Big Names Slip Up at Wembley
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Maguire joined the growing list of big name players who have slipped up in the opening round of this year’s Ladbrokes Mobile Masters at Wembley Arena.
Mark Allen ended O’Sullivan’s campaign and Hong Kong’s Marco Fu thwarted Maguire’s hopes.
O’Sullivan looked somewhat out of sorts in surroundings which usually fire him up to produce some of his best snooker. Allen began well opening up a two-frame lead at the mid-session interval. On their return, the Northern Irishman managed to maintain O’Sullivan’s frustration and hold on to the lead to claim a famous victory and his second win over the three-time world champion in major competition.
Marco Fu has slipped out of the top-16 in the world rankings since the field for the Masters was announced but last night looked like he belonged making breaks of 109 and 117 to move 5-1 ahead of Maguire.
The Scot eventually found his touch and reduced the deficit to just one at 5-4 with the tournament’s highest break of 142. It was too little too late for Maguire as Fu steadied the ship to win frame ten and put his name into the quarter-final draw.
Whether there is an impending ‘changing of the guard’ or Wembley 2011 is just littered with banana skins, the form book has been completely ripped up.
Just two first round matches remain, ensuring that this has quickly become the most open Masters for a long time.
On Sunday, Mark King started the trend by knocking out defending champion, Mark Selby followed by Peter Ebdon who only just scraped into the Wembley draw overcame illness and Shanghai Master, Allister Carter.
Monday afternoon saw Ding Junhui get the better of in-form Mark Williams, who won through last week’s Championship League in the hardest fought and on paper at least the most evenly-balanced tie of the round.
In the evening, world number one John Higgins was overturned by fellow Scot, Graeme Dott.
Jamie Cope and Stephen Hendry will be two people hoping for the trend to continue as they face 2005 world champion, Shaun Murphy and current Crucible King, Neil Robertson.
