UK Championship qualifying got underway on Saturday morning and there were notable wins for the likes of former women’s world champion Mink Nutcharut and teenage star Stan Moody on the opening day.
Mink picked up a 6-3 win over Adam Duffy, her first victory of the season and a great time to land it in one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar over a best of 11.
The 24-year-old from Thailand knocked in the biggest break of the match (60) and made the most of a poor performance from the Englishman to book a spot in the second round of qualifying against Michael White.
There were also wins for a number of young talents who will be dreaming of appearing at the Barbican for the first time this year as qualifying continues till Thursday.
Moody continues his impressive start to his first season as a professional with a 6-3 victory over Latvia’s Filips Kalnins, with a break of 103 in the final frame.
The 17-year-old will have a sterner test next time out against the vastly experienced Dominic Dale, but the teenager is full of confidence after his run to the last 16 of the Northern Ireland Open last month, beating the likes of Gary Wilson and Zhou Yuelong along the way.
Another 17-year-old Englishman Oliver Sykes got a big win as well, with the amateur knocking off experienced pro Alfie Burden 6-1.
Robbie McGuigan picked up a big win over veteran Fergal O’Brien, with the 19-year-old downing the Irishman 6-2 with a break of 102 along the way.
The Northern Irish prospect has not yet turned professional, but it appears only a matter of time after also claiming a win over Pakistani pro Muhammad Asif at the Northern Ireland Open.
Chinese teenager Xing Zihao downed Jimmy White 6-2, ending the Whirlwind’s hopes of making a return to the Barbican after his memorable run last year.
The standout tie of the first round of qualifying was a clash between former ranking event winners Marco Fu and Michael Holt which did not disappoint.
Fu edged the Hitman 6-5 despite two centuries, a 91 and a 70 from the Englishman in a very decent performance indeed.
Qualifying continues until Thursday, with the main event getting underway in York on 25 November.
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