The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Higgins’ home hopes ended at last-16 stage – page 47
Scot bows out in last-16 after completing second whitewash win
John Higgins’ hopes of home glory were ended last night as he was beaten in the fourth round of the Bet Victor Scottish Open by Alfie Burden.
Fresh from his 147 break in the second round, the Scot secured back-to-back whitewash victories with a 4-0 afternoon win over Yan Bingtao.
The world number four opened his match with Burden last night with an 82 break but struggled to find his form as the Englishman secured his place in the last eight with a 4-2 win.
Burden’s highest break was 71 in the fourth frame as he set up a quarter-final meeting with Mark Allen, who beat the last remaining Scot, Graeme Dott, 4-2.
Dott had edged Belgian Luca Brecel in a final-frame decider in their third round clash.
Allen, who was beaten in the UK Championship final by Ronnie O’Sullivan last week, wasn’t at his best and two half-century breaks in the opening frame were the best he managed in defeating world number 68 Yuan Sijun 4-1.
He also struggled to find form in the clash with Dott, sealing victory with his highest break of the match, a 57.
Sam Baird will face Shaun Murphy for a place in the semi-finals.
The world number 101 ended the hopes of Scot Ross Muir in the early session before returning to see off Alister Carter in a final-frame decider.
Murphy made a 141 break as he progressed to the last 16 with a 4-2 win over Nigel Bond and then returned to edge out Kyren Wilson 4-3 last night.
Daniel Wells continued his fine run of form, whitewashing Matthew Stevens 4-0 after beating Mark Joyce 4-1.
Wells rounded off his victory over Welshman Stevens with a 79 break.
He now meets another Welshman in Ryan Day, who sealed a 4-2 win against China’s Zhang Anda with century breaks in the final two frames.
Day followed up that victory by beating Ding Junhui 4-2 last night.
Grimsby-based Stuart Carrington advanced to today’s quarter-finals with a 4-3 win against Tian Pengfei.
Carrington opened with a 122 break but the Chinese player responded with a run of 80.
Carrington also added an 80 to win frame five on his way to a meeting with Judd Trump.
Trump hit breaks of 127, 60, 89 and 101 in cruising past Zhang Jiankang 4-1 in the afternoon and followed up by beating Ian Burns 4-1 in the final match of the day.