Lightning Almost Strikes Twice For Walden in Scotland
Lightning almost struck twice for Ricky Walden as James McBain got the three snookers he required in their match at the 12Bet.com World Open in Glasgow.
At the same stage of this event, formerly named the Grand Prix, twelve months ago Walden let slip a three-snooker lead against Mark King, to lose five-frames-to-four and those memories must have come flooding back as McBain turned the screws in the third frame.
McBain had to wait almost 50-minutes to pot his first ball in front of his home crowd. Walden made breaks of 48 and 109 in the opening two frames and went ahead early on in the third. The Chester-based world number 20, made a few mistakes but lady luck was on his side as each time McBain was left with awkward opening shots.
Needing three snookers to tie the frame, the Scot managed to get two before escaping a snooker of his own only to fluke the final red. In an almost impossible position he managed to double the pink into the corner pocket and keep the frame alive.
After getting the third snooker and being able to tie the frame with a green to black clearance, the world number 82 miscued allowing the former Shanghai Masters champion to complete a ‘comfortable’ 3-0 win and he will now wait for the FA Cup style draw to find out his next opponent.
Barry Hawkins continued his impressive recent form adding Ken Doherty to his list of big name victims after disposing of Masters Champion, Mark Selby in round one.
The Kent man opened up a two-nil lead, which so far no player has over turned in Glasgow this week. Ireland’s Doherty responded by taking the third but Hawkins completed the win in the next and moved into the last 16, giving himself a real chance of claiming one of the lucrative top 16 places at the first World Rankings ‘cut’ next month with a place at the Wembley Masters up for grabs.
World Champion, Neil Robertson also made it through without getting into top gear, eventually ending the hopes of Ireland’s David Morris by three-frames-to-one.
The Australian made a highest break of 72 but never looked in trouble and will be among the names most players want to avoid when they are pulled out of the hat later today.
