The English Open qualifiers have wrapped up with thrilling matches at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. This preliminary stage of the tournament witnessed remarkable performances, including a sensational upset and unexpected victories. Let’s delve into the results that unfolded during this exciting event.
Jenson Kendrick Shocks Stuart Bingham
The biggest shock of the English Open qualifiers came during the final evening session when Jenson Kendrick secured his maiden victory on the World Snooker Tour. The 2022 Q School graduate stunned former English Open champion Stuart Bingham with a remarkable 4-1 scoreline. This victory marked a significant milestone in Kendrick’s professional career.
Notable Upsets
While Kendrick’s victory stole the spotlight, several other higher-ranked players also faced unexpected losses. Joe Perry continued to struggle, suffering a 4-1 reverse against Mark Davis. Jak Jones, a World Championship quarter-finalist, couldn’t secure a win and lost to Allan Taylor.
Thai duo Noppon Saengkham and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh faced disappointment as well. Saengkham’s strong start to the 2023/24 season was abruptly halted with a 4-2 loss to Dylan Emery, while Un-Nooh could only manage one frame and was defeated by David Lilley.
Familiar Faces Advance
Despite the upsets, many familiar names safely secured their spots in the venue stages in Brentwood next month. Hossein Vafeai, Gary Wilson, and Anthony McGill were among those who delivered positive results during the English Open qualifiers. David Gilbert, a runner-up in the ranking event four years ago, qualified with a solid 4-1 triumph over Dean Young.
Former world champion Graeme Dott and fellow Scotsman Stephen Maguire safely advanced to the next stage. Ricky Walden, Zhou Yuelong, and Si Jiahui also secured victories during this thrilling qualifying event.
Disappointment for Snooker Legends
While there were moments of triumph, the English Open qualifiers also brought disappointment for snooker legends Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White. Hendry was defeated by Fergal O’Brien, while White fell to Joe O’Connor.
Top 16 Players Await
It’s worth noting that the top 16 players from the world rankings had their round-of-128 fixtures held over to the Brentwood Centre in October. This group includes reigning English Open champion Mark Selby, world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, and world champion Luca Brecel, who will enter the tournament at that stage.
The English Open, sponsored by betting company BetVictor, boasts a total prize fund of £427,000, with the champion set to receive a significant cheque worth £80,000.
Here is a table summarizing the results of the English Open qualifiers:
Date | Results |
---|---|
Wednesday | He Guoqiang 4-2 Andy Lee |
Jiang Jun 0-4 Julien Leclercq | |
Si Jiahui 4-3 Alexander Ursenbacher | |
Zhou Yuelong 4-2 Ben Woollaston | |
Peng Yisong 1-4 Graeme Dott | |
Ishpreet Singh 0-4 Wu Yize | |
Gary Wilson 4-3 Pang Junxu | |
Fan Zhengyi 4-1 Andres Petrov | |
Thor Chuan Leong 4-1 Louis Heathcote | |
Hossein Vafaei 4-0 Liam Graham | |
John Astley 2-4 Martin Gould | |
Sam Craigie 0-4 Michael White | |
Joe Perry 1-4 Mark Davis | |
Jimmy Robertson 4-0 Reanne Evans | |
Rod Lawler 3-4 Hammad Miah | |
Mark Joyce 3-4 Lukas Kleckers | |
Thursday | David Lilley 4-1 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh |
Mink Nutcharut 0-4 Cao Yupeng | |
Long Zehuang 3-4 Scott Donaldson | |
Zhang Anda 4-0 Ben Mertens | |
Victor Sarkis 1-4 Adam Duffy | |
Ken Doherty 0-4 Jackson Page | |
Stephen Hendry 0-4 Fergal O’Brien | |
Chris Wakelin 4-1 Lyu Haotian | |
Stephen Maguire 4-3 Daniel Wells | |
Allan Taylor 4-3 Jak Jones | |
Anthony McGill 4-1 Himanshu Jain | |
Ahmed Aly Elsayed 0-4 Liam Pullen | |
David Gilbert 4-1 Dean Young | |
Matthew Selt 4-2 Alfie Burden | |
Ryan Thomerson 1-4 Andrew Higginson | |
Mohamed Ibrahim 0-4 Andy Hicks | |
Friday | Tom Ford 4-3 Xu Si |
Aaron Hill 0-4 Yuan Sijun | |
Xiao Guodong 4-1 Tian Pengfei | |
Baipat Siripaporn 3-4 Muhammad Asif | |
James Cahill 4-2 Manasawin Phetmalaikul | |
Ricky Walden 4-0 Jordan Brown | |
Noppon Saengkham 2-4 Dylan Emery | |
Zak Surety 1-4 Oliver Brown | |
Liam Highfield 1-4 Martin O’Donnell | |
Stuart Carrington 4-0 Anton Kazakov | |
Jamie Jones 4-1 Ross Muir | |
Ashley Carty 2-4 David Grace | |
Stuart Bingham 1-4 Jenson Kendrick | |
Jimmy White 2-4 Joe O’Connor | |
Dominic Dale 4-1 Rebecca Kenna | |
Monday (Oct 2) | Round of 128 and Round of 130 matchups |
Stay tuned as these talented players continue their journey in the world of snooker, with the next round set to be played in Brentwood.