 in the final qualifying round at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, meaning there will be no ninth Crucible date for the Gibraltar Open champion.
The 46-year-old did not pot a ball in the opening two frames as Saengkham started with two centuries, a 116 and a 113, but fought back to lead 5-4 after the opening session.
Milkins levelled at 2-2 then Saengkham had a 92 break to lead 3-2, only for Milkins to level again with a 56.
Saengkham went in front again with a 56, but again Milkins came back with a 76 break to make it 4-4, then edged ahead for the first time at 54. The topsy-turvy nature of the match continued in the evening and Saengkham took the first two, the second with a break of 58, to go ahead at 6-5.
Milkins responded again with a 56 in frame 12 to make it 6-6, and then fell behind again at 7-6.
A superb steal from Milkins in frame 14 with a break of 61 levelled the game again at 7-7, and the Gloucester man went in front at 8-7 with a 54.
Saengkham levelled again, and then the Thai pulled away to win the match with breaks of 75 and 89.
Milkins reached the final qualifier with a 6-3 win over China’s Cao Yupeng, but warded off a comeback after winning the first four frames, including breaks of 65 and 69.
Cao won the next three with runs of 64, 80 and 52 but Milkins was able to see the match out, winning the next two for victory.
Milkins takes home £15,000 in prize money, and, boosted by his Gibraltar win, ends his season 26th in the world rankings, although some players could climb above him with success in Sheffield.