Stevens set up tie against the Rocket
MATTHEW Stevens says he’s taking to life in Milton Keynes like a duck to water.
The Carmarthen potter got his English Open campaign off to the perfect start on Tuesday as he toppled world No. 88 Jamie O’neill under the Marshall Arena lights.
The maiden Home Nations event of the season is being held behind closed doors in Buckinghamshire, with players requiring a negative coronavirus test to participate but also being allowed out of the hotel, and venue, to buy food and drink.
Stevens has no issues with the current restrictions and has relished swapping potting for pints on his evenings away from the table.
“I like it here and it’s a lovely place,” said the 43-year-old.
“There are plenty of nice restaurants and enough to do. It’s just the same as everyone else, go out and have a few beers and to the restaurants, so it’s great.
“I played decent. The table was a bit slow and a bit tough, I made a good clearance to go 3-1 and that was the difference really. The table was a bit slow but it is what it is.
“I feel okay. It’s a bit early to say but I’ve been practising a little bit with Daniel [Wells] and I feel good.
“I’ve been playing a little bit - not a massive amount but enough to say that I’m hitting the ball okay.”
World No.31 Stevens struck classy breaks of 95, 72, 63 and 61 to down his opponent despite O’neill’s punchy riposte of 88 in frame five.
The two-time World Championship finalist showed signs of his old best as he advanced to the second round with ease.
In yesterday’s second round
Stevens saw off China’s Xhao Jianbo 4-2, setting up a thirdround clash this afternoon with Ronnie O’sullivan, who last night beat Welshman Ryan Day 4-1.
Stevens’s practice partner, Neath’s Daniel Wells, was unable to progress to the last 64, however, as he succumbed to a 4-1 defeat against world No. 40 Mark Davis.
World No. 55 Wells composed breaks of 56 and 51 but visits of 85 and 84 from Davis proved too hot to handle.
Pontycymer’s Ryan Day beat Mark Lloyd 4-0 in his first round match, while Neath’s Jamie Jones toppled Mountain Ash’s Duane Jones 4-2 in the battle of the Welshmen.
Both players opened up with
fine centuries in the first two frames but Jones put his foot on the throttle to beat his compatriot.
Jamie Jones then lost his second-round clash with England’s Tom Ford 4-2 yesterday.
Newport’s Lee Walker was also in first-round action on Tuesday but fell to a disappointing 4-2 defeat against Northern Ireland’s Jordan Brown.
Llanelli snooker ace Jamie Clarke claimed the scalp of world No. 17 Ali Carter in the first round on Tuesday.
Carter, a two-time former world championship runner-up, took the first frame of the best-ofseven contest but world No. 101 Clarke reeled off four frames on the trot to win through to the second round.
And Clarke added another 4-1 victory to his name in the second round yesterday when he beat No. 63 world-ranked Englishman Liam Highfield by that score.
Carmarthen’s Matthew Stevens was starting his first-round encounter with England’s Jamie O’neill at 7pm last night.
Clarke is facing 39th-ranked Hossein Vafaei, Iran’s first ever professional snooker player, in the third round starting at 11am this morning.
The winner of the competition will receive £70,000 and the runner-up £30,000.
Watch the snooker English Open live on Eurosport, Eurosport app and Quest