Leicester Witnesses Top Seeds Fall in Snooker Tournament
In a surprising turn of events at the WST Classic, Oliver Lines secured a remarkable win against former world champion Neil Robertson in the second round, with a score of 4-3. The victory has given Lines a much-needed boost in his quest to avoid tour relegation at the end of the season.
The fourth day of the tournament witnessed several major upsets as big names such as Jack Lisowski, Mark Williams, and Barry Hawkins were defeated. Ronnie O’Sullivan also withdrew from the event due to an elbow injury.
Lines, who is currently ranked 64th in the provisional end-of-season rankings, need to secure every win possible to ensure that he maintains his tour card after the Cazoo World Championship. His breaks of 64 and 67 helped him secure a spot in the last 32, where he will face Lyu Haotian.
Speaking after the match, Lines expressed his joy, stating that “To beat a player of Neil’s class is great. It’s hard for the big boys here with no crowd, but I’m not taking anything away from myself because I needed that win and I managed to get it.”
Judd Trump, the current world number one, needs to reach the final this week to qualify for the eight-man Duelbits Tour Championship, which is set to take place later this month. Despite the pressure, he managed to keep his hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over Wu Yize. However, Trump admitted that it has been a tricky season, and he is not overly confident of achieving anything significant.
Meanwhile, amateur players Haydon Pinhey and Daniel Wells continued their impressive runs in the tournament with wins over Elliot Slessor and Xiao Guodong, respectively. Si Jiahui scored an impressive 123 in a 4-2 victory over Jack Lisowski, while Robert Milkins secured a 4-2 win against Mink Nutcharut.
The WST Classic has been a challenging event for many top players, but as the tournament progresses, the best players are expected to come alive, as they gear up for the Cazoo World Championship.
