Wenbo Keeps Chinese Double Alive
Liang Wenbo won three matches to qualify for the final stages of the sixth Players Tour Championship and keep alive the hopes of back-to-back victories for Chinese players.
Ding Junhui won PTC5 last weekend, beating Wales’ Jamie Jones in the final,
The Chinese number one lost in the final qualifying round on Friday to Stuart Bingham but Wenbo lost just two frames to make it safely through. He recorded wins against James Wattana, Joe Delaney and Joe Swail to set up a last clash with 200 world champion, Shaun Murphy.
Dominic Dale set up an all Welsh clash in the last 16 against Matthew Stevens by beating world champion and newly installed number one, Neil Robertson.
The former Shanghai Master, who earlier in the week had been described as being dressed like Willi Wonka as the MC at the official opening of the South West Snooker Academy, earlier beat Stephen Ormerod and Kyren Wilson.
Stevens beat seven times world champion, Stephen Hendry for the second time in a week in the opening round and followed with wins against Tom Ford (4-3) and Fergal O’Brien (4-0).
Masters Champion, Mark Selby also put his name into the last 16 with wins over Andy Lee (4-0), Jak Jones (4-0) and Xiao Guodong (4-3) and will take on Jamie Jones on Sunday.
The Welsh youngster reached the final day for the second consecutive event recovered from 3-1 down to beat Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen 4-3, after earlier beating women’s world champion, Reanne Evans (4-1) and Peter Ebdon (4-3).
Last man through, was Alister Carter who beat China's Liu Song in a late-night finish to set up a clash with Jimmy White. The Whirlwind earlier beat India's Aditya Mehta, Jamie Cope and James McBain and improve his chances of featuring in the 24-man PTC finals in March.
